Letters.

THREE STRIKES

editor: A friend sent me the article "The Sagacious Bur Oak" (Summer 2000), and although it had great information, I also found some mistakes.

At the end of the introductory section, it states: "Today the bur oak is the state tree of both Illinois and Iowa." This is incorrect. The state tree of Illinois is the white oak, Quercus alba. I grew up in Illinois, and as a student we voted on which oak would become our state tree: the northern red oak or the white oak. The white oak won in 1973 and became the official state tree.

I went on the Internet to "Iowa State Tree" and also found that the bur oak is NOT the state tree of Iowa either. Their state tree is the oak (no specific species), chosen by the Iowa General Assembly in 1961. You'll most likely hear from lots of Midwesterners on the goof in reporting of state trees.

In the description section, it states: "It usually takes 7 to 10 years for a bur oak to produce its first acorns." Again, I have to disagree. Twenty-five to 30 years is more the norm. I would say (almost) never before 20 years of age.

Still a good article (maybe with 3 strikes).

Kenneth Menzer

Consulting & Certified Arborist 

Auburn, California 

SAVING TREES

editor: Here in Nashville we are lucky to have several big, old bur oaks throughout Davidson County and the metro area. As soon as I read Jeff Meyer's story on the bur oak at Vanderbilt University ("Of Politics, Academia, and Tall Tales," Summer 2000), I quickly set out to the campus to witness this historical tree, which is just outside Rand Dining Hall.

Last year we almost lost one of our other big bur oaks to construction, but I nominated it for the Nashville Tree Foundation's annual Big Old Tree contest, and it won! The owners were made aware of the tree's significance and completely reworked blueprints for an addition to keep the tree standing. Although construction goes on around this tree, the owners have left a wide area of protection, and the tree seems to be doing well with no signs of stress. Incidentally, this big bur oak grows directly behind Vanderbilt's chancellor's home in Belle Meade.

To update Mr. Meyer on his historic bar oak: a family of chipmunks lives inside the tree's base, and they don't seem to mind all the heavy foot traffic at this busy, central campus site.

Bill Gould

Nashville, Tennessee 

ANOTHER GOOD REASON

editor: The tree-planting insert in your spring issue gave 10 very good reasons to plant trees, but it did not give the complete story.

Certainly, improvement to the environment and restoration of damaged ecosystems are very important objectives that tree planting helps accomplish. But the astounding thing is that you can do these things and also provide commercial timber products in demand by our society.

You ask for donations to plant 500 trees per acre, but how are you going to advocate managing that acre? Surely you can't expect 500 or even 400 trees per acre to live and thrive until maturity without giving each tree more room as it grows. Properly conducted thinning will provide income from commercial timber products and also improve the health and vigor of the stand.

In future issues I hope you emphasize that a managed forest is a renewable resource and that it can provide commercial products as well as protect and enhance the environment.

O.M. Becton

Scotch Lumber Company

Fulton, Alabama 

Deborah Gangloff responds: One of the special values of trees is to provide timber products, and AMERICAN FORESTS has always supported the sustainable management of forests. Global ReLeaf trees are planted with money from members and corporations, and these native species are put on difficult public land sites to restore damaged ecosystems. Although those trees will be managed, the sites they grow on are not appropriate--ecologically or financially--for commercial timber harvest.

THANKS AGAIN

editor: Thank you for sending the articles about saving our urban and suburban forests--it's a great interest of mine. We recently saved 90,000 acres in our Cedar River watershed just southeast of Seattle. Keep up your great work.

Peter Steinbrueck

Councilmember

Seattle, Washington

THE TRUTH ABOUT FORESTS

editor: I take issue with some points in the Spring 2000 issue. The juxtaposition of the story of Julia "Butterfly" Hill crusading to save a large tree (Clippings) with the National Register of Big Trees highlights a truly dangerous tendency in modern America. Often we equate large trees with old-growth and assume "larger" means "older." That mistake has caused some very damaging management decisions at a national level. While salvaging timber leveled by Hurricane Floyd, I found two black spruce side by side. One was 16 inches at the stump; the other was 5 inches. The smaller one was more than 150 years older!

The ad facing the Register depicts a child in a park-like redwood grove-- with not one stick of regeneration in sight. No matter how popular such a vista may be with focus groups, it does not depict a healthy forest.

You also report that 16 million acres of American farm and forest land was converted last year to housing and commercial use (Clippings). Although true and interesting, one should--as balance--also be able to learn how many acres were converted into government ownership and therefore lost to our rural economy. American Forests should be more honest with its suburban readers and not pander to their prejudices.

Bruce P. Shields

via e-mail

TEACHERS SPEAK

editor's note: The following letters came from classes that participated in AMERICAN FORESTS' A Thee For Every Child (see "Making the Grade, "page 7).

Dear Deborah Gangloff: We would like you to plant our 187 trees in forests where they are most needed.

Ideal Elementary School has been working hard for three years to help the environment, through an after-school club of about 30 4th-6th graders, known as the Ideal Clean Up Crew. They have started recycling programs. composted lunchroom scraps, sponsored endangered animals, and convinced students and teachers to use both sides of paper before recycling. This group of dedicated students was responsible for promoting the tree campaign, decorating cans for each classroom, and collecting and counting the money.

We are extremely glad our school was able to help and can't wait to receive our Moon Sycamore!

Bonnie Ewing

Countryside, Illinois

Dear Deborah Gangloff: Enclosed find the money our students raised by collecting aluminum cans. We are delighted that 154 trees will be planted where they are needed the most.

Judy Goldsmith

Torrance, California