The federal government's top forestry official will be in La Crosse today to attend a conference on the health of Upper Mississippi River Basin forests.

Mark Rey, undersecretary for natural resources and environment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will respond to the the group's findings about the forest's health.
More than 100 foresters, land owners, academics and timber industry representatives from the region are attending a two-day conference about sustainable forestry sponsored by Great Lakes Forest Alliance at the Radisson Hotel in La Crosse.

Wendy Sanders, executive director of the alliance, said some people believe logging is a threat to the forest. "But the real threat is people's increasing demand to own it," she said.

Local environmentalists plan a small protest of Bush Administration forestry policies this morning outside the hotel.

"The Bush Administration has decided unilaterally that the timber industry should have the ultimate right to everything, which ignores the fact that forests provide much more," said Eric Uram of Wisconsin's Sierra Club chapter, which is organizing the protest.

There have been a number of protests at events where Rey speaks around the country.

Reid Magney can be reached at (608) 791-8211 or rmagney@lacrossetribune.com.

Advertisement