The deforestation of our area forests in order to establish “monocultures” of corn, potatoes and soybeans is against the land ethic of sustainability and biodiversity. Over 50 years ago, Rachel Carson wrote the book, “Silent Spring”. It is widely regarded as one of the 20th Century’s most important books. It warned of the overuse of chemical pesiticides and the resulting harmful effects. The book prompted a movement we now call “environmentalism”. The interrelationship of species and their collective environments, a.k.a. “ecology”, has become more important than ever, as we humans encroach on the undeveloped land areas. A statement from a representative of our local agribusiness said, in effect, that the trees that are being cut are just another “crop”. This is an obvious disregard to the multitude of species, (or biodiversity), that live in a forest environment compared to an irrigated field of corn, potatoes or soybeans. A contemporary of Rachel Carson, the wildlife ecologist, Aldo Leopold, wrote: “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” We are all “environmentalists”, because we live in an environment dependant on clean air, and water, and land that will produce healthy food. The negative use of the term “environmentalist” would seem to indicate a radical individual bent on halting so-called “progress”. By destroying entire plant and animal communities via deforestation in favor of monocultures is, in my opinion, irresponsible and unsustainable, and certainly not progress.
Bob Bjelkengren, Park Rapids
