MURRAY RIVER PINES, in Murray River, is the best example of an old growth 
     
     pine forest on P.E.I. It contains Red Pine dating before 1870, which 
     
     reach a height of 2hm£80 ft), as well as White Pine which are 23m(75 ft) 
     
     in height. It's rather amazing that these trees survived, considering 
     
     they grew beside a sawmill where many Red and White Pines were sawn 
     
     during the ship building era. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Most of these sites mentioned are owned by the provincial-government, 
     
     but many others have been identified on private land as well. The 
     
     co-operation of concerned landowners made it possible to develop brochures 
     
     for these privately owned sites. 
     
    

    
     As you are now aware, these woodlots cover a broad range of species 
     
     native to P.E.I. Some sites contain the last or best remaining examples 
     
     of these trees still alive on the Island today. Therefore, they are 
     
     important as seed sources and educational tools, but best of all, these 
     
     few undisturbed samples can serve as reminders of the Island as it once 
     
     was. In the time of change, let's hold onto a small part of our 
     
     heritage. 
     
    
   
   
    
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     LETTERS To THE EDITOR 
     
    
   
   
    
     "Letters to the Editor" is a new addition to this month's newsletter 
     
     but hopefully it will be a continuing feature. Letters with comments, 
     
     criticisms or Just interesting facts are encouraged and should be sent 
     
     directly to the editor: Sue Stephenson 
     
    

    
     North Wiltshire R.R. #2 
     
     Springvale, P.E.I. 
     
     COA 1Y0 
     
     Letters should be kept brief and they may be edited to conserve space. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Editor: ' 
     
    

    
     Would you please convey to the editor and board my great distaste for 
     
     the highly politicized article "Nicaraguan Parks" (Jan - Feb issue). 
     
    

    
     The author is easily duped and favors left—wing over right-wing 
     
     dictatorships, and this bias distorted a subject that needs more light 
     
     and less heat, namely the status of conservation efforts in the third 
     
     world (a subject in which I take a considerable interest). The 
     
     independent observer can only note that parks and conservation do not 
     
     seem to be the exclusive preserve of either communist or non-communist 
     
     states. Nor are successful multinational companies against conservation 
     
     values, a fact acknowledged by the Sierra Club. Nor is parks-oriented 
     
     tourism sought only by free market, non-socialist states; this fact is 
     
     reinforced by the accession to power of the avowedly Marxist government 
     
     in Zimbabwe, which is actively pushing the fine parks system it 
     
     inherited among naturalists and tour operators in the West. 
     
    

    
     The article you printed was nothing other than an advertisement for 
     
     the "government line", something the author would not fall for from one 
     
     of the western democracies I'm sure. 
     
    

    
     Wallace Platts 
     
    
   
   
    
     7 Calgary, Alberta