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WE’RE ALL OUT ON A
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION
LONG LIVE TREEHUGGING DIRTLOVERS
BY DEBORA SEYMOUR
I dedicate this story to Matthew “Ridge" Hill and
Cedar St Onge To all the elder Big Trees in the forest,
I ask for guidance, that any words I use may enliven any
and all to work for you and your survival.
It seems so very appropriate that the forest on line here
is named God's Valley. I really appreciate the resonance in
speaking about this one part of the last 1% of Oregon coastal
rainforest. I am very grateful to live not far inland from the north
Oregon coastline and to experience the hard rains from the
Pacific Ocean caught by the forests, in an ongoing cycle of
Earth’s reparation. Sitting by the warmth of a wood fire on this
blustery October day, I want so to bring another light to my
community and share my experience over the past few months
in the God’s Valley Forest. If we could only speak to the one-
leggeds, their wise perspective might possibly lead all down a
clearer trail.
Sometime back in August I was working the a.m. shift
at the Community Store in Astoria. A woman from South County
called the store to share the news of a 'Big Tree’ cut in a place
called God’s Valley, just south of the Clatsop/Tillamook County
line “The ODF (Oregon Department of Forestry) went back on
their word and started cutting this forest behind our backs!"
How could we let people know in a hurry, as the chain
saws of modern technology can clearcut an ancient forest in a
blink of an eye?
I had not been in the God’s Valley Forest myself but in
my heart and mind all Big Trees are in danger and any cry for
them strikes at my cords of direct action. “I’m not quite sure how
to approach this, but McCusker will be at KMUN at 9 a m. Call
the station, he’ll tell everybody what’s coming down!” He always
does and we can count on Michael to tell the truth. God's Valley
rang out over the North Pacific Coast Radio Waves.
“The Big Trees are failin','' this was my song as I met
with customers at the register that day. Throughout the day I
pondered heavily the importance for us to gather, witness and
put a stop to more forest injustice I called around trying to
arrange a way to head down to South County at the end of my
obligated day of work My forest friend Sonya offered up her
pickup and wished me well in facing the possibility of arrest.
The day was sunny and heading down 101 to 26 and
onto Highway 53 South gave me time to ponder the falling of
more Big Trees; I couldn't help but think of my young daughter’s
future
Driving up God's Valley Road I was met by a large
gathering of ODF officials and armed Tillamook Sheriffs who
kindly told me the road was closed to all through traffic. I was
handed a three page outline with the Whys. Whats & Wheres
of God’s Valley, a map of restricted zones and the ABCs of
violating those zones. Feeling sort of out-numbered I back-
packed and headed into the forest to hopefully meet up with
other like-minded Tree Hugging Dirt Worshippers’. I smiled as
one of the sheriffs took my picture
I wouldn’t exactly call their map user-friendly as I walked
about enjoying the forest wondering if I was in a restricted zone
or not. The sheriffs drove by me several times and I kind of got
the feeling they thought I was up to mischief as I explored
different roads on the map Eventually I came upon 'The Line’.
No one else was there, just a pink plastic ribbon strung across
Bikes & Bey ond
1335 MARINE DR.
ASTORIA, OREGON
ELIZABETH A. BALDWIN
is pleased to announce the relocation
of her office for the practice of law to
536 BOND STREET
ASTORIA OREGON 97103
Across the street from her old office
(503) 325-5137
Telephone number remains the same
the road and a big medal sign, Do Not Enter! I took down the
pink plastic and turned the sign around. It was getting close to
dark as I contemplated going farther and risking arrest. Feeling
the task of camaraderie and realizing the prospects of Tillamook
County jail, I decided it was time to head back out. Curious as I
was, something didn’t feel quite right. Coming to my place of
entry all the officials were gone. Two Tillamook sheriffs were
putting up a big chain across the road with one heavily armed
deputy left on the inside with his three-wheeler, obviously
planning to spend the night. I sincerely felt the strangest bad
vibe from this officer staying behind, and was extremely glad
that I came out when I did. As it looked, it would have been just
him and me alone in the forest.
My next trip to God's Valley came a few weeks later.
Hara Rain Alliance from South County called for help and
formed alliance with Cascadia Forest Alliance. Cascadia brought
expertise and forest knowledge from their ongoing work to save
old trees in the federal forest lands of Oregon. I highly praise
Cascadia Forest Alliance for coming over the coast range;
without their wisdom, commitment and expertise we here on the
Oregon north coast wouldn’t have a clue as to how to stop the
ODF from taking every last Big Tree down!
