PAGE 10
WILLAPA BAY
without introduction, just as they would at home. Talk revolved
around boats and gear; work and jokes -- an easy camaraderie
born of shared experience. Bay Center isn't the biggest knot of
maritime activity on the Willapa, but it has the feeling of import
ance greater than its size. It sticks out into the bay at the mouth of
the Palix River, east across the water from Leadbetter Point, the
northern terminal of the Long Beach Peninsula. It was a Native
American village before white settlers arrived.
Things looked bleak after 1919, when the native oysters
all but disappeared. Ownership of oyster beds defaulted to the
state. Virginia oysters were tried. They never felt at home here,
but the Atlantic grass in which they were packed has done all too
well. Spartina alterniflora maintained a tenuous toehold until the
1960s, then - one of those red flags from nature - it began to
spread exponentially, threatening to take over mudflats and alter
the ecology of the bay.
With the introduction of the Pacific oyster culture Japan
Willapa again became an important procurer. It now produces half
the oysters from Washington State, but not without compli
cations. The old ecological truism that you can't change just one
thing in a system is nowhere more apparent than in an estuary.
Two kinds of burrowing shrimp are native to Willapa. In the 1950s
their density inexplicably burgeoned until their burrows softened
the bottom, causing oysters to sink into the mud and die. Oyster
growers countered by applying carbaryl, which killed the
burrowing shrimp, but also commercially valuable crabs.
Meanwhile, the timber industry began extensive ciearcutting on
the watershed, following with defoliants and fertilizers to hurry
along the new generation of "supertrees." The increased load of
sediment and chemicals work their way downstream and end up
in the bay. Meanwhile spartina continues to spread, and calls for
the use of chemicals to help control it sparked protest. Clashes
between crab and salmon fishermen, oystergrowers, industrial
timberiand owners, farmers, developers, Shoalwater Indians, and
environmentalists of various stripes increased. As they say in
cattle country, things were getting real western.
Dick Wilson, owner of Bay Center Mariculture, was an
early advocate of getting everyone to the table. With encourage
ment from Eco Trust and The Nature Conservancy a consortium
of conservationists and resource-dependent industries was
born. The Willapa Alliance is pledged to "sustainable
development," a concept to which all parties can subscribe. It is
an idea uneasily related to "ecosystem management," a phrase
intended to evoke a sense of adherence to fundamental
principle. What does it really mean? I asked Dick how he would
respond if eco- system management led in the direction of
restoring preindus-trial conditions to Willapa. "There aren't going
to be shoals of oysters anymore," he replied flatly. "We have
been at this long enough to know the best way to do it." Some
natural propagation goes on in the bay. There are even remnants
of O. lurida surviv-ing, but oysters are an industry and ooze is
valuable real estate. The vagaries of natural propagation have
been replaced by artificial culture. Wilson is not impervious to the
enchantment
of the natural ecology of the estuary but he has a businessman's
sense of priorities:"People have to make a living before they get
philosophical about their place in nature."
You don't go through Bay Center on the way to some
where else. You drive the winding road off 101, with the Palix
River on one side and diked pasture on the other. Herons and an
occasional egret stalk the shallow waters, hawks watch
from the alders lining the road. Some of the people who live here
seem to me to have something that is gone from modern life, a
SAVE OUR ANCIENT FORESTS & SALVAGE DEMOCRACY
Our national forests are once again being opened up for cutting. The last of our precious
forests and primary ecosystems are under assault by the 104th Congress. On July 27,1995, a sal
vage timber rider was passed that suspends all environmental laws which apply to logging on public
lands. This rider was forced through as an amendment on a spending bill; it has had no meaningful
public debate. All previous court decisions to protect our forests have been overruled by this rider.
This is only the first of many anti-environmental riders planned by Congress. Not only is this an
assault on Ancient Forests, it is an assault on the basic principles of democracy.
The actual wording of the salvage rider states, “the removal of disease- or insect-infested
trees, dead, damaged, or down trees, or trees affected by fire or imminently susceptible to fire or
insect attack. Such term also includes the removal of associated trees..." As a result, healthy
ecosystems are being sold for cutting under the guise of “salvage.” In addition, the concept of sal
vage is a false one. Scientific study shows that managing the forest by continued logging and road
building does not improve its health; the forest contains a natural balance of life and death already.
Many of the areas now scheduled to be cut were, in the past, protected as critical habitat because
they are the last of unique and pristine ecosystems. We cannot afford to lose them.
Economically speaking, salvage logging is not profitable. According to the General
Accounting Office audit over the last three years, the U.S. Forest Service has spent $1 billion more
on logging our National Forests than the timber sales earned for the federal treasury. Section 6c of
the salvage rider reads, “Cost considerations — Salvage timber sales undertaken pursuant to this
section shall not be precluded because the costs of such activities are likely to exceed the revenues
derived from such activities."
This “lawless logging” has met with strong national and grassroots opposition. Over 130
environmental groups signed a letter which calls on President Clinton to repeal this unjust rider. In
the Pacific Northwest, home of our country’s last stands of old-growth forests and primary ecosys
tems, thousands of citizens have protested and hundreds, from all walks of life, have been arrested
over the past few months.
One incredible effort has come from Tim Ream who has been on a hunger strike since
October 3. Tim has been camped in a tent in front of the Eugene (Oregon) Federal Building and has
taken in no solid food, only juice and broth. He is calling on an immediate moratorium on all cutting of
ancient public forests until such time as there is a Congressional vote on the salvage logging rider as
a single issue with open and unimpeded debate. This ongoing effort has brought much awareness to
“lawless logging” and has acted as a reminder of our consumption patterns and how they affect our
environment.
In fact, every action that we take makes a difference. Now
is the time to show our commitment to the environment and our awareness of the undemocratic
actions being taken by Congress.
. We must join together as a national community of concerned citizens. Please join the ongoing efforts
to protect our Ancient Forests and maintain our basic principles of democracy.
What you can do:
— Call President Clinton today at (202) 456 -1111 and demand a repeal of the salvage rider.
— Join Tim each Tuesday to Wednesday (noon to noon) for a one day fast in protest of law
less logging.
— Be part of the National Day of Fasting fqr Environmental Rights on Tuesday, January 9,
1996.
-JEANNE PATTON
Jeanne Patton lives in Portland. For further information call her at (503) 233-1139.
GODFATHER’S BOOKS
AND ESPRESSO BAR
CLEAN SERVICES
325-4724
CARPfT CLKANING
JURNITURI & DRAPKRY CLKANING
1108 Commercial • A storia, OR 9 7 1 0 3
Phone: (5033 3 2 5 -8 1 4 3
“Wa‘re Vary Caraful Wha Wa Sand
Into Your Homo Or O fflca"
Bonded A Insured
i
1