‘Combat biologists’ true environmentalists The story is an old on*?: disenchanted workers re belling against an organization on ethical grounds But this case puts a new twist on the timber controversy. Call them "coinbat biologists" — Forest Service scientists taking on the higher ups who wish to turn old-growth timber stands into barren clear cuts. They’ve organized, forming the Association of For est Service Employees for Environmental Ethics. The 2.(MM) members make a strong case of discrimination by their bosses Midnight transfers, identifying whistle blowers, forced resignations — all because the biolo gists objected to the free-wheeling destruction of the forests. Excuse the impertinence, but shouldn't a desire to protect forests be in the job description of a Forest Ser vice employee'!’ (lame wardens aren’t expected to be lax on hunting or fishing violations, so why should bi ologists be expected to support logging prac tices that result in the shrinking of forest lands? The answer is simple Thes shouldn’t It seems the '80s version of economi* progress has seeped into the governmental bureaus Forest Service executive-, who should be protecting their domain, ap pear instead to be more concerned with cash flow from timber sales. AFSEEE members have presented a damning list of allegations Illegal logging, park management planning manipulation, resource mismanagement and falsifying reports un just a few of the com plaints One bv one. the abuses are bud enough As a whole, thes are grotesque. As can be expected, the Forest Service has re spondee! to the allegations brought forth bv AFSFI.F In a February memo, tile chief of the department told em ployees to not violate environmental lass-, or forest plan standards, and that he would not tolerate any re t.illation against whistle blowers. Sue verbal sophistry, but is that actually happen ing^ Tin* ey idem e ysould suggest it isn't It is heartening to see government workers having the courage to stand up and report abuses AFSEEE has already had an impact, not only in the Forest Service, but in other government departments Advocacy groups are cropping up all over the plat e. The Forest Service needs to be held to its pro fessed standards It it doesn't, hoys can its executives tiope to be taken seriously during .1 crisis, such as the spotted osvl controversy -' Credibility wanes, and the only thing the officials will hear is laughter from peo ple who just can’t believe them. One by one, the abuses are bad enough. As a whole, they are grotesque. (Jregon / fails Emerald po aoxnu tucott omooNiau T*** Oregon Oa-fy I **>»*.« j -% tla-y Mooady * ■»!«» U .• ---g ”■> tg.Nwi JB.F T ./«*»*{,*> a »J My xf ^ :N» s Oiig i I b* > I * **<%«.) i’ F r.‘ y ("o l»x a? ”xu of l '• wgu - T’sm { lyMP'tt'un xkgw x '■*/ of ’‘h» {> .%*'S W ’’ . 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Production fcUr\*g«r W, uu K»rv% DitpJay Advertising 344 3712 Classified Advertising 3464343 NC40 UiE'LL JUST CHECK TME OL’ REFLEXES i ■J *■**> ■* »'■ - j -nfl ylSWEBS OPINION A few thoughts about Opening Day THE FINE PRINT BY DON PETERS Baseball hits begun Logically, it should be h.irii U) gel exc ited about the first couple flays In d 1 • game. sex ell inontb season Hut xx i re not talking logic hero Monday \xux Opening Day ( apit.il letters and such The Dl'12 season is undet vxay and to borruxx a tired slo g,in it already has two strikes against it Lust years World Series xxill go down ax one ol the' ties! Ill history A xcxen game extra in rung thriller between txvo teams that were in the i ellar the year before Strike one Kvne Sandbe rg jumps over the Steve Austin Line and lx comes the world’s brst Seven M 111 ton T bdl ar l.i ye.cr) Man Owners general managers and Irtiis cringe Players rejott e Strike two Look lor the next pitch to be a high fastball either from the owners refecting the Seattle Mariners sale or t.rorge Stein hrenner returning to the Van Hut what the heck this is base-ball The game has sur xived two world xxars, numer oils preslcfem les riftiln nil turf and tree agency This year s i rop of problems, though large, are not i rippling Spiraling sal aries xxill eventually level oil The cither woes will lix them selves There' .ire no problems on (tpening Day I take a lot of flack for being a diehard hasotuiil fan I am In formix) the game is "too slow" or "boring " Perhaps for the amateur viewer Whereas In other sports, all the action is up front and on the screen, base hall has more tilings going on then most people recognize A routine groundnut to six ond is a good example The out is the i ulmmation of the man ager placing the fielder in the proper position to make the play, the pitcher and catcher teaming up to decide what to throw and numerous other One of my favorite baseball memories was watching my father, as an umpire, tossing my grandfa ther-coach out of a game for arguing a balk call. lii!v .illin• [merits May la- tin butler Wits fooled, .1 right-hand etj hint ! not turning on the ball tlie ImI head hiding In hind his hand#, lnste.id of driv ing the hall, he h.ireh plunks it A routine -1 t groundnut, hut hardly boring There is something different .ilniut h.iseb.ill something that attr.ii ts itself to the Amerii an public ilasebull fans come trom everywhere In fail, I just finished a book by one stu b Ian, politic.al commentator (ieorge Will s \fr/i ul I Vi irk. 1 find Will's politics frightening Anytime I can read a column of his and know all the words, ! 1 onsider it a moral v u tory Hut Ills love of the game and his know ledge are reflet ted in his w riling 1 am genetically predisposed to ts-tng a baselsill fan My fa llier yy as on a champion Little League team In Panama and played a pretty fair second base His lather was one of the best roaches I’ve i-yi-r seen a man yyith a formidable know I edge of the game and its rules One of my favorite baseball memories ys as w atching my fa ther, as an umpire, toss my grand father-coach out of a game for arguing a balk (all Let me tell you, it made the next Sunday family dinner mighty interesting On a side note, my grandfa ther has finally admitted ho ysas right to get the thumb, but he still argues the bulk call I'lic separation of baseball and other spnrls is also reflec t ed in movies about the game football, hoi key and basketball movies invariably are of the tin ill ot \ k tors ugonv-of-defeat type Hut vs e Ians have been treated to ( lassie s sue h .is flung the Drum Slowly, field nl Dreams and the best baseball movie ever made. Hull 1 hirhum The on-field action makes up but .1 small port of these films The surroundings, the people, are the important things (Growing up in Southern Cali fornia, I had three teams to choose from My brother fol lowed the Dis Angeles Dodgers, and at that time, the San Diego I’adres wore uniforms more suited to hist food than last balls So I rooted for the Cali fornia Angels I jii.iv golf because I don't have enough frustration m tin Hie I follow the Angels lor null h the same reason The An gels will forever go down in history as the team closest to going to the World Series (l'tati, one pltr h) and not make it I'heir history is replete with such oi l urrenc es Hut baseball, like life, has its ironies Two years ago, I had the unbelievable opportunity to cover the 1‘adres for my home town newspaper After my first game, I was chewed out in front of the entire San Diego baseball press corps by then .Montreal Kxpos manager Bui k Rodgers for reasons I won't go into right now Welcome to the big leagues, kid Baseball followers reading this are laughing because that same Buck Rodgers is now the manager of my beloved Angels, thus providing one of the bi*st definitions of the term "mixed emotions ” Oh well, I'll still live and die by the Angels Play Kill Dun Helm Is an editorial edi tor for the Emerald COMMENTARY POLICY Commentaries should be between 750 and 1.000 words, legible and signed, and the identification of the writer must be verified upon submission. 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