SHERIDAN - Local business and government officials want logging to serve the purpose of prescribed burns to prevent vegetation overgrowth in Bighorn National Forest.

"We do not support the use of fire to manage the forest when this same acreage could be harvested," said a letter sent to Forest Supervisor Bill Bass by city and county officials, the Chamber of Commerce and the Sheridan Area Development Alliance.

Forest officials are developing several options as they update the forest's management plan.

Their preferred option is Alternative D, which would not establish new wilderness areas but would not affect existing wilderness areas.

The local leaders - as well as the logging industry - support Alternative E, which would open all "suitable lands" to logging, including roadless areas, stream buffer zones and elk security cover areas.

The letter also recommends changes before the Forest Service adopts Alternative E:

-Eliminate prescribed burns or wildfire as the preferred method of managing forest outside the Cloud Peak Wilderness area.

-Reduce the size of streamside management zones to match the "Wyoming State Best Management Practices guide."

-Create a standard that does not allow use of a forestwide elk-security standard to restrict management outside wildlife-management areas.

-Create a "window of opportunity" for a 10-year stewardship contract that would allow harvesting 2,000 acres of sawtimber per year.

The letter says Alternative E is similar to Alternative D in its proposals for elk hunting, water, air quality, soil productivity, scenery, viability of species, aspen, wildernesses and decommissioning of roads.

Environmentalists support Alternative C, which recommends establishing additional wilderness areas in the forest.