RE “STONE wall plunderers leave a heritage in pieces’’ (Page One, Aug. 10): My love of stone and a career in the industry was handed down from my grandfather to my father and from him to me. Therefore, I applaud New Hampshire’s efforts to raise the penalty on stone theft and am confident this would protect my cherished industry.
Recovering stone for architectural and hardscaping purposes goes back hundreds of years. This weathered stone is now an important source of farm income that protects open farmland from cookie-cutter subdivisions, the ultimate death blow to preservation. While certain deposits are duly protected from movement, it is fair to move and reuse all other stone deposits to satisfy the demand for recycled New England stones. Neighboring property owners logically want local New England stone, as their land is often not blessed with an abundance of stone.
Luckily, this wall stone is no longer wasted by getting “crushed up for gravel to pave muddy dirt roads’’ and is economically viable in its own right.
GERALD CROTEAU III
Littleton 
