Successive B.C. governments have failed to seriously overhaul forestry policy.

The late Upton Sinclair, a distinguished American author and political activist (1878-1968), pointed out a truth that is applicable today.

“It is difficult for a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it,” he said.

A good example is the March 7 letter to Castanet by Brian LaPointe. LaPointe has worked in the forest industry continuously since 1973. His letter expresses many of the myths propagated by the forest industry.

The industry has always said, echoed by Lapointe, that clear cuts mimic insect and disease infestations and wildfires. However, that is true only when a forest is regarded as a supply of timber. But forests are much more than that. Forests are critical to the hydrological cycle. Trees hold back water from melting snow and rain, allowing it to seep deep into the soil following tree roots.

Trees shade and cool the land and water evaporates from trees, keeping the forest air moist.

Dead trees are important for wildlife. Biologists employ bat boxes, bluebird nesting boxes and artificial bear dens to make up for the loss of dead trees. Many insects use dead trees for food. Birds, especially........

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