This is in response to a Nov. 29 Sun Journal article on its Web site. It was headlined “Loggers worried that new law will curtail harvest.” According to the article, Ambrose Tom McCarthy of Skowhegan, a buyer and seller of land, was concerned that “the new law will affect not only his business, but people looking to build rural homes.” Also, he was concerned that “the liquidation harvesting law will prohibit him from subdividing newly harvested land and affect the market for wood.”

But that is the whole point of the law – to prevent McCarthy and others from doing exactly that: harvesting wood unsustainably and then turning over the costs of sprawl to the rest of us. The law curtails greedy exploitation of our land resources.

What would happen if that type of land harvesting were allowed to continue? The price of wood would eventually increase because unsustainable harvesting practices would leave us without enough wood. Of course, certain developers wouldn’t care because, by then, they would have made their money at the expense of fellow citizens.

The costs of indiscriminate resource extraction and sprawl are borne by all of us. Mr. McCarthy will simply have to play by rules that are more fair. The law helps to promote sustainable harvesting practices such as those utilized by other families, noted in the story, whose businesses will not be hurt.

David Mahoney, Hebron