U.S. needs strategy for reforestation

Robert Fielden, Henderson The writer is an urban planner and an architect.

Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009 | 2:02 a.m.

Regarding the Las Vegas Sun’s editorials in its Saturday edition:

Too little appreciation is offered to the Sun’s editorial staff for its focus on subjects important to life in Southern Nevada.

Two Saturday editorials, “New training for soldiers” and “Family docs need help,” are right on! The “Tall trees, high prices?” editorial, however, covers only the carbon producers’ concerns regarding reinvestment in one of America’s most valuable and critical renewable natural resources.

According to Iowa State University reports, there is more than ample land available for growing food and growing fuel on farms across the United States today. Our caloric intake is twice what it needs to be. Plus, trees don’t have to be considered as a replacement to either food or fuel for America. Trees do produce food.

Planting new trees is as much an urban opportunity as it is rural. We can look to China for guidance in successful reforestation and urban forestry programs.

Like China, this nation needs a strong national reforestation strategy, a program that improves our watersheds and reduces soil erosion; that increases carbon absorption from the atmosphere; that improves our nation’s rural and urban quality of life, and improves America’s health.

Batting two out of three however is not bad; it still gets your jersey into the Hall of Fame.