Anyone who spends time in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest understands the need for conserving the land in order for current and future generations to enjoy great experiences — of all variety — in one of the most precious places on Earth. Mike and Brenda Hayden’s Aug. 11 letter, “Permit rangers to manage forests,” criticized the Gifford Pinchot Task Force. Instead of fomenting dissension between groups who share the desire to enjoy and protect this unique forest, perhaps we should all try to work together to preserve this wonderful legacy.
The Gifford Pinchot Task Force supports public forest recreation and works to facilitate projects that keep the forest in existence so that recreation is possible. These projects in collaboration with many organizations, including the Mount St. Helens Institute, are intended to keep the land and surrounding communities as healthy as possible. Currently, they are in the final stages of a fun and successful project in collaboration with the Forest Service wherein volunteers collected data on forest roads. The data will be given to the Forest Service, which will then make the management decisions concerning our forests, just as it was suggested should happen. The Gifford Pinchot Task Force is a small nonprofit that works hard in efforts to conserve the land for everyone.
Hannah Zentmeyer
Amboy
