Although a proposal to nearly triple logging in state forests pits loggers against environmentalists, both can come away winners if the work is done carefully. And if proceeds from the logging are used -- as promised -- for conservation efforts, planting trees, buying more acres of forest and encouraging owners of private forests not to develop their land.

From a land management standpoint, there is some logic to increase selective logging in Indiana's 150,000 acres of state forests. Cutting trees about to die naturally and thinning groves vulnerable to disease make sense.

Properly managed state forests serve multiple purposes that include logging, as well as hunting, hiking, nature preservation and ecological protection.

But conservationists have a point, too. Managed forests are not the same as true wilderness areas.

To learn the difference, drive to Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest near Paoli. Witness the towering black walnut and beech trees. Note the diversity of plant and wildlife. Feel the spongy rich forest floor beneath your feet.

Managed state forests simply don't compare.

The 88-acre Pioneer Mothers site is the largest remaining tract of virgin forest in Indiana, a remnant of the old-growth forest that once covered most of the state.

In the face of increased fragmentation of Southern Indiana's woodlands by development, vacation homes and highway construction, Indiana needs to set aside more unfragmented wilderness corridors for old-growth forests of the future.

As illustrated by the recent difficulty in acquiring the valuable Goose Pond wetlands in Greene County, however, money for land acquisition is hard to come by. Funds also are needed to encourage good management practices and prevent further fragmentation and clear-cutting in the 88 percent of Indiana timberland in private hands.

Trade-offs with loggers may be necessary ultimately to preserve more of Indiana's wilderness areas and forests.