What is important >here is how many acres are being reforested, not how may trees got planted. >Who cares if the Tree of Peace Society plants 1 billion trees if they don't >give the necessary aftercare to see that they survive to create additional >forestland. > >Jerry Van Sambeek >jwvs@siu.edu In response to Jerry's comment above (this is just an excerpt of his remarks) I would suggest that we should all care how many trees are planted, by whom, and why, unless we take a very narrow view of things. It's true, survival rates are critical, as is the intended purpose and ultimate use of the reforested lands. Still, the NUMBER of trees planted is a central component of public relations and outreach by planting institutions. If this were not so, why would the number planted be presented with such fanfare, while the survival rates are news buried on page 9 of the newspaper? Think about the list of benefits that come from tree planting, and the number of problems that planting trees is supposed to "solve." This creates a very powerful message, and the message is driven, in no small part, by the numbers game. An uninformed audience may not examine planting claims in a critical light. For my purposes, whether Chief Swamp plants a billion trees or not, whether the survival rate is high or low, is not the only issue, indeed, for me, not the central issue. Rather, it is the construct of tree planting that makes this venue appealing to him, and to those who support him. It's not for nothing that Weyerhaeuser is "The Tree Planting Company"! So to Jerry's question "Who cares?" I would respond that more people care as a result of promotional efforts by the timber industry, the government, and NGOs, the question then is "so what?" That's one I'm working on now, and I do think it's important. All the best, keep 'em coming! Shaul Prof. Shaul Cohen Dept. of Geography 1251 University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403-1251 (541) 346-4500 scohen@oregon.uoregon.edu http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~scohen/
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