Last night I was reading a book on astronomy, as part of my "forester
education enhancement". G

The book said that Albert Einstein had renounced his German citizenship
several years before he left Germany. That took incredible courage.

I think those of us who think major changes are need in forestry ought to
renounce our citizenship in a phony profession and create a new one
entirely. That solves the problem of trying to reform forestry- we abandon
it as unreformable- and start over again.

It would be a new profession focused on "economically sophisticated
ecoforestry". From the beginning it should have very high educational and
training standards. The education should begin with an undergrad degree in
biology and ecology, then "forestry professional school" comparable to law
or medicine or architecture- which will focus on the balance between real
forestry economics, long term, based on intelligent analysis of the rate of
growth of value- in the context of great silviculture along with due
consideration of ecological and economic values not now counted and with
full consideration of externalities also not counted.

The professional school would include a very serious and deep discussion of
ethics and morality.

Training would consist of several years work for one or more forestry firms
licensed under this new program. Of course we'll have to change the name of
the profession to something other than "forester" to show that his is a new
profession. Once a person finally gets a license under this new system,
they'll be so highly educated and trained that hardly anyone will question
their professionalism- they will be seen as the supreme experts. There will
be no review of their work by bureaucrats or environmentalists- because they
will the ultimate forest environmentalists! And, of course, they're will be
no further need for the likes of FSC Certification, which is just another
fancy and expensive bureaucracy.

Well, I have a right to fantasize, don't I? G