Though the state barely is out of mud season, Maine residents searching for an alternative to the proposed clear-cutting ban already should feel the chilling wind of autumn blowing away their last chances for more constructive choices. Unless the governor’s sustainability council produces a persuasive final document soon, little will stand between the ban and the vote in November.

The Council on Sustainable Forest Management has missed its May 1 deadline for filing a final report. Though the council’s ideas on certifying forest practices are valuable, it has yet to assure the public that it has a method for enforcing the higher standards. Asking Mainers to trust that landowners will simply adopt the standards asks too much.

There still is time — a few weeks, perhaps — for the Legislature to be called into an emergency June session. Though there was some question about the legality of offering legislation designed to supercede the citizen initiative, word from the attorney general’s office suggests that legislation could be passed as long as it did not directly compete on the ballot against the initiative.

Lawmakers who have opposed the clear-cutting ban, and Gov. Angus King, who has spoken forcefully against it while recognizing problems in the forest, have an obligation to offer a substantial alternative. The governor’s office is eager to do that, but is relying on its sustainability council.

The Ban Clearcutting group has handed Maine an excellent opportunity to confront long-term poor cutting practices by some large landowners and contractors. There is wide agreement that these problems have been ignored for too long, although there remains deep divisions about the extent of the problem and, because of this, the best remedy.

On an issue as large and important as the Maine forest, voters deserve more than a choice between the ban and nothing. But time is running out.