I am borrowing an idea from my friend Heather Lende by “finding the good” in the Alaska Legislature’s recent decision to eliminate funding for foresters who have managed the Haines State Forest for 50 years. To that end, I submit the following letter to legislators who made this decision, to be signed by the Haines Borough Mayor and assembly members.

“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your recent gift of the Haines State Forest. We understand that you have not technically transferred title to forest lands, but you have ended meaningful management. Also, possession is nine-tenths of the law and we can’t help but note that your state forest is pretty firmly rooted in the middle of our Haines Borough.

We sympathize with your burden. We can’t imagine how difficult it is to support all those deputy commissioners, tax breaks for the oil industry and fertilizer plants in Nikiski while maintaining untouched reserves large enough to operate the state for years.

It’s probably unreasonable that we ever expected you to also manage a 283,000-acre forest here that supports our community, including with jobs in timber, fisheries, and tourism and myriad recreation opportunities. You have so many other concerns. Like daylight savings time.

Here in the Chilkat Valley, we consider the Haines State Forest an asset, not a liability. We realize the benefit (and benefits) of this giant acreage, managed for multiple use, as a key part of the future of our community.

The Haines Borough has resources enough to support at least one forester, and it’s likely we’ll still follow some of the standards developed by the state to manage it. The difference being that forest revenues will go to support foresters in Haines, not ones in Juneau.

We don’t assume ownership lightly. We know managing a forest involves expenses, but we also realize that the forest is a most renewable resource. We have observed that the trees here grow largely on their own, requiring minimal assistance by deputy commissioners.

Again, thank you for this most generous donation. Come up sometime and visit the beautiful Haines Borough Forest.”