Rolling Back Protections on Oregon Forests
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
The federal government wants to change the way it manages federal forests in Western Oregon. The Bureau of Land Management has released new guidelines that reduce protections and allow logging in areas containing much of the state's last old growth forests, wildlife habitat, hunting and fishing areas and sources of drinking water. Former Curry County Commissioner Peg Reagan with the Conservation Leaders Network says Oregonians really don't have to choose between a viable timber industry and old growth forests.
"Most of the timber industry has already adapted away from cutting old growth. There are logging projects that both the timber industry and the conservation community and the local communities can agree on that need to be done, and that's where we should be focusing our public dollars."
Supporters say the changes would help provide new economic growth for the region including new jobs.
Reagan notes that the changes put forests, water safety, and communities at risk with little or no payoff.
"If any jobs are created, they're going to be short term. You can't extract a finite resource and expect it to last forever. And then there's the long-term damage that we're going to see on the ground."
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