> Ok folks, like the rest of you I try to lead a somewhat noble and
> self-respecting lifestyle. I try to do my part as a citizen of spaceship
> Earth recycling when possible, not eating endangered animals, composting
> instead of burning, and writing my congressman when I think things need
> cleaning up. You know the type. I’m one of them.

> But now I’ve really done it. I have this beautiful boat in my garage, and
> it’s made of African mahogany. I would like to believe that the wood came
> from a tree farm, but one can’t always believe what manufacturers and
> exporters tell us. I don’t believe in dolphin safe tuna, and I don’t
> believe in monkey safe mahogany. It was more than likely acquired from
> some precious rain forest and dragged out with a bulldozer. Monkeys,
> birds, and who knows what else were probably destroyed by its removal. I
> think I’ve screwed up, and wish I had taken the time to learn how to build
> a stripper. I wish kit manufacturers offered or would invent an
> alternative type plywood.

> By the way, it is a nice looking boat. I did a great job. And I know it
> would look better as a forest. I don’t believe gentle boaters like us
> should encourage the destruction of great forests and ecosystems for
> pretty boats. There are other ways to build a boat. Don’t make my
> loathsome mistake.

> My 2cents

Don't get too bent out of shape because you use one species of wood over another. World economic policies already have lightened your wallet in an exact proportion to the amount of discord brought about by the felling of whatever trees were involved. A lesser species, one which was more abundant, would have cost less.

Some people believe that it is bad for Mankind to do anything in a forest. Baloney. Mother Nature's randomness causes more destruction and waste than humand ever have. Trees die, fall down, and rot every day in every forest in every part of the world. They must, or other parts of the ecosystem would fail. Removing a few trees a couple of years before they would fall on their own makes little difference to the grand scheme of things.

The modern concept of tree farming replaces older trees with more, yonger ones. The younger ones are more active in filtering our air, capturing sunlight, and through sheer numbers can provide more home for woodland critters.

When trees are NOT replaced with other trees, but clearings are created, the open fields are exposed to additional sunlight, and are more capable of producing oxygen than dense forests. While humans create many clearings in this fashion, the amount of land that burns each year from natural causes, such as lightning strikes, is also great. The fires reduce the trees to their essential minerals rapidly, thus allowing them to be easily reabsorbed by the soil, and to fertilize it.

There is a poetic notion that if we did nothing the forests would go on as they are now. This is nonsense. When Nature screws up (look at the current hurricanes) species go extinct and forests turn to deserts. Regrowth is by chance. Man, on the other hand, is actively working to prevent these ecological disasters, and is actively aiding in restoration.

If you are familiar with the legend of Paul Bunyan you will know that he is credited with logging all of the midwest. In fact, about 100 years ago many areas of the the upper midwest was indeed logged clean. No. not by Paul Bunyan, but by an army of people harvesting the tall timbers for lumber to construct the homes of millions of Americans. After the tress were cut that land was farmed, providing grains that fed the world. I had the pleasure to travel through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area several years ago. This land is ALL terrain that was scoured of trees at one time, and it is now a lush and diverse forest.

Trees grow slowly, but a forest can regenerate. As long as you treat your materials with respect, and not waste them, you should have no regret or remorse over using them. People who want to make you feel bad for using exotic woods have political agendas that are their own.

Paul G. Jacobson