An End to the War of the Woods! Recent developments in federal policy toward Pacific Northwest forests may mean at a divisive environmental dispute. aging the forests. Many environmental ucts is the largest industry in ( by Brad Meacham groups supported Thomas' nomination logging activity were to stoj and he was cheered by the Association of exaggeration to say that town Forest Service Employees, a dissident REE-LINED U.S. HIGHWAY sections of the region would ( group of forestry workers who have been 101 in Washington State is a die. frustrated with the agency's recent poli- long way from the noisy streets Between 1980 and 19 cies. They accuse the previous manage- of New York City. The route than 14,000 jobs directly related § ment of stifling internal dissent, harming Tmeanders through magnificent stands of were lost in the Northwest. fish and wildlife by overemphasizing old-growth trees that have stood for cen- 10,000 processing jobs were! timber cutting, abetting timber theft and turies, and through vast farms of trees result (Meyer). Several factij manipulating timber data to increase that have been planted to replace those tributed to this development, harvest amounts (Kenworthy and already cut. Logging trucks still domi- es were caused by the relocation Schwartz). While many hope the new nate the road but are less prevalent than ber company activities to the ! appointment will improve morale at the they were just a few years ago. Towns where farm trees were more pll agency, others have called for a continua- are depressed because of the decline of tion of the previous career-based the industry; a general feeling of anxious appointments instead of establishing a frustration fills the air. There was a time Ninety percent oftl precedent for politicization of the office when this area bustled with activity and that could put control of the agency into original temperate r\ families prospered along with it. The the hands of an anti-forest administra- American archetype of the rugged out- forest in the lower' tion. doorsman was widespread and no one worried about any endangered species. The fact that Clinton opted for states has been loggi Thomas over this cautious objection is To the majority of America this noteworthy because it indicates that a mildewy corner of the country is very far major policy shift is underway, exempli- Some were lost to the increased au| away indeed. Wood products are taken fied by the administration's support of tion of the forests which increased for granted. No one thinks about where qualified leaders who will act with the ductivity in a historically dange| they come from. Outside the spotlight, best interests of science in mind. After occupation. A chief cause of the lc this area suffered as the forests thinned years of malignant neglect, Northwest the processing sector was the practi| and there were fewer and fewer trees to forests are finally being paid much-need- shipping one-quarter of all harve cut. For years, the balance between pre- ed attention and the effects will be felt raw logs overseas for processing in, serving the livelihoods of the human across the nation. mills. Though the federal governri inhabitants and protecting the natural blocked the export of federal tre integrity of the region was a quiet politi- 1973, the foreign market was so lucral cal contest waged in Washington D.C. TIMBER COMMUNITIES VS. that private owners supplied their sta and in the board rooms of the forest ENVIRONMENTALISTS and put pressure on the American ; products industry. The land that provided the ernment to open public areas to sati No more. With the widely pub- foundation for legends of the rugged domestic demand. licized spotted owl controversy and the Western woodsman longer exists. ascendance of an avowedly environmen- The supply of trees dried I tally-minded Presidential team, the Ninety percent of the original temperate even more quickly after the Fish aj region is finally on the nation's front rain forest in the lower 48 states has been Wildlife Service listed the Northe burner. logged. The original romance of cutting Spotted Owl as an endangered species] trees by hand saws has been replaced by 1989. The elusive animal comman| President Clinton's recent real images of high-technology logging more significance than its 16-inch fran appointment of Jack Ward Thomas as would suggest because it is known as; Director of the National Forest Service is performed with the benefit of helicopters "indicator species" that can act as] the most recent indication of this atten- and government-funded roads that reach barometer of the health of an entiij tiveness. With 27 years of experience as far out of the public view. ecosystem. Since the owl is high o| a biologist with the Forest Service, Even though the original legend many ancient forest food chains, itl