I would like to reply to Laraine Wright’s 9/9/15 letter about me.

Wright is an active participant in the agency’s attempts to discredit leaders in the grassroots environmental movement that has arisen in response to the Forest Services timber beast mentality of get the cut out, damn the consequences. I am one of those grassroots leaders and that is why Wright wrote her misleading letter to the DE.

I am not against timber harvesting however, I am against the destruction of a rare and rapidly dwindling ecosystem. The Shawnee is such an ecosystem and must be protected from the wanton abuse by the timber beast; those who would destroy the contiguous, closed canopy at Cripps Bend for example.

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Wright would have your readers believe that I too, am guilty of cutting standing trees in a closed canopy forest; though that is not true.

While living in Pomona I bought permits to cut dead and down firewood in and around the old Civilian Conservation Corp camp on Ellis Ridge. The dead and down firewood consisted of 50 year old Black Locust that was falling over onto and around old foundations of the camp. The was no closed forest canopy and these dead and down trees would have been bulldozed to make way for the interpretive site which will commemorate the CCC camp. By the cutting and removing the dead and down firewood I saved the Forest Service the expense of having them bulldozed.

I stand ready to meet with anyone who is truly interested in the Shawnee and wants to know the truth about the issues facing this rare and rapidly dwindling resource. Get the facts and get involved the Shawnee needs you.

Joe Glisson, Ph. D. (SIU, 1982)

Creal Springs, Il. 62922