Stop the Sale of Trees to Pay for Education

Clemson University has approved the sale of timber on Simpson Research Center off Lebanon Road outside of Pendleton. Already, 118 acres have been clear-cut; several hundred more are under consideration for sale. This an effort to offset state budget cuts. However, the action is ill considered, shortsighted and unsustainable: whatever money is raised will quickly be spent, the university will still have financial problems, and Simpson will be stripped of its extensive and beautiful forest habitat. As a native of this area, a Clemson University graduate and former English instructor, and someone who cares about education and the natural beauty of South Carolina, I ask you to sign this petition urging Clemson University to see the forest, as opposed to the trees as dollar signs. Let's find a sensible, long-term solution to funding education, not one that will denude the landscape for short-term gain.