Don't Clearcut Oregon's Forests
posted by: LiAnna D. 223 days ago
As a child growing up in rural Oregon, I spent countless hours enjoying all of the outdoor splendor of my home state's wildlands. Hiking and camping with my family, I enjoyed being out amidst Oregon's towering old-growth trees. To this day, I marvel at trees that have stood in Oregon's forest for hundreds of years.
The trees in Oregon's forests are a national treasure in my mind. That's why I'm so upset at a Bush-era plan to open more than 2.5 million acres of public forest land in Oregon up to logging.
It all stems from a Bush Administration agreement with big timber called the Western Oregon Plan Revision (or WOPR). In 2007, Bush released a draft of this plan -- and 27,000 people commented, demanding that the Bureau of Land Management act to save the forests. But the BLM ignored their pleas.
The Sierra Club Oregon's website lists what will happen to western Oregon's forests during the first decade if the WOPR isn't stopped. They say the WOPR will:
1. Remove BLM forests from the scientific framework of the Northwest Forest Plan.
2. Ramp up clearcut logging across hundreds of thousands of acres and get over 70% of the timber volume from clearcuts.
3. Reduce streamside buffers that protect clean water and fish by 50%.
4. Log some of the last remaining older forests in western Oregon.
5. Increase logging by nearly 400% compared to current logging levels.
6. Add 180 million tons more carbon to the atmosphere compared to no logging (equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 1 million cars driven for 132 years).
7. Result in 1,300 miles of new logging roads.
The Wilderness Society is leading the charge, asking Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to stop this plan. In a blog post on their site, the Wilderness Society writes: "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."
I couldn't agree more. If you've ever visited Oregon's forests, you know just how majestic they are. If you haven't, you're really missing out on an amazing display of our natural world. Either way, please join me in urging Secretary Salazar to stop the plan to clearcut Oregon's forests.
Read more: environment & wildlife
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"There is nothing
in which the birds differ
more from man than
the way in which they can
build and yet leave a landscape
as it was before." ~ Robert Lynd
PLANT TREES FOR LIFE ON EARTH.......
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why is this inappropriate?
I'm for anything that'll save forests worldwide, especially trees hundreds of years old. They're like our grandparents---venerable in their age so they should be respected and saved from being cut down.
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why is this inappropriate?
And, to Leland-you are absolutely right-there is no reason to bring more children into this world when we have trouble taking care of those we do have. China limits reproduction to one child per couple now-would that the rest of the world do the same. we all want to be green-having too many children increases the carbon footprint many times-just think of the trees cut down to make paper for the disposable diapers which end up in landfills and don't biodegrade-the tons and tons of them is staggering, and that is only the diapers. When I see people on T.V. being made into celebrities because of the number of children they are having it makes me ill-you all know who they are-maybe we were once told to be fruitful and mutiy but that was a very long time ago-we have multiplied beyond the carrying capacity of the earth.
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This is just another example of the government running over people's rights for monetary profit. Those forests are vital to be left as is-Japan is buying most of our timber, having cut all of what they had-we need to keep our wild and pristine places for our children to be able to enjoy. On the subject of cutting trees-why have Christmas trees that were once living things sitting dead in our homes ony to be thrown away come New Years? They need to be left to grow into forests that will house many more birds, insects, plants and other animals. THis past year many of those beautiful trees were left in lots and hauled away because they couldn't be sold-what a waste of life and effort to grow, cut and transport something that was unloaded and left in a lot to be taken to the dump. Far better that those Christmas tree farmers become foresters instead and let the trees grow-eve diversify their crop to make new forests. Forests make oxygen which we need to breathe-forests house many diverse plants and animals, forests are beautiful and spiritual to those who visit them.
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Thank you Leland.....Thank you....Thank you!!
Overpopulation is in direct relation to the demise of everything natural to the earth!!!!
With a world population of 6.8 man does not need one more baby born for any logical reason.
Plant trees for life on earth.......
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Stop having babies and maybe we will be able to preserve some wild lands. The number one problem for environmental protection is too many people swarming over the earth.
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"Did you know? Americans could save
more than 400,000 trees if each family bought
a roll of recycled toilet paper — just once.
Recycled tissue products help protect
ancient forests, clean water, and wildlife habitat.
It’s easier on the Earth to make tissues
from paper instead of trees.
For a comprehensive list of brands visit:
www.Greenpeace.org /tissueguide
It takes 90 yrs. to grow a box of Kleenex!
Plant trees for life on earth............
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why is this inappropriate?
I was born in Astoria, a quaint little town on the Columbia River,Oregon has beauty and so much greenery, and we need this to breathe, please stop the cutting of our lifes breath,The Mayans believe every time a tree is cut, a star falls from the Sky
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Oregon is beautiful and we need our trees!
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Stop logging and start planting!!!
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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
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