There are more trees in America today, than there were 200 years ago.

[Lefty48197]

You may have heard a right winger repeat this thought. They use it to try and discredit the environmentalist/conservationist movements, whenever the issue of protecting trees comes up.

When they say, "There are more trees in America today, than there were 200 years ago", they're trying to fool people into believing there is no need to protect trees.

The fact is that 200 years ago, most of this country was covered by old growth forests. An area of forest land about the size of a 7-11 parking lot might have only had ten or fifteen trees on it, when the old growth trees grew there. Of course, those trees had 3-4 foot diameter trunks, and they rose 200 feet high.

Cut down those fifteen old growth trees, and several hundred small trees will grow in their place. That's why we probably DO have more trees today, than we did 200 years ago.

I've seen old growth forests, and I've seen the hideous brush covered forests that struggle to recover, after they've been raped by the lumber barons.

I'll take the ten old growth trees anyday.

[stepnw1f]

1. Great Post (nt)