Letter: Forestry and carbon storage

PISCATAQUIS OBSERVER • January 2, 2023

The young trees that grow back after a harvest remove atmospheric carbon dioxide at a faster rate than the harvested mature trees. Many of those trees are used to create long-lived lumber products like the houses we live in. The economy of growing trees to produce renewable products is like having your cake and eating it too. I think the idea that we need many millions of dollars of taxpayer subsidies to pay landowners to delay harvests and instead grow older and denser forests is idiotic. It’s certainly not my idea of better forestry. ~ Jim Contino, Retired professional forester, Bangor