I agree with Gov. LePage about cutting more trees on public land. We have plenty of trees but precious little wildlife habitat.

Half of the state’s woodlot owners have no intention of cutting any trees, ever; the bigger landowners are waiting for a market that may never improve.

We have 17 million acres of forestland in Maine, yet we buy most of our wood products from “away.” Our existing forest is more than 30 percent poor quality, with no chance of finding a market.

As recently as 1956, Maine’s deer harvest was over 50,000 animals; now it barely tops 20,000. Grouse, rabbit and woodcock numbers are also dwindling. The reason is not a loss of deer yards, disease or development – it’s pure and simple neglect.

None of our huntable birds and animals eat trees. They must have early-successional habitat (brush and sapling-stage growth), but Maine has very little of the habitat they prefer.

Only about 1 percent of our Wildlife Management Area holdings are managed for habitat each year, and few private entities are managing their lands for wildlife. The culprit is neglect, plain and simple.

We had great wildlife habitat in Maine 75 years ago, but we let it get away from us.

Cut, burn and slash away, Governor; it’s the only way we’re going to restore Maine’s great wildlife heritage. Hugging trees and worshipping Smokey the Bear isn’t getting the job done.

Stephen Carpenteri

Lyman

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