Bad Forestry

“Hey Doc, I was up on Wildcat Hill this mornin’ and seen some real bad forestry!” I held the phone receiver at arm’s length. Mr. Davis shouted as if the phone was useless covering the 15 miles between us. Mr. Davis is a logger and too many chainsaws got the best of his hearing.

“Forestry?” I yelled back. Shouting over the phone is contagious.

An hour later I stood with Mr. Davis on his land. “Thanks for comin’ up here, Doc,” he said. “I owe ya.”

“No you don’t,” I said.

A swath of destroyed timberland lay before and below us. A stripe ran straight across the forest as if a giant lawn mower with a hundred-foot blade had gone through it like tall grass. Within the stripe lay mangled trunks and branches of pine, oak, sycamore, and dogwood trees.

“Dang Power Company done it, for sure,” said Mr. Davis. “Look at my crick. They clogged it with slash and done kilt the water flow. Kilt some big timber, too. Small-time logger like me gets hurt bad.”

Mr. Davis turned to me. “Reckon they devalued my land, Doc?”

“It sure looks like it,” I said.

About a month later I got a letter from an attorney.

“Dear Mr. Love,” it read, “I am lead legal counsel for the Power Company. We received a demand from a Reginald Davis for a monetary claim related to so-called destruction of property associated with clearing of over-growth within the boundaries of my client’s power-line easement appurtenant and dominant to Mr. Davis’ land. You are quoted as stating the Power Company has devalued Mr. Davis’ land. If you would like to make a statement in that regard please complete and send the enclosed form. I should inform you that in so doing you will be subject to subpoena, deposition, cross-examination, and possible prosecution.”

I slid the letter in my desk drawer. I looked from side to side and maybe clucked like a chicken. A couple months later, I got a call from Mr. Davis. “Hey Doc,” he shouted, “did you hear from that Power Company attorney?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry, I….”

“I knew it!” he bellowed. “I just got a letter from the court. Listen here: ‘The court finds in favor of the complainant, Mr. Davis, for loss of timber and land value. The court rules against the Power Company for bad forestry practices.’ What’d I tell ya! Bad forestry!”

He told me he was awarded a nice amount of money.

“Thanks for your help, Doc,” said Mr. Davis. “I owe ya!”

“No you don’t,” I said.