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THOSE WHO OVERSEE THE DIRECT mail industry's welfare dread the beginning of every new legislative year. I'm undecided whether this should be characterized as the start of “silly season” or just the start of something stupid, because it's often when state lawmakers who should know better embark on campaigns to besmirch those who do business by mail. This commonly takes the form of measures to limit (or cripple) the value of using the mail for business communication and commerce.

This year is no different: Several bills already have been introduced that would require states to develop the kind of do-not-mail lists that now exist for telemarketing. The genesis of these proposals usually is the same — that is, a total ignorance of the facts vs. the myths of mail's impact on our forests, environment and economy.

So to help you set the record straight with legislators who've started the year off on the wrong foot, here are a few facts to keep in mind:

• Mail constitutes a very small portion of our country's solid waste. It amounts to no more than four ten-thousandths of all non-hazardous waste that finds its way to a landfill. Millions of tons of waste paper are captured for recycling before reaching a landfill. Furthermore, our landfill capacity isn't shrinking — it's growing.

• No one is cutting down precious forests for the sake of “junk mail.” Trees harvested for paper typically are grown specifically for that purpose in tree farms. Trees are a renewable resource. Once cut, tree farms are reforested to ensure a plentiful supply of wood pulp for paper.

• Every environmental group that raises funds or communicates with its supporters does so by (you guessed it) the mail. Most are major users of advertising mail to sustain their support and activities. They do so for a reason — because mail is environmentally sound and economically vital to the well-being of our country.

So don't get fooled by all the rhetoric. Businesses use direct mail because they know it's a medium that truly delivers.

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GENE A. DEL POLITO is president of the Association for Postal Commerce (PostCom) in Arlington, VA.