Thomas is no "career" forester but rather turns out to be a fantasy, real communi- endangered status means many oth« a leader with strong scientific creden- ties have become directly tied to the species may also be in trouble. Excessive tials. Since its inception, the agency's industry that removes the trees. State cutting has threatened the viability oi leaders have always been accomplished and local governments receive 25 to 50 species besides the spotted owl, from career veterans of the field who are ideal- percent of National Forest revenue, salmon to banana slugs. While measures ly immune to political pressure in man- becoming dependent on the money for their sustenance. Timber sale revenue to protect other species are under consid- Brad Meacham is a sophomore at Columbia directly funds the construction of new eration, land for the owls has been set College. schools in Washington, and forest prod- aside, cutting the amount of timber and 6 HELVIDIUS Fall 1993 pinching logging communities that were cost of site preparation and road build- already heading toward economic The debate over the use of for- ing when the Forest Service sells land to depression. The owl soon gained the ire est lands goes back to the late 1800s logging companies. The Forest Service of the timber community. when the federal government encour- then keeps the fee that the buyer pays. The frustrations of the logging aged western settlement with generous In 1930, the average cost to the govern- community run squarely against the land grants for homesteading and min- ment of preparing a sale was about 50 increasing outdoors ethic of urban ing. The timber equivalents of the east- cents per thousand board feet, so the law dwellers who turn to the forests for ern industrial magnates began to gain specified that a 50 cent reimbursement refuge from the city. Just as the number control over millions of acres of prime would have to be paid to the treasury. of timber jobs have declined, the number virgin forest through government rail- Even though the average cost is now of visitors to wilderness areas has road grants and clearing house sell-offs. over $50 per thousand board feet, the increased appreciably. As a result many At bargain rates, the land was quickly same 50 cents rule still applies. The claimed and much of the forested west national treasury ends up absorbing the was occupied within a few years, concen- extra $49.50 per thousand board feet and Excessive cutting has trating control in only a few hands. For the Forest Service takes the rest of the example, almost 71 percent of private fees to fund its activity, providing jobs • threatened the viability of timberland in western Oregon was occu- for small dependent communities. species besides the spot- pied by only 68 people in 1913 (Dietrich Consequently, logging is beholden not to 21). the sustainability of the cut, but to politi- ted owl, from salmon to What has become today's 191 cal pressure to provide employment. banana slugs. million acre National Forest System Today this system means that hundreds began in 1876 with an obscure congres- of millions of dollars are lost annually sional appropriation (Robinson 4). For with this taxpayer subsidy of the indus- parks require campsite reservations as the first time, public domain was set try, creating dependent communities that much as eight months in advance and aside as a publicly-managed reserve of are resistant to reform and rapidly permits are required before hikers can trees to be controlled by a government depleting the forest stocks (Baden). enter some wilderness areas. With the agency instead of by private corpora- By the 1960s, national parks and region's population growing, more pres- tions. Under the auspices of the larger wilderness areas were established to sure will be put on land that was once Department of Agriculture, the organiza- meet the public demand for recreational the exclusive preserve of logging. tion had a "multiple use" mandate to space. As the public mood shifted Until recently, the scramble for manage the forests for several purposes. toward an increased awareness of the forests continued virtually unaddressed. One aspect was to ensure that there recreational aspects of the outdoors, the While economic downturn has hurt the would always be an adequate supply of forest management mandate for "multi- regional economy, the question of what trees to furnish the industry so that the ple uses" became increasingly important. to do with the trees has not been conclu- market-driven demands of private enter- The environmental movement beginning sively answered. While the environmen- prise would never decimate the resource. with the Wilderness Act of 1964 demand- talist forces appear to have the upper The first Forest Service Director, Gifford ed that the forests be managed as