The Harmful Effects of Timbering

How does the role of politics and legislation that affect the caliber perseverance today par to that of a c years ago? In the early years of westerly Virginias landed estatehood there was a political sympathies that tried to build its own identity. Starting out as an under essential state that was rich in natural resources, there was an compulsion to erect labor within West Virginia. Upon examination of West Virginia today, unity can see the same desire to principal(prenominal)tain and increase effort in the state. It is my belief that today, as well as a hundred years ago, the government views attention as its top precession versus state residents and the safety of the environment. I will now attempt to comp ar and contrast the role politics and legislation has played in the return and development of the tincture application in the state of West Virginia for the fail 100 years.In the early years of West Virginia statehood a decided emphasis was put on industrial egression. Before this industrial growth there was a revolution that took place. As a result of the composition of 1863, the law became more industry oriented and moved away from beingness a cling toor of philosophy and culture. Following the Constitution of 1872, there was a facilitation to allow the transfer of land from smallholders to the coal and lumber companies (Lewis p.103-105).One of the main goals in the early years of statehood in West Virginia was to establish a strong, striving capitalistic economy. However, their ideas on how to achieve this varied throughout the state. Should the state remain an agricultural society, or move to an industrial society? This repugn continued, and this is when the role government played in the economy was determined (Lewis p. 106).As the smell industry grew in West Virginia lumbermen began to demand that the law supporter them to overcome their lack of capital so they could develop the states resources. The greatest problem at thi s time was the lack of transportation. The government began to book the lumber industry. Corporations were given the right to dam streams or change their flow, with court-ordered permission (Lewis p.107).Ronald Lewis, author of Transforming the Appalachian Countryside, writes thatPublic subsidy to improve water supply supply transportation for lumber was never undertaken in West Virginia, especially in comparison to with the public abetance provided to railroads. The lumber industry during this period developed no giant corporations that could comp ar with the railroads, and so its ability to exert political power was comparatively limited. It was through indirect stimulus that the law promoted enthronement in the lumber industry, which conformed the theme of nineteenth century policy (Lewis p.108).The timber industry flourished through an indirect stimulus of breaks given and provided to the railroads.Legislators gave entrepreneurs m whatsoever rights to assist with industri al growth, such as building dams across streams or changing the path of a stream, so long as it did not throw in with steamboats and other lumber companies. If a log washed up on someones mortalal property and they disturbed it within the foremost ten days, they were punishable by law (Lewis p.108).According to Ronald Lewis it is the belief of pack Willard Hurst, a prominent legal scholar and I concur, that the government sided with vexation and exploited the people. There is enough evidence of court decisions and legislation that upgrades industry and business over the common man, to validate Hursts belief.The previous paragraphs draw off an industry that thrived although it has slowed down somewhat in the last 100 years. Now, I am going to examine the timber industry in West Virginia today. My source will be spate shields articles that expect appeared in the Charleston Gazette about the regulations imposed on the timber industry. Wards articles, in my opinion, are biase d in favor of the timber industry. However, when writing upon a subject that is so controversial, it is nearly unrealizable to not show a bias.An examination of how things mystify changed, will not show a great deal. However, it is safe to advance that more bills changes hands today. Today there are more regulations, mostly where permits and licenses are concerned than 100 years ago. Anyone who is conducting timber operations, purchasing timber, or purchase logs for resale has to obtain a permit from the division of Forestry (Ward, evince timbering law). To attain and animation this license, applicants have to pay $50 a year. At every timber operation there has to be at least one person who has offd a certification course from the Division of Forestry. This person is expert in first aid, soil erosion prevention, and safe conduct of timbering (Ward, State timbering law).The Forestry Division is sibylline to be notified within three days of whatever and all timbering operat ions. The notification should include the names of those who own the timber. There should overly be included a sketch map of the location complete with roads used for the hauling and stream crossings (Ward, State timbering law).In Ken Wards article, Critics say more rules are necessary, but backers say present law is sufficient, a Morgantown geologist, Richard diPretoro stated that he believes the timber industry is under-regulated, comparatively speaking.The coal industry, which is such(prenominal) bigger than timbering in West Virginia today, has much stricter regulations.Strip Miners have to return the land to previous contour when they are finished. Those in the timber industry can leave the land any way they so desire (Ward, Critics say more rules).Loggers are supposed to follow a set of guidelines known as best heed practices. These are a set of voluntary guidelines set up to protect the environment. Environmentalist would like to see regulations for the timber industry bec ome more stringent. However, the director of the state Division of Forestry, Bill Maxey, feels that they have more regulations than they need.Im not sure that Bill Maxeys statement is scanty of prejudice, because the Division of Forestry is responsible for overseeing loggers and well as promoting the growth of wood product businesses. In my opinion, that would be conflict of interest.Many people interviewed in Wards article discuss how the environmental damage done by the coal industry is more harmful and will last daylong than that of the timber industry. Joel Stopha, a wood products marketing specialist, states, Poor timber crop practices will cause only a few years of water quality problems(Ward, Critics say more rules). We have the means to ensure that we have no water quality problems whatsoever.So, how does the role of politics and legislation equivalence in regards to the timber industry today to that of 100 years ago? I believe that the state government is still mainly focus on the growth of industry in West Virginia just as we were in the beginning of our statehood.Today we see more regulation in the form of different fees and licenses required. As with everything else in this world, things change. Of course, the timber industry is no different. However, other than the natural changes that occur, there really has not been a bulky change in the fact that the state government still favors industry over the state residents and this is reflected in the way the state government is failing to enforce the laws that protect the bodies of water in this state by allowing the timber industry to contaminate bodies of water even if it is for only a geminate of years.