As we prepare for yet another fall election, I wish to thank all who take part in the process. While reviewing our own town of China annual report from June 2013, I counted 22 different committees.

Watching the town for the past few years, I wonder if some of the new committees’ objectives are to skirt forestry issues. How we deal with the land today will affect the legacy we leave for the next generation of people, wildlife and forests. We are stewards of the land.

Now would be a good time for our selectmen to invite the Maine forest service to give its presentation on how to have a successful timber harvest. In a town that gets more than $90,000 per year in equipment use tax and has people earning a living off our natural resources, it is in the town’s best interest to manage our public land in multi-use format.

The many town committees place some good ideas away from each other. If we all teamed up in maybe a China Community Committee, we could blend our ideas from forestry, open space, lake access and others into a group effort. Looking at all subjects from many angles, both as a liberal and conservative think tank, this format would put us all in one big tent.

The choices we make today will be viewed as history to any who live on this land in the future. Let’s leave a legacy that reflects the many uses our people have for public land.

Let’s blend the forest management plan with the recreation plan. Let China be a town that defines itself by all the things we can do on public land.

Tim Basham

South China

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