Cascade Forest Alliance began setting up a long term
‘Tree Sit’, hoping to bring to light what was at stake in this north
coast valley of State Forest lands. Very few in the county were
familiar with the words Tree Sitter until these folks came to our
aid. We were all invited to visit this precious old forest and align
with the elder trees before it was too late. Interesting to know
that the biggest and oldest trees were the first to fall! Area 1,
a one acre parcel, out of four sites, was just about all thinned.
Thinning’ is the word used to describe the ODF's agenda to take
the last of Oregon's coastal Big Trees that belong to each and
every taxpayer in the state. I for one have no respect for the
ODF’s management plan to increase habitat in the forest by
taking out anymore Big Trees. I see these trees as elders who
carry the wisdom of the forest and to imagine a world without
the wisdom of elders is not a choice I wish to walk.
It was the weekend of the Mount Hood to Coast run.
Pack and blanket on my back, I set out on foot once again to
meet the God’s Valley Big Trees Oddly enough I caught rides
with three different truckin' loggers. (I really do believe in
angels.) Expressing that I was “off to meet with friends, hoping
to sleep on the forest floor and avoid the ‘Hood to Coast’ chaos,”
they could appreciate that for sure.
Walking up a logging road in God’s Valley there were
not any signs that expressed “Tree Sitters Here.” There are
some who appreciate my experience of “Where the hell am I,
and where the hell are they?" Being Saturday it was quiet, but
low and behold a sound in the woods and a very vague trail to
my left. I followed quietly and then stopped only to meet eyes off
in the distance; a man sitting on a platform high in a tree. This
man has since turned out be one of my heroes. His name is
Ridge’. “Howdy," I hollered. “Howdy,” another voice hollered
back, a woman farther up the trail. These folks were all from
Cascadia Forest Alliance.
We shared stories of community — myself, the man
named Ridge’, a woman, her husband and their young son
named Leo. Farther up the trail was the main Tree Sitter
platform, about 75 feet up a big grandmother hemlock. I was
awestruck by high that platform seemed, thinking of the Tree
Sitter, code named Tree, who occupied the platform and the
coastal storm that blew over two days earlier. Laying my blanket
under that hemlock, looking up as the forest canopy fell into
darkness, watching the faint flicker of soft light coming from the
platform above, I experienced a quiet only the old forest knows.
I was very grateful and felt very at home on the sweet forest
floor.
The next morning a few folk from South County showed
up to learn how to harness up and pull themselves up a tree. It
was this man named Ridge', strong, healthful, clear, patient and
humble who along with David Fontenot (Cascadia Alliance
Coastal Tree Sit organizer) taught our small group how to pull
ourselves up into a big tree. At age 49 and in fairly good shape, I
can say it took all that I had to get myself up 45 feet onto a small
learner’s platform. (I’m determined to get strong enough to make
the 75 feet climb someday.) I left the forest once again feeling
awestruck and knowing how important it is to ‘Save God's Valley
Trees’ from being cut.
TREES ARE US
Forest Gump:
"A forest is like a box of chocolates.. You eat it all up
-JACK OHMAN
Less than 10% of old growth trees remain in the Pacific
Northwest, which includes northern California as well as Oregon
and Washington in the USA and British Columbia in Canada
Although the forests in BC are intensely logged they are not
within U.S. jurisdiction even though a integral part of the
regional ecosystem.
The economy of the Northwest is largely based on
timber products and has been assailed with court injunctions
against clearcutting public forests despite a badly compromised
and unpopular forest plan put into effect during the Clinton
administration. The problems and complexity pertaining to forest
use focus on employment, endangered species, shrinking
habitat, land erosion and water pollution, disastrous fires that
consume hundreds of thousands of acres each season and kill
animals and firefighters, climate change, methods and extent
of logging (especially clearcutting of old growth forests), access
and use of public forestlands
We read and hear about the massive destruction of
the rainforests of Asia and South America, yet somehow find
it difficult to equate with our own clearcutting of forests in this
country. The great North American forest has virtually vanished
in little more than two centuries, from the East Coast to the
Pacific Ocean; from the great conifer forests of the North to the
hardwoods of the South, in particular a huge swath across the
top of the nation from Maine to Oregon.
Little is left of Oregon’s old forests and the forests of
northern California and Washington, and what little remains
is incessantly under threat The never quenched hunger of the
timber industry has butchered its own lands, replacing them
(