Forest
continued from page 1
who saw timberland as a renewable
resource to be used for develop
ment and home construction for a
rapidly expanding population.
Environmental advocates and in
dustry supporters, though often the
loudest, were not the only groups
with a stake in forest lands. As with
any controversy, forest management
wasn’t, and still isn’t, a black-and
white issue.
In 1890, conservationist Gifford
Pinchot introduced “new forestry,”
according to the Forest History Soci
ety. This method of forest manage
ment promoted selective logging over
clear-cutting. When selective logging
is used, young immature trees are left
standing while older, larger trees are
harvested. The small trees provide
seed sources for new growth and con
tinue to offer protection for under
growth and wildlife after the larger
trees are removed.
“We found that large trees sur
rounded by dense growth of smaller
trees could be logged with surpris
ingly little injury to the young
growth, and that the added cost of
taking care was small out of all pro
portion to the result,” Pinchot wrote
in 1947 for the U.S. Forest Service.
Many logging outfits, including
Eugene-based Mobile Salvage Log
ging Inc., practice selective logging
techniques. Mobile is a contract
logging outfit working primarily for
Giustina Land and Timber. Recent
ly, Mobile Salvage — owned by
brothers Gary and Rob Johnson —
logged several acres of Giustina
land west of Fall Greek. The crew
removed the majority of large first
growth trees from the site, but left
almost all of the small seedlings and
underbrush intact.
“Every bit of natural old growth
you see around here won’t be here
someday,” Gary Johnson said. “All
this old-growth you see is dying. It’s
rotten in the middle. It’s part of life. If
we get it out of here, the young, small
trees will have room to grow. It’s just
a natural thing.”
Rob Johnson added that logging
wasn’t about destroying the forest
and that the men who worked as log
gers were also fishermen, hunters
and family men who respect and en
Adam Amato Emerald
A member of the Eugene-based Mobile Salvage Logging Inc. crew takes a moment
away from setting chokers to talk to one of the heavy equipment operators. The eight
member crew can often clear an entire hillside in a matter of weeks.
joy the forest.
“Nobody respects nature as
much as loggers,” Rob Johnson
said. “We work in the elements
year-round. We know exactly what
goes on in nature, but we know
what these trees are here for. The
forest is renewable; all these trees
will grow back. It’s a cycle.”
Gary and Rob Johnson’s parents
started Mobile Salvage in 1962 after
the Columbus Day windstorm. Gary
and Rob bought the company from
their mother after their father’s
death. Robbie — Rob’s son—works
on the eight-man outfit, and Rob and
Gary’s wives keep the books and run
the office.
“We’ve been family-owned and
operated all along,” Gary said. “Log
ging is important to our family. It’s
important to a lot of families.”
However, many activist groups
have said the logging problem isn’t
small outfits like Mobile Salvage. The
problem, they say, is the Bush admin
istration’s economic ties to industry
and its overall forestry policy.
According to directors at Earth
justice, a non-profit public interest
law firm, the Bush administration’s
affinity for the timber industry may
be a result of campaign contribu
tions. Records from an analysis of
federal election commission cam
paign contributions show the timber
industry contributed $3.4 million to
the GOP in 2000. However, this
amount pales next to the $40.7 mil
lion contributed to the GOP in 2000
by mining, oil and gas, chemical and
coal industries.
“When it comes to our national
forests, the Bush administration has
adopted a policy of ‘leave no tree be
hind,”’ Earthjustice legislative direc
tor Marty Hayden said in a state
ment. “Never in modem times has
there been an administration so
singly focused on getting fish,
wildlife, the public and the law out of
the way of commercial timber inter
ests and other extractive industries.
... If it gets in the way of cutting
trees, it’s out of there.”
The administration’s plans for for
est management, including the
Healthy Forest Initiative and the re
structuring of the Northwest Forest
Plans, are considered by many to be
just another step in repaying the
timber industry for their suppbrt.
The implementation of this legisla
tion — increased logging in the
name of fire prevention — could be
gin in a few weeks.
This summer, the Northwest may
find out just how far stakeholders are
willing to go in the name of forest
management and sustainability.
Contact the senior reporter
at aimeerudin@dailyemerald.com.
FOR MORE INFO,
CALL 344-4150
PAUL’S
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Saturday, May 3,9AM-1 PM
& Sunday, May 4, I0AM-2PM
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Thu. POETRY IN SONG
5/1 UO vocalists sing English art songs. 7:30 p.mM Beall Hall
FREE Admission
Fri. A CELEBRATION OF HARPS
5/2 UO Harp Students of Laura Zaerr 8 p.m., Beall Hall
FREE Admission
Mon. RHETT BENDER, Saxophone
5/5 Guest Artist Recital 8 p.m., Central Lutheran Church
FREE Admission
Tue. ALL THAT BRASS!
5/6 UO Brass Ensembles 8 p.m., Beall Hall
$5 General Admission, $3 students & senior citizens
Wed. BRUCE BRINEY, Trumpet
5/7 Guest Artist Recital 8 p.m., Beall Hall
$7 General Admission, $4 students & senior citizens
For our complete calendar, check: music.uoregon.edu
Community
Center lor the
Performing Arts
8th &
Lincoln
■ Friday ■
Gershwin BIX, Logic,
Straircefolks, Dirty
Politicians, more
Hip-Hop
$6 at the door, 8:30 pm
mSunday ■
Gre^ Brown wM
Box Set
Folk
Two shows:
$18.50 advance, $21 door, 6:00 pm
$18.50 advance, $21 door, 9:00 pm
■Monday ■
Alix Olson, Pamela
Means, a>#$7.in’ Homoz
Spoken Word/Folk/Interpretive Dance
$10 advance, $12 door, 9:00 pm
All A-sies Welcome • 6K7-2746
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in the Oregon Daily Emerald