Oregon's remaining ancient forests imperiled by Bush-era logging deal

“Through a sweetheart deal with the timber industry, WOPR, as the plan is commonly known, will allow nearly twice the current amount of logging on public lands in western Oregon to occur, despite concerns from scientists and federal agencies that these dramatic increases in logging will harm clean water and healthy streams,” wrote Andrea Imler on June 12, 2009 for The Wilderness Society blog.

What is at stake is one of the last remaining, old-growth forest ecosystems in the United States. Not only are these forests home to untold numbers of plant and animal species, some of which find a last refuge from extinction here, but the clear cold streams that run through them support one of the healthiest wild-salmon fisheries left.

Andrea writes, “Fanned out in a checkerboard pattern along Oregon’s magnificent coast, you will find land where old-growth trees flourish, wildlife is abundant and the salmon spawning rivers are among some of the best in the country. . .

“Yet these wildlands, once protected by the Northwest Forest Plan, are now under threat of becoming clearcut and developed due to a Bush-era plan called the Western Oregon Plan Revisions.”

Lest naysayers argue that the welfare of humans should be a priority over the welfare of trees and owls, this in-tact ancient forest, its clear streams and salmon fishery are economically important to the coastal communities that also rely on the federally protected and BLM lands for fresh drinking water.
 

Peg Reagan, former Curry County commissioner and now executive director of  Conservation Leaders Network  (a partner of The Wilderness Society), not only lives near these forests, she’s working to protect them. ”I’m disappointed that my neighbor, BLM, seems to care more about high logging volumes, than the benefits BLM-forested lands provide all Oregonians,” Peg said. “BLM needs to recognize that there are more values to the forest than board feet and sawdust.”

Clear-cut logging not only devastates plant and animal life, it scars the land for generations, destroys watersheds, promotes erosion and demonstrably increases local climate extremes. Any short-term monetary gains are temporary and insignificant compared to the permanence of habitat and species loss. Not to mention the diminished quality of life for those people who love and depend upon these last, precious remaining forests.

Andrea adds, “The fate of over 2.5 million acres of forest, which is home to over 1,000 different wildlife species, now lies in the hands of the Obama Administration. President Obama and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar have pledged to restore scientific integrity and ethical responsibility to public lands management. To live up to their pledge, the administration should act based on science, law and the interests of the American people and withdraw Bush’s WOPR.”

Read the full story here.

Please visit wilderness.org/ web site on the sidebar for information on how to help stop the logging of Oregon’s last remaining ancient forests.