Learning from One Another

Last Thursday was about as interesting as it gets for a handful of IHLA members. First, about a dozen or so showed up at the Statehouse, where a legislative committee met to discuss the proposed ban on logging in the Back Country Area (BCA) of Morgan-Monroe State Forest.

I'm sure no one on the committee or in the crowd expected nearly four hours of testimony on the proposal, but they got it, and the IHLA members got a taste of the sausage-grind of public policy making. They also heard very passionate appeals from both sides of the issue, surely enough to gain an understanding of the other side's point of view.

In the end, those taking our side prevailed this time, with the committee being convinced that sound management is best for our public forests, to the point that not a single committee member would move to recommend endorsement of the proposal. Our association members who were there waited for their turn to speak, or just to listen, as a very patient Chairman Bob Bischoff (D-Lawrenceburg) allowed everyone a chance to be heard.

Here's where it gets interesting. After watching one testimony after another pick apart his proposal, Represenative Matt Pierece, the bill's sponsor, headed back to Bloomington - not to sulk about the outcome, but rather to attend a tree farm tour, at the invitation of IHLA, and at the Monroe Country property of Robert Woodling. Still in his suit, Representative Pierce trudged up and down the somewhat muddy landscape, asking questions and taking in the tour.

The next day, he addressed the IHLA Board meeting in Bloomington, to share his thoughts on the timber industry, and harvesting on public lands. I think many of the 30-some in attendance were surprised to hear Pierce recognize the importance of the industry to the state's economy, and were therefore more open to his constituents' views about public lands as he expressed them. He also respectfully fielded questions and comment for over 30 minutes. Those questions collectively conveyed to him a very palpable feeling of the passion that our industry has for taking care of our state's forest resources. There was also agreement upon a common enemy - urban sprawl.

At the end of the two days, everyone heads back to their regular way of life, but for a couple of dozen people last week, a feeling of coming closer was shared.