Cascadia Rising Tide invites you to visit the capitol building lawn and show your support for our work against the Western Oregon Plan Revisions.
These logging plan revisions would increase logging in Oregon by 436%. Pending the governor's blessing, 70% of the new logging would be clearcuts. Of the 2.6 million acres that the BLM manages (and does not pay Oregon land taxes for) timber harvesting would occur on 1 million acres. As for our last old growth, 100,000 acres would be cut.
With the recession weighing heavy on everyone's mind, proponents have touted the WOPR as a solution for Oregon communities. But others are concerned that this plan will actually lead to a loss of Oregon jobs. Recreation and tourism contribute more than twice as much money to Oregon's economy than the timber industry. Recreation, tourism, and fishing are projected to lose long-term jobs under the WOPR. "I think this exactly what we have come to expect from the administration so many miles away in Washington. They come to the table with a plan that will actually take away long-term Oregon jobs call it a solution. It provides a short term profit for timber corporations and only a meager amount to Oregon counties (only one third of the total federal payments granted to the counties as part of the Bailout package). Under the WOPR, American taxpayers would be subsidizing timber industry profits and the devastation of Oregon's natural resources which also store carbon for the rest of the world."
While logging used to be the lifeblood of Oregon's economy, shortsighted management has led to overharvesting. Under the WOPR, streamside protections would be further cut in half from from the current NW forest plan, from which the BLM would be exempt, thereby undermining the Clean Water Act and the Oregon Salmon Plan. Organizers of this action propose the question, Is this the appropriate time to cut regulations on big business and big government? Has the public been satisfied with the level of competency displayed by the federal government and large corporations of late? Why punish sustainable foresters by glutting the market with old growth, making it impossible for them to compete? Instead, we need an incentive for truly sustainable foresters and move other foresters toward their positive model.
There are also very serious concerns as to the regional and global effects of the plan on global climate change. According to forest scientists Mark Harmon and Olga Krankina at OSU, forests in the Pacific NW Forest have among the highest carbon storage density of any forests in the world. Replacing these native stands with monoculture populations would reduce carbon storage capacity, increase fire risk, and decrease viable habitat for many species, not to mention putting the homes and drinking water at risk for thousands of rural Oregonians who live within one half-mile mile of BLM land. The BLM states plainly that the WOPR would result in 180 million more tons of carbon in the atmosphere than a plan that would conserve forests for carbon storage. That is the equivalent to putting 1 million more cars on the road in Oregon for 132 years. The WOPR is in clear contradiction with greenhouse gass reduction targets that the Governor and legislators signed into Oregon law in 2007.
Is the WOPR of a Bush plan consistent with the kind of change that Obama will make? Does the WOPR indicate hope for our future generations?
Do we trust the Bush-dominated federal government enough to write them this blank check of our forests? Oregonians need to contact Governor Kulongowski and tell him to protect Oregon forests. Protect Oregon communities. Say no to boom and bust economics, forge a more sustainable Oregon economy. Say no to Bush's WOPR plan and give the Obama administration a reason to consider suspending it -- the will of The People.
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It's just a shame that good, honest citizens have to take time out of their busy lives to convince the Governor just to do his job and protect Oregon's endangered forests and watersheds.
Stop the WOPR Governor Kulongoski, listen to your constituents, and most of all, to your conscience.
Rock on people!