How Salvage Logging in Oregon is Perpetuating Outdated Extractive Approaches to Federal Forestland Management

Oregon’s legislature has become increasingly dramatic in recent years. The last several sessions have featured high-profile walkouts by the Republican super-minority, which has stalled consideration of important business like climate change legislation and, in the early 2020 short session, preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic. The drama in Salem reached its climax with violent protestors breaching the State Capitol in December of 2020 at the apparent invitation of Rep. Mike Nearman, who opened the door for them.

- Contributed by Sam Krop

Our reaction to forest fire needs to be more nuanced than just: ”cut and replant.” Burns, it turns out, are actually an opportunity to regenerate a missing component of the spotted owl’s ancestral habitat. 

Fire is elemental, fire is powerful, fire can and does destroy homes. But does fire destroy our forests? What happens when forests are allowed to regrow naturally?

Late last month we alerted you to post-fire logging projects moving forward across western Oregon, and in particular Bureau of Land Management forests in the McKenzie and North Umpqua River watersheds. As the new year advances, so too will these and other logging proposals in sensitive burned landscapes.

The carbon emissions from fire are less worrisome than you might think.

Adapted from Oregon’s Ancient Forests: A hiking guide

A a discussion with fire experts about these contributing factors and how we might prepare for a more fire-prone future.