Mr. Frampton is misinformed. Mature trees show little net growth and therefore sequester about as much atmospheric carbon dioxide as they emit through metabolism and the decay of wood and leaves.

Rapidly growing young trees, however, consume much more C02 than they emit. In fact, some scientists estimate that in those large areas that are being reforested, particularly in the northern hemisphere, the consumption of C02 by young trees may be offsetting the release of C02 by forest burning in the tropics.

If Mr. Frampton's concern is greenhouse warming, then his strategy must be to replace mature trees with rapidly growing young trees, and to continue to reforest unproductive farmland and other treeless areas. Mature trees that are harvested must not be burned or allowed to decay but converted to lumber. The net result would be to move carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into wood, and store it there.