some- hand, the timber-dependent communi- Pinchot, pioneered the idea of "sustain- ties are left to wither on the vine. able yield" forestry to minimize the A typical clash between the two waste of logging practices that left more groups occurred in 1989 when hundreds refuse timber rotting on the ground than Joan Reiss- of loggers and members of their families was available in entire eastern forests "When you're talking descended on the Washington legislature (Ervin 64). Instead of letting companies in Olympia to vocalize their disgust over sloppily harvest only the choicest trees in about ancient forest sf new a plan to limit logging access to state- a stand and leave the rest, they began forestry is voodoo owned forests. At packed hearings cutting all the trees in the allotted area. involving suited timber executives and As a result of this early conser- forestry." neatly-scrubbed environmentalists, the vation measure, by 1969, 61 percent of throngs of citizens clogged the town and timber from western forests was being caused everyone to formulate an opinion "clear cut" (Robinson 76). The final thing more than giant tree farms. At the about the issue. If it was not the legal product was a more efficient system for same time, the pace of logging began to facts that persuaded them, it was the the harvesters, but altogether inadequate pick up and accelerate the decimation of smell of the proudly unwashed loggers one for the environment: It left entire the stocks. crammed into the marbled hallways. In mountainsides bare, allowed soil erosion, This brewing crisis came to a a state where loggers used to stay in the and threatened stream organisms which boil in the 1980s when the Reagan woods and everyone else minded their relied on the forest canopy for shade and Revolution applied laissez-faire econom- own business, this conflagration brought protection from siltation. ic ideology to natural resource manage- the hostilities of the threatened commu- Another crucial factor in the ment. The bargain basement forest sales nities to the consciousness of the majori- current forest crisis was the obscure under K-V rules continued even though ty of the state. There has been no easy fix Knutson-Vandenburg Act of 1930 that the value of trees had skyrocketed. for the problem. established the current perverse funding When the leveraged buyout boom hit mechanism for the Forest Service. Under natural resources companies, the forests THE ORIGIN OF THE CRISIS the "K-V" rules, taxpayers still fund the became the victim of profit-minded pri- White House 7

-^ = _. vate management policies that did not ceptable by both sides. Timber interests nomic development grants, i consider the long range health of the wanted even more trees (they were ness grants, and job training resource. The Maxxam Corporation accustomed to around 4 billion board employ displaced loggers in exemplified this behavior when it sought feet in the roaring 1980s) and environ- watersheds damaged by exd to pay its $750 million debt by cutting mentalists wanted drastic reductions. ging. To stimulate as much eni old-growth timber in California even Since 3.2 billion board feet was about all as possible, a tax change woulc though there was no way that the cutting the trees that could be cut according to the incentive for raw log exj rate could be sustained (Meyer). endangered species laws, the plan did encourage domestic milling. Without environmentally-minded man- not seem to be a compromise at all for forests which are deemed si agers in control, the forests soon started the environmentalists. would be protected by being Without either side willing to 6.7 million acres of "reserves" back down, the matter came to a stand- to maintain the ecological integ Hundreds of millions of still. Courts prevented much activity stands. Instead of the court: dollars are lost annually from taking place and timber-dependent method of preserving land ui communities waited in limbo. While all guise of saving an owl, the r with this taxpayer sub- sides knew that change had to happen, would seek to preserve whc there was apprehension about the form it intact. Specified areas would ! sidy of the industry, cre- would take. lished for "experimental" loggi ating dependent commu- niques and some old growth CLINTON'S CHANGES: SEEKING A would be opened to further loggi nities that are resistant to COMPROMISE In spite of this bold atte reform and rapidly comprehensive solution, enviroi Into this fray stepped Bill ists who wanted to protect all re depleting the forest Clinton. Having picked Al Core as a old-growth felt betrayed by t stocks. running mate, he inherited the environ- away. "The Forest Service refer; mental concerns that Gore had expressed as new forestry," said Joan Re as a Senator. These were met first with Wilderness Society's regional dirj paying the price