Hi, An interesting discussion about forest management. The sort of thing I find far more interesting than just sighting reports. We must all consider that state and national forests are not parks or preserves but rather viewed as resources. Good management of those resources are essential. Unfortunately ordinary citizens have little say in actual practice as we are not the primary constituents of the managing authority and generally the environmental community is against any exploitation of these resources, as a result, they are not taken seriously. People interested in conservation of bird habitat can however do concrete things to preserve and protect habitat. Unfortunately, given real evidence it seems they are very reluctant to do so. First they can purchase an Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp. These are available from the Division of Wildlife at www.wildohio.gov With the stamp you will get a pin, and I encourage birders to wear this pin in the field to show they support habitat conservation. Additionally they can contribute to established not for profit institutions which manage habitat in Ohio. Mentor Marsh is a favorite spot for birders and is jointly managed by the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, AND the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. If you have been to Wake Robin Trail in the past few years you have seen the tremendous effort the museum is putting into restoring the marsh in that area. You can contribute to this effort by making a donation the Museums Mentor Marsh fund. There are other legitimate organizations in Ohio which have similar projects or preserve large tracts of land. Mentor Marsh is one that just happens to come to mind. One other thing you can do is contribute to the Friends of Magee Marsh fund for rebuilding of the boardwalk. Because those 7 acres are a great birding spot and concentrate migrants in a small area where they are easy to see, it attracts lots of visitors and the boardwalk is essential to protecting the area and keeping it viable as a good place to see birds. Unfortunately, even given thousands of visits every year, the Friends do not have enough money to do the full rebuild project, simply because visitors are not contributing. (If every visitor contributes a paltry $3 it will take 6 to 10 years to raise the needed funds) I would challenge the birding community in Ohio to put their money into habitat conservation. Compared to what is spent on travel to see birds alone it is a very small outlay that will go a long way. Haans ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Please consider joining our Society, at www.ohiobirds.org/site/membership.php. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: listserv.miamioh.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]