Clearcut Oregon: Stripmine The Forest

If you ask the Corporate lobbyists from Big Timber , they'll refer to it as the harmless act of "harvesting timber". Harvesting?!! Hmm.....

Since the 1950's , these hideous rapings of the land have been conducted while the general public was unaware. So well hidden were these clearcuts, only by flyover could one fully appreciate the carnage that was taking place.

Only due to public outcry and congressional intervention were any REAL "sustainable harvest" ideas floated, along with environmental impact assessments, which first emerged in the 1970's. These legislative efforts, in response to the catastrophic damage already inflicted upon public lands, were the the only steps implemented with the intent of protecting these heritage forests from complete extinction. For those already logged, the land was not to be left completely barren. While these laws were intensely fought over and resisted by Big Timber, they ultimately prevailed.

No longer would Big Timber be allowed to simply "rape and run"... it would now be obligated to replant the public lands within an allotted timeframe... meaning, replanting trees... essentially establishing a tree farm within six years. But what of the forest? Was there not more than simply trees there? Something called an ecosystem...? Replete with endless and diverse flora and fauna.... natural habitat... all that constitutes this complex and harmonious system?

Local county governments have foolishly relied upon "timber receipts" (revenue based on a fraction of stated profits from timber sales) for their funding. When the well inevitably began to dry, panic ensued... and the blame game unfurled. Rather than accepting responsibilty for decades of abject mismanagement, Big Timber sought to pin local community woes on the efforts of environmentalists.

In recent decades, the level of destruction has ascended to now include locations in plain view of the public. Take a trip up I-5, coastal highway 101... or coastal connecting highways 38, 42 or 26... you'll find many fine examples of "Corporate Excess". Take the backroads, and you'll find much, much more.

Insult to injury? The American taxpayer is saddled with the cost of constructing the roads which enable Big Timber easy access for their plunder. No joke. Large federal subsidies reward these Corporate raiders for their activity, and the BLM (Bureau of Land Mangling), though a government agency, assumes an advocate role. One would think it a wholly-owned subsidiary of Big Timber.

Worse yet, the Northern Spotted Owl, an indicator species, became demonized in this diversion campaign. Bumper stickers appeared, "I love spotted owls... fried in Exxon oil", reflecting an apparent contemptuous attitude toward any and all environmental concerns. There were many reports of locals going owl hunting, in a misguided campaign of "making the problem go away", by... making it go away. For citizens to actually foment a hatred toward a creature of the forest seemed beyond ludicrous... it was absolutely surreal.

While many Oregonians sympathized with environmentalist efforts, unfortunately, some of the more radical enviros only served to polarize the issue. Spiking trees, sabotage and endangering innocent workers is not an acceptable form of protest for any reasonable person, and only served to reinforce some predisposed negative stereotypes of so-called "tree huggers".

But then, to blame environmentalists and a forest inhabitant - an owl - for the catastrophic state of our national forests... is akin to blaming a canary for a mine disaster, or a smoke detector for a fire.

We need wood. We will probably always need wood, for its myriad of uses. But we also need clean water and clean air, and it's imperative to cease what only amounts to self-destructive behavior. We are essentially allowing our home to be dismantled, one plank at a time.

Clearcuts are not just abysmally ugly; they destroy salmon runs by subjecting streams to direct sunlight, thus removing natural cover for fish and warming the water... by filling the streams with mud, silt and other choking debris...and, ultimately, drying them up and erasing them. Recent years have shown record low returns of salmon runs, and there is little mystery as to contributing causes.

Global climate change is another added benefit to this mass forest scalping, of course. While many view in horror the Amazon rainforest destruction, they choose to turn a blind eye to the fine work conducted closer to home. But wait, there's more... can you say...

Mud and rockslides are on the rise, and in recent years have claimed human lives. The timber companies responsible for the denuding of the hillsides have claimed these events as "acts of God".... but what would one expect to occur when all vegetation is removed from the soil on a slope, and rains occur? After all, who anticipates rain in Oregon? helloooooo?

Responsible, selective cutting practices must be deemed compulsory, on public and private lands. Clearcutting is simply unacceptable; it is ruinous, unethical and unconscionable. The days of clearcutting ancient rainforests is at its twilight, if only due to the fact that there's very little left. The small, untouched portion remaining (by some estimates 5% of original), deserves a modicum of respect. For posterity... for the wonderment of future generations... the remains of this unique and vital ecosystem must be preserved.