Talking Points from Minnesota Forest Industries
MFI represents management of lumber companies and multinational paper companies.
- Use national forest as tree farm. This involves comparing volume of trees that grow recovering from previous logging to amount they are allowed to cut.
- Support higher harvests in near term. Then prohibit Forest Service from reducing cut.
- Log all trees before they die; don't let forest succeed to intermediate or mature native plants and tree species.
- Paper industry will only expand production if they can get more subsidized timber.
- Buffer zones to protect scenic views don't let them log near lakes or streams.
- Mitigating logging impacts on wildlife would allow more clearcuts.
- Models show more clearcutting provides million more local economic activity and more jobs.
- Keep as much aspen forest as possible, logged on 40-year rotation.
- Prescribed fire wastes trees that could be logged, and is expensive.
- Build hunting population of ruffed grouse, which prefer to live in recent clearcuts.
- Modern Minnesota no longer has room for natural or wild forests.