Paul Barringer’s deep voice and southern accent at first demanded attention during his speech about the lumber industry, but his message became just as compelling at the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerce annual awards dinner Tuesday.

Barringer, president of Coastal Lumber Co., said state restrictions are threatening decline in the timber industry similar to that of the coal industry. House Bill 4634, pending in the house of Delegates, will impose restrictions that, if it passes, "will eliminate logging in this state as we know it." If the bill is made public, it will "scare the bejesus out of everyone considering bringing their business to this state."

The bill, the Logging Sediment Control Act, is a proposed environmental protection law that involves sediment control measures during commercial timber harvesting operations. The proposed bill addresses procedure of logging registration forms for the Division of Forestry, training and certification of timber operating inspections, and specifications on timber-hauling roads [all sic]. To reduce possible sedimentation, which is soil or solid particulate matter deposited into bodies of water, timber cannot be harvested on a slope that is greater than 50 percent, and vehicles that do not have rubber tires cannot be used on slopes greater than 37 percent, under the proposed bill. Also, construction of commercial timbering operations will be prohibited during months when the ground is subject to frequent freezing and thawing, according to the proposed bill.

Barringer encouraged everyone at the dinner to call their legislators to oppose the bill’s passage.

Barringer stressed to the audience that West Virginia is seen as an "anti-business" state.

"The West Virginia coal industry, as we all know, is declining," he said. "Now, the timber industry is facing the same fate as the coal industry . . . with all the restrictions imposed by environmental groups," he said..

"We know we have a problem when one Indiana bat [endangered species] is seen in a cave in Randolph County, when one little bat can tie up five acres around a site," he said.

"This great asset your state has is [falling victim to] tax assessors, environmentalists and preservationists."

The article continues with Barringer’s criticism of an old low-interest loan program, as an example of "well-intentioned government programs" that had unforeseen bad results. He acknowledged that other states, such as NY, are more expensive to operate in. "It’s cheap here," he said.

Coastal Lumber has 13 facilities and 32,000 acres of timberland, more than 880 employees and 1500 to 2000 contracted employees in West Virginia. Nationwide, Coastal employs more than 2000 at 30 manufacturing and sales facilities. It has more than 300,000 acres of timberland. Barringer himself is from NC, where the song is the same.