Tribune editorial staff

The headline read: State agency to fund study of forest lands. At first glance we thought it might be another layer of bureaucracy at work.

But digging a little deeper, the true power and potential of the study becomes clear.

The study's purpose is to consider ways in which the land within the Wayne National Forest can become more accessible to visitors and more economically important to the region. The study will be funded by the Governor's Office of Appalachia.

The timing of the study comes when the U.S. Forest Service, under the shingle of Wayne National Forest, wants to purchase more land in Lawrence County.

Lawrence County leaders, while acknowledging the importance of Wayne National Forest, want to be careful and not allow all of the county's developable land to become hitched to the national forest. Or, at least, they don't want to tie up the land without a good purpose - a purpose that will hopefully bring new dollars into the county.

Make no mistake, Wayne National Forest is a jewel, not only to Ironton and Lawrence County, but also to the entire Tri-State. The work wrapping up at Lake Vesuvius will make the forest a viable tourism draw for years to come.

But as the Lawrence County Commissioners have pointed out, improving the land already owned by the forest service could go a long way toward making the forest have more an economic impact on the area.

Any time large amounts of land in our county are to be bought or sold by public entities, we think the public should know the purpose of the transaction and how it will benefit the greater good.

Balancing preserving nature with keeping economic development options open can be a tricky tight-rope walk, but stopping first to study the "how's" and "whys" will help make sure we, as a community, do not make a mistake in land usage.