for this corporate activi- the appointment of several environmen- San Francisco. "But when you're ty- tally-minded leaders to land manage- about ancient forests, new fort With the declaration of the spot- ment posts, a move that caused a collec- voodoo forestry. We need in ted owl as endangered, the economic tive sigh of relief among employees in reserves and we got none of thaJ constraints were compounded by envi- the agencies that had been forced to (Diringer). ronmental ones. When the administra- carry out the earlier mismanagement On the other hand, t tion appeared unenthused with the idea policies. The new Secretary of the industry advocates felt that the pi of enforcing that law, the issue was Interior, environmentalist/lawyer Bruce not unlock enough land. They prc dragged into court. Injunctions then Babbitt, began a crusade to reform the the loss of tens of thousands of jol locked up the land even more and all governance of 503 million acres of public direct result of the president's prc activity stopped on large tracts. The lands under his control. For forests, the "The president didn't make go* resulting economic slump inspired pop- first step to create a new policy was a for- ulist politicians to foster the belief that est management conference last April in the system could continue without Portland. Modeled on the economic con- Bill Clinton- change. They encouraged the idea that ference he had held after the election, "We are doing the be the owl was to blame for the economic Clinton invited the leaders of environ- depression, that somehow the agenda of mental, industrial, and governmental that we can with th the environmentalists was directly hurt- organizations, as well as scientists and ing the timber communities' way of life. affected citizens to participate. The input facts as they now exisi No mention was made of the short-sight- was to be blended into a comprehensive the Pacific Northwest ed management policies of the timber solution to the problem. companies, In early July, Clinton The Bush Administration billed announced the first honest attempt at either half of his promise for a bala a plan developed by an Interior and satisfying the competing needs of both solution. This ain't balanced andl Agriculture Departments task force as a sides. His compromise proposal reduced ain't a solution," said Mark Rey ot compromise between the various inter- the amount of logging permitted on 22 American Forest and Paper Associa ests. In response to the previous listing million acres of federal forest land in "There is nothing in this plan that g of the owl as endangered, the plan called Washington, Oregon, and northern any hope to the people in the Pat for 3.2 billion board feet to be logged off California to 25 percent of the high 1980s Northwest who depend on the foi forest service land annually, protected levels. Under Clinton's plan, the logging products industry"(Diringer). Logj areas for the owl as long as environmen- industry may cut 12 billion board feet parading coffin-bearing trucks tal groups promised not to obstruct log- over 10 years, or about 1.2 billion per Portland on the day of the annour ging with court challenges, and sought a year. By requesting $1.2 billion in eco- ment exemplified the hyperbole that i complete review of the endangered nomic aid to the depressed timber- rampant on both sides of the disp species laws (Sampson and Gray 17). dependent communities over five years, (Serafin). Timber industry advoca The plan was criticized as totally unac- Clinton's program would provide eco- have threatened to seek court action

8 HELVIDIUS Fall 1993 i--.

increase timber allotments, and have we're going to get" (Martin). Perot indicated that they will seek congression- The missing link in this attempt- Continued from page 5 al support to weaken the Endangered ed solution is money. According to a depends on Clinton's popularity. If his Species Act in order to open protected spokesperson for an involved senator, support is lukewarm, Perot will probably land to the industry. most congressional appropriations bills throw his hat into the ring once again. For his part, President Clinton to provide the funds have been passed. He recently told a crowd of support- was disappointed with the final plan While some of the Clinton proposal's ers/'We're going to go marching down because it upset his consensus-seeking components can go into effect, most Pennsylvania Avenue one day."(Ayres) sensibilities (Egan 23). He conceded that forests are still being held by court Indeed, UWSA could act as an effective injunction until public comment on the vehicle for a second run at the presiden- cy. Newsweek describes it as "a careful- plan is concluded in March. After revi- ly crafted legal entity—a not-for-profit Jim Bayley- sions are made, the plan will be fully 'civic league' —that allows Perot to raise "We should support these enacted by Executive Order. funds and act the role of an undeclared With the leadership of reform- candidate without having to disclose his ideas while there's still minded Babbitt and Thomas, the chances list of contributors."