by Dana Harmon

This summer, millions of Americans will enjoy our country's majestic forests. Whether we hike with our kids among tall, strong trees, picnic on a pine needle carpet, or crouch patiently with binoculars waiting for a scarlet tanager, forests are comforting, peaceful retreats from our hectic lives.

Yet these days, I find that a summer afternoon in the forest brings ominous reminders of how fragile these precious places really are. All too often, as I'm headed for home, I'll pass a logging truck filled to capacity with freshly cut trees. This is a real reminder that our forests may not be around forever.

Of the original forests that covered our nation, less than five percent remain standing today. From the far reaches of Alaska to areas of the Midwest and South, beautiful national forests are still being logged to feed paper machines and saw mills.

Seeing that logging truck - or flying over the bombed-out devastation of a clear-cut - makes me feel hopeless. After all, what can one person do about this global problem?

The truth is, I don't have to feel powerless and neither do you. Trees are cut down because people use them: for paper, for buildings, even for rayon cloth. Each of us can make small changes in the wood and paper we buy and use in order to lighten the load on our forests. Every little bit really does count.

Start by taking a quick inventory of the wood and paper you see in your daily routine. You'll find plenty of ways to keep more trees in the forest without sacrificing life quality.

Take pesky junk mail. I hate seeing so much paper go directly from my mailbox to the recycling bin. The average American receives 553 pieces of junk mail each year - mostly for things we don't want! Write to the Direct Marketing Association (see sidebar) to remove your name from big mailing lists. Then, every time you fill out an order form, subscription renewal, or order by phone tell them not to sell or trade your name. Within six months you'll see a significant drop in the number of unwanted solicitations stuffing your mailbox. In addition to simplifying your life, you'll send a powerful signal that you don't think junk mail is a good use for our forests.

Next, consider your daily cup of joe. If you replace your paper coffee cup at work with an insulated travel mug, you'll save 250 cups a year. That's 10,000 cups over a 40-year work life! Not only will you save trees, but you may save money too - many coffee shops now offer small discounts for reusable cups, and a sturdy mug will prevent costly coffee spills on your clothing. Avoiding paper coffee cups can be an easy step toward becoming a "woodwise" consumer.

Home improvement projects are a third opportunity to protect majestic forests. How many of us will spend time this summer putting in new shelves, patching a worn spot, or even building a deck? Whatever your fix-it projects, you can plan them to use less wood, and avoid using grades of lumber that are fancier than the job requires. There's no point cutting down ancient cedar for the inside of a cabinet no one will see. Ask if your lumber yard carries certified lumber: the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), or SmartWood labels ensure it was harvested with as little damage to the forests as possible.

Unfortunately, many stores don't carry certified wood yet. If your favorite hardware store doesn't, why not let the manager know you'd like to have forest-friendly choices? You can also write a letter to Arthur Blank, the head of Home Depot, America's largest home improvement chain (2455 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30339-4024). Smart businesses will stock certified lumber if they hear from consumers who care.

These tips are easy, and they can have a dramatic impact on the future of our forests. There are lots more ideas like these in a new guide called the WoodWise Consumer. If you'd like a free copy, just call 800-58-GREEN, or you can find the WoodWise Consumer guide on the web at http://www.woodwise.org.

WoodWise consumers need not feel overwhelmed by deforestation. If we all do our part - if each of us rebels against products that waste wood and seeks out forest-friendly products when we shop - then we'll keep the legacy of our forests strong for many generations to come.

Dana Harmon is the WoodWise Consumer Director at Co-op America, a national nonprofit consumer and investor education organization that you can find on the web at http://www.coopamerica.org.