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2 

 beauty of the biotic community." This ethic accepts short-term 

 constraints on human treatment of land so as to ensure 

 long-term preservation of the integrity, stability, and beauty 

 of the biotic connminity. 



I believe that human activity which is consistent with this 

 ethic is properly within the realm of resource mcinagement 

 options. Activity not .consistent with the long-term 

 preservation of the biotic community should be resisted for all 

 but the most conpelling reasons. I believe my views are 

 consistent with the intent of existing statutes that guide 

 Forest Service activities. I also recognize that people are 

 inseparable from the ecosystems of which they are a part and 

 people's varied needs must be considered and accommodated if 

 there is to be any national consensus about how our forests and 

 range lands are to be treated. 



An essential characteristic of any orgsmization with a strong 

 land ethic is a commitment to the truth. Forest Service 

 employees. Administration officials, and the Congress will be 

 making hard decisions concerning the policy and mcinagement of 

 the people's forests. The reliability of the information on 

 which these decisions should be based is partly a product of 

 the willingness of administrators to seek out, dememd, ajid 

 listen to the truth- -however disappointing or disconcerting 

 that may be in the short term. 



