Siuslaw National Forest

The video "Seeing the Forest" (https://vimeo.com/125160364) was a fantastically successful story of the evolution of a large forest in Oregon, the Siuslaw National Forest. This forest was used for timber after WWII and for 40 years old growth forests were decimated for their quality wood. The foresters saw the trees as nothing more than a renewable resource. This trend continued until a spotted owl ruling passed. The salmon population had declined as well, and it was clear that the whole ecosystem surrounding the Siuslaw was suffering. Judges ruled that the forest could no longer be used for logging. What ensued was a battle between environmentalists who were in favor of the ruling and loggers who were affected by the shut-down of the logging industry in the area. During this battle the federal government stepped in and then president Bill Clinton passed the Northwest Forest Plan which dedicated the area around the streams with salmon a habitat reserve and left some land open for logging. Since the salmon used much of the river system, this meant the Siuslaw forest was really a habitat reserve.
   What was really interesting from this point on was the shift in thinking about the use of the land. The entire mission of the forest became about how to restore and sustain the whole watershed and ecosystem of the Siuslaw forest. One catalyst for change was the old roadways used by loggers. The roads were no longer being maintained since there was no logging revenue to pay for them, storms weakened and damaged them and the streams around them. Scientists studied the roadways and concluded that landslides were more frequent and severe as a consequence of clearing the area for the roads. Another catalyst for change was the thinning of douglas fir plantations that had been planted in place of the old growth forests. The thinning created drastic and beneficial changes in the characteristics of the forest that were similar to the old growth forests.
   The changes the Siuslaw underwent were not easy, nor were they quick. When the forest was first designated as a preserve, the environmentalists and loggers were forced to come up with a different game plan for this land. Through negotiations and conversation, it was finally agreed that there was a common goal among everyone: do whatever needs to be done to save the salmon. After this was agreed upon, the community backed the different groups and helped facilitate healthy changes for restoration of the forest. The entire push toward healthy changes had a tremendous impact on the environment and everyone was working together. Old unused roads were removed and culverts were removed or widened to allow more salmon to pass. Consequently, the salmon population started making a comeback, as did the forest itself.
   What I like about this story is the hope that comes with it. It gives me hope that there are enough people out there who will be willing to fight for the good of the environment when it comes down to it. It doesn't matter what your background is or what your motive is, as long as there is a common goal of working together to do something positive, we can accomplish great change. In recap what I learned was:

  • the history of the Siuslaw National Forest is complex
  • great changes can happen with the meeting of the minds
  • government can make a positive contribution to complex environmental issues
  • young plantations can be thinned to help make conditions of old growth forests
  • being able to change and adapt to an ever changing environment is crucial for making things happen
  • regardless of differing values, people can come together for a common goal


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