Editor,

In case you haven’t noticed, logging on Whidbey is on the rise. Most of it in the form of clearcut logging. Higher timber prices are encouraging some land owners to cash in, many of whom aren’t residents here but simply investors or trust holders.

Here in the Northwest, most have accepted the fact that much of the Cascade and Olympic mountains have become nothing more than giant tree farms where clearcut logging is routine.

Clearcutting has obvious and dramatic effects on the landscape that last for many decades. Whidbey is not a vast wilderness area, it is home to tens of thousands of people.

Many of Whidbey’s residents were drawn here by the natural beauty, much of it in the form of trees. Furthermore, citizens on Whidbey have overwhelmingly voted in favor of land use practices that protect the environment as evident by public input to the Island County comprehensive plan.

When a lot or acreage is clearcut, it dramatically alters the landscape and has a very negative impact on everything from surrounding views, noise suppression, wind block and increased ambient temperatures, to name a few.

Another important factor is most Whidbey residents rely on ground water that is aided in recharging by the slow percolation that trees permit. It’s more than obvious to me that when logging is permitted, it ought to be selective thinning at best.

This method leaves what can still resemble a forest and provide all the benefits to both the humans and the animals we share this island with.

It’s time to pressure the state Department of Natural Resources and our local elected officials to rethink forest and land use practices here on Whidbey.

Robert York

Coupeville