Speaker explains importance of old growth
Issue goes beyond owls
By Greg Hough
Emerald Reporter
Saving old growth forests in
Oregon is an issue that goes far
txiyond whether to protect the
habitat of the endangered spot
ted owl, a National Audubon
Society project director said
Tuesday In Eugene.
|ohn Talberth. who directs
the Western Oregon office of
the society's new "Adopt-A
Forest" program, spoke during
a meeting of the lime County
Audubon Society, which drew
a crowd of ulMiut 50 at the Eu
gene Garden Club
Talberth said economic re
structuring of the timlxT indus
try is needed to insure that the
ecological value of old growth
forestation is not lost.
"1 think it was important that
the effort to save the spotted
owl drew attention to old
growth," Talberth said. "Hut I
think the media has portrayed a
lopsided view of the spotted
owl issue. A sustainable forest
is what we need, not just a suit
able home for the spotted owl."
Talberth said the state's old
growth timber forestation, sus
taining ecosystems as old as 1.5
million years, is "irreplaceable
forest lanil, found nowhere else
on the planet."
"There are over 200 verte
brate species that depend on
old growth forest or use old
growth forest,” Talberth said.
"And they depend on unique
structural characteristics of the
forest, which include downed
logs and live, large trees
"What we've done is basical
ly cut down the natural forests,
and replaced them with forests
that are managed on a short ro
tation. anywhere from HO to
300 years old But unless (the
timber) goes beyond 300 years
old it doesn't get the kind of
structural characteristics that
are important to these 200 spe
cies." Talberth said
Talberth also spoke of the
"bioeconomic values" of old
growth forestation in the area
"We're replacing diverse, de
centralized production of tim
ber with rural communities that
are experiencing high rates of
unemployment, crime and al
coholism." Talberth said
"Part of the reason is some of
the values that old growth for
ests and landscape provide to
these communities are also be
ing decreased, in terms of envi
ronmental quality, in terms of
amenity values and scenic val
ues," he said “You see proper
ty values go down after timber
is harvested on natural forest
land."
Talberth explained that
"Adopt-A-Forest." which be
gan last year, is a four-point
program advocating further for
est mapping and planning, in
addition to "economic transi
tion" within the timber indus
try.
"What really needs to hap
pen is that we need to get an
idea of what (tim!>er is) 6(H) to
1000 years old. what's :t50 to
600 years, what’s 200 to 350,"
Talberth said “Only then can
we have a real good basis of
planning."
Tali*Tth said the society is
working with the U.S Forest
Service to map the area's old
growth forestation, and has fin
ished the Rogue National For
est and much of the Willamette
National Forest Still to be done
is "phase two” of the Willam
ette forest mapping, as well as
surveying the Ml. Hood Nation
al Forest, he added.
"We're constantly monitor
ing timber sales and forestry
decisions that are coming out.
putting them on a computer
data base, trying to review and
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'11 to |X)\ver to lie your licst.«
address as many of them as
possible." Talberth said. "Be
cause if we don't file some type
of input in the early stages of
timber planning, it makes it all
the more difficult to stop an old
growth timber sale down the
line."
Talberth said the program is
seeking volunteer help to work
with the Forest Service in an
“adopted" forest such as the
Willamette Activities range
from reviewing maps and re
ports in the USFS offices to ac
tually taking inventory of trees
in the forest. Jie added.
Talberth handed those in at
tendance copies of a diagram
outlining the "Economic Val
ues of Old Growth Forests in
Partially logged Watersheds."
The diagram included benefits
such "dispersed recreation."
"fire buffering," "ecological
research." and "regulation of
stream flow."
John Talberth
Donations Continued from Page 1
"We were mover! that
they (the students) would
risk their lives in demanding
a democracy." Mu said.
"We felt very strongly that
we should do something to
support them. although
whatever we do will be mi
nor compared to them."
The donation was sent di
rectly to their classmate to
avoid government red tape.
It will be used for indepen
dent publications, flyers,
and to aid the hunger strik
ers. he said.
"The money Is not what
really matters.” Mu said.
"It's the moral support."
Mu said some students
wore reluctant to show their
support for the Beijing dem
onstrators because they were
unsure of what was happen
ing in China. But many were
angered when the govern
ment ordered troops into
Tiananman Square and
claimed that the peaceful
demonstrations were riots,
he added.
On May 17, the University
Chinese Student Association
issued a statement to the
Chinese government in sup
port of the student move
ment. The statement also en
couraged communication
between the students and
the government.
"The basic demand of the
students is very simple: we
just want to talk to the gov
ernment," Mu said.
Mu said he is optimistic
that there will eventually be
democratic reform in China.
"You have to do as much
as you can and see what will
happen instead of sitting
there trying to figure out if
the effort is worthwhile,”
Mu said.
Although he said under
stands that the U.S. govern
ment has to be cautious in
these matters. Mu said he
was disappointed that the
American government is not
sending a clearer message
about the inappropriateness
of using force to China.
Anyone interested in mak
ing a donation to the group’s
efforts should contact
Xingdong Mu at 686-4758.
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