Recently, Oregon forests have been in the news quite a bit, for both good and bad reasons. It’s a trending topic and one to keep track of—here are a few highlights:
- The Forest Grove News-Times on state forest conservation areas and appreciation: “Rallying troops over Labor Day, environmental group is trying to get parts of Tillamook Forest set aside for conservation”
- The Oregonian on deforestation in Oregon: “State law requires timber companies to replant after clear cutting. But seedlings aren’t growing as fast as mature trees are being cut, the analysis found. (Read the analysis here.)”
- With wildfires raging, here are nine things Oregonians should know: “By removing the old-growth, planting dense stands of young trees, and suppressing natural fires, we have created unnaturally flammable conditions in many forests. Old-growth trees, with their thick bark and tall trunks that keep the forest canopy safely above the flames, are much more fire-resistant than smaller, younger trees with thin bark and canopies close to the ground.”
- The Willamette Week on the timber industry and where its tax dollars go: ”
Revenue from the harvest tax has more than tripled in the past 25 years, reaching an all-time high of almost $15 million a year ago. OFRI’s take of the harvest tax has increased on three occasions. Meanwhile, the industry’s overall tax contribution to the state has plummeted.”
- Coast Community Radio on the issue of aerial pesticide spraying on clearcuts: “So when anybody tells you this is like buying Roundup off the shelf, that is just so far from the truth…”
- A Daily Astorian letter on a balanced plan for the Clatsop State Forest: “There are no federal forestlands here. If the state forest does not provide needed conservation values above what is provided on commercial timberland, then it will simply not be available in this county.
Stay tuned to your local news outlets for more on Oregon’s forests. The climate and the discussion is heating up, and your voice is needed!
