In response to the April 9 letter to Peninsula Voices, “Kitchel’s failure,” we can improve on oxygen output by cutting the tree after its fastest growth, which concludes the tree’s most oxygen-productive time.
It’s not complicated science to determine when a tree is at its best producing-oxygen cycle.
Simply measure the growth rings.
Under state law, during cutting, the streams and wetlands are protected by buffers up to 200 feet on each side.
After harvesting the trees, the choice becomes whether to make them into lumber or sell the logs on the world market.
In addition, a harvest tax of 5 percent is added to the other taxes on the sale of the logs.
This all produces many jobs and revenue for our economy, as well as increases much-needed oxygen for our air.
It can be concluded that since this entire process coincides very well with oxygen production and water protection, it could be considered to be an environmental operation.
Unfortunately, most of the public only sees the ugly clearcuts.
It is a fact the clearcuts become less noticeable and turn green in a few years.
Replanting is seldom necessary in these locations because of the many young seedlings in the ground ready to grow.
The Olympic Peninsula covers an area of 4,463,093 acres, according to The Outdoor Society, with 923,000 acres in Olympic National Park and 632,000 acres in Olympic National Forest.
The only trees cut in the park are for maintenance.
If you add the area of our state, county, city and private parks to Olympic National Park, then maybe we could do without the Wild Olympics legislation.
Ray Nason,
Port Angeles
EDITOR’S NOTE: Nason is a commercial tree farmer.