Regarding the mineral sales at Cabwaylingo State Park, I would like to applaud Governor Wise for taking a small step towards opening up the process to communities and individuals. Now, if he would step in and afford the same communities and individuals the opportunity to decide how and when timber is cut from these State Forests, and how the money is spent, he would be making a serious difference.

Currently, the State Division of Forestry (DOF) is drafting what they call management plans for the State Forests. In reality, they are nothing more than timber harvesting plans. They pretend to take citizens wishes into account when they write these plans, but the "citizen involvement" portion of the planning is a meaningless process and is merely window dressing. By the time the citizens get a chance to comment on these plans, they are already virtually completed.

So the division of Forestry is free to use the State Forests as cash cows to fund their agency. When they want to give their employees raises, just rape a state forest. When they want some new equipment, just rape a State Forest. There is no way possible that responsible timbering of our State Forests can occur when the proceeds are kept and used at will by the very agency making the decisions. The pocketbook is driving decision-making, not sound forest management principles.

Management of our precious few State Forests and their resources should be done in an open process in a manner acceptable to, and desirable by, the citizens of the State, not at the will of an agency for its own funding.

What does the law say about how the Forests should be managed? It states "The purposes are...the management of state forests for conservation and preservation of wildlife, fish, forest species, natural areas, aesthetic and scenic values and to provide developed and undeveloped outdoor recreational opportunities, and hunting and fishing for the citizens of this state and its visitors."

In another passage, the legislature added that the state forests are important for research, and mentioned timber production and demonstration of forestry management. The law sums it up by finding that the state forests "should be managed on a multiple-use basis." As currently practiced, the planning process ignores all the multiple uses but one. In the minds of the DOF planners, managing our State Forests is all about cutting the trees.

It took a brave act of the Legislature to reign in this out-of-control agency in regards to timbering in Kanawha State Forest. Perhaps the legislature needs to revisit the process for the rest of our nine State Forests.

The DOF has just released the "draft" plan for Kumbrabow State Forest. This State Forest was created when Herman Guy Kump, the governor of West Virginia from 1932-1936 and two of his cabinet members, Mr. Brady and Mr. Bowers decided to donate approximately 1,500 acres of land each to form a state park. They took portions from each of their names and combined them to name Kumbrabow state forest. These men strongly believed in preserving the natural beauty of West Virginia, which is the reason that they donated the land in the first place.

I urge everyone to write to the Division of Forestry folks at 1900 Kanawha Blvd. East Charleston, WV 25305 and request a copy of the draft plan, or call them at 304-558-2788. Our State Forests are too few and too small to be turned into tree farms to fund the DOF.

It is important for West Virginia citizens to see for themselves the obviously biased and flawed nature of these "plans." Concerned citizens should also attend the public hearing at the Tygart Valley High School this Thursday October 20, at 7 PM and comment on this draft plan. Objective management is impossible when the agency making the decisions gets to keep the proceeds from these decisions. We must hold the DOF responsible to manage our State Forests, as the law requires, for all West Virginians.