(Fineman, "Ross," for a long-term resolution are brighter 24) Even if he doesn't run again, it's the opportunity. It's than ever before. As a result of the presi- unlikely he will leave the spotlight on his probably the best chance dent's leadership on the issue, communi- own accord. Perot clearly likes being an ties will be stabilized and logging will be influential figure, and if the Democrats we're going to get." curtailed in environmentally sensitive are unable to demonstrate their ability to govern he will continue to be a headache areas. Instead of chaos, peace may final- for both parties for some time to come. • ly return to the much-maligned BIBLIOGRAPHY not everyone would be happy with the Northwest forests. • Ayres, B. Drummond, Jr. "Spoiling to compromise but he believed it to be the Debate Gore, Perot Puts Up His Dukes." best possible arrangement. "We have to BIBLIOGRAPHY New York Times 8 November 1993, late play the hand we were dealt," Clinton ed.: A12. said. "Had this crisis been dealt with Baden, John A. Second in Series on Barnes, Fred. "The Undead." The New years ago, we might have a plan with a Econoomics of the Forest Industry. The Republic. 1 February 1993:21-22. higher (timber) yield and with Seattle Times 26 Jan. 1993. more...protected areas. We are doing the Barrett, Laurence I. "Perot Takes a best we can with the facts as they now Dietrich, William. The Final Forest. New Walk." Time 27 July 1992: 32-33. exist in the Pacific Northwest" York: Simon and Schust, 1992. Clift, Eleanor and Carrol, Ginny. "Perot: (Diringer). The implication is that all Pulling the Race Out of the Mud." sides could have seen a better outcome if Diringer, Elliot. "Clinton Reveals Newsweek 26 October 1992:34. earlier administrations had tried to Northwest Timber Plan." The San Francisco Chronicle 2 July 1993: Al. Church, George J. "The Other Side of resolve the issue. Perot." Newsweek 29 June 1992: 38-48. Though extremists on both Egan, Timothy. "The Bruised Emperor of Famighetti, Robert. Tlie World Almanac sides of the issue insist that the battle the Outdoors." The New York Times and Book of Facts. 1994 ed. over the forests is not yet over, many Magazine 1 Aug. 1993:21. Fineman, Howard. "Perot: Rattling the accept the president's assessment. One White House." Newsweek 10 May 1993: example is the community of Hayfork, Ervin, Keith. Fragile Majesty. Seattle: The 34. California, where citizens agree that a Mountaineers, 1989. compromise must be reached to preserve Fineman, Howard. "Ross Perot's New the forests and reduce the area's 23 per- Kenworthy, Tom and Schwartz, John. Army." Newsweek 7 June 1993: 24-25. cent unemployment rate. As the commu- "Conservationist to Be Forest Service Chief.'Tte Washington Post 18 Nov. 1993: Maginnis, John. Cross to Bear. Baton nity closest to the experimental logging Rouge, Louisiana: Darkhorse Press, 1992. A21. area, the town will pioneer techinques to Perot, Ross. Interview, "i Just Wanted to log specific areas in a manner that is less Martin, Glen. "New Harmony in Timber Do the Right Thing.'" Newsweek. By ecologically devastating than the original Country." The San Francisco Chronicle 8 Maynard Parker. 27 July 1992: 26. method and restore environmentally July 1993: Al. Perot, Ross. Interview. "vIt's Up to You, damaged hillsides and streams. While Folks.'" Newsweek. By Ginny Carroll. 27 the generated timber will be less valuable Meyer, Stephen M. "Dead Wood: April 1992: 26-27. than that from big, ancient trees that Clinton's Timber Loser." The New used to be cut, townspeople are relying Republic 2 Aug. 1993:12. Phillips, Kevin. Boiling Point. New York: on skillful marketing to ensure success. Random House, 1993 "A lot of people in timber still don't trust Robinson, Glen O. The Forest Service. Phillips, Kevin. Tlte Politics of Rich and the environmentalists," said Jim Bayley, Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Poor. New York: Random House, 1990. Press, 1975. a small businessman in Hayfork, "but I Thomas, Rich. "A Deficit Plan That's No don't think there's much choice. If the Sampson, Neil and Gray, Gerald J. Joke." Newsweek 12 October 1992: 42. mill shuts down, we could lose half the "Updating the Old-Growth Wars." van Biema, David. "Gored but Not town's population. We should support American Forests Nov. 1990:17. Gone." Time 22 November 1993: 40-41. these ideas while there's still the oppor- tunity. It's probably the best chance Serafin, Barry. ABC News. 30 June 1993. Wilentz, Sean. "Pox Populi." The New Republic 9 August 1993: 29-35. White House 9