Philippine Loggers and the West Virginia Economy

We often hear about the global economy and the effect local events can have half a world away. This article from the Business Mirror is a report of a crack down on illegal logging in parts of the Philippines. The reason given is the environmental importance of the intact forests for other land uses. "'We need to secure these areas from destructive elements because millions of people depend on these areas for irrigation and drinking water,' the DENR official pointed out, adding the DENR needs the support of the military in most of its tactical operations to flush out timber poachers and illegal loggers operating in the region’s forest areas. " While that is important, it bears noting that trees that are cut illegally depress the price of timber everywhere, reducing the demand for West Virginia timber to be used in furniture that is being made in the growing East Asian economies. Our timber operators in this state suffer when timber is cut cheaply elsewhere, without the operators paying taxes and engaging in necessary reforestation.

We are lucky in West Virginia to have forests that are operated in a sustainable fashion. Trees are growing faster than they are being cut. Best management practices reduce the sediment that washes into streams, and prevent increased peak flows during heavy rains. For more information about logging practices in West Virginia, and reports on forest health, try the WV Division of Forestry website.