Alternative to forest bill allows old-growth logging
Oregon Rep. Greg Walden has introduced a bill into the House of Representatives, the Forest Emergency and Recovery Act, that would allow aggressive old-growth logging on our public lands within 60 days of a natural disturbance (i.e.: fire, drought, floods, windstorms or insects), bypassing any public involvement.
Let’s set the record straight:
Fires do not “destroy” forests, fires rejuvenate forests. Certain tree species, such as the Knobcone pine, actually require fire to burst its seed cones. Forest fires provide wildlife habitat in the form of dead standing trees, or snags, while downed trees eventually decompose to create fresh fertile soil. The Forest Service’s own scientists claim the best thing to do after a fire is to allow the forest to recover on its own.
New Mexico Rep. Tom Udall has introduced an alternative to Walden’s bill, which many environmentalists are calling a “common sense approach” to forest management. The bill calls for a number of projects that would experiment with different approaches to managing the post-fire landscape. Compared to Walden’s monstrosity, Udall’s proposal seems almost reasonable (as would anything), but no matter how you look at it, Udall’s bill still JUSTIFIES THE LOGGING OF OLD-GROWTH ON PUBLIC LANDS! With 95 percent of our native forests already cut, why should environmentalists – whose responsibility it is to speak for our voiceless forests – be the ones doing the compromising?
Please urge Senators Wyden and Smith to fight Rep. Walden’s Forest Emergency and Recovery Act, as well as any other proposal that advocates for post-fire “salvage” logging on our public lands.
Josh Schlossberg
Eugene
Mayor and City Councilor deserve recognition
Mayor Kitty Piercy and City Councilor David Kelly need to be commended and supported for maintaining their integrity and values with their recent motion to remove the West Eugene Parkway (WEP) from the list of transportation projects.
Elected officials in our community have an ethical responsibility to other life forms and to future generations. This must come first. Personal attacks toward city and county officials will not be tolerated and are a waste of precious time and energy.
What’s crucial and essential is to get on with preserving our wetlands and seek alternatives in transportation. Our environment needs sustainable alternatives to dependency on oil, in addition to implementing the dozens of other transportation projects in our region.
Let’s move forward with improving our existing transportation needs and seek sustainable solutions for our children’s sake.
Planet Glassberg
Eugene
EPD should stop crime, not restrict skateboarders
Regarding “Travel via skateboard could elicit EPD ticket” (ODE, Nov. 11): I’m glad that the EPD has solved every murder and rape in Eugene, found every car and bike stolen from campus, and arrested every meth dealer. Otherwise it’d seem pretty silly to be spending time ticketing poor college kids for their choice of vehicle commuting to school.
Ryan Forsythe
University student
Inbox
Daily Emerald
December 1, 2005
0
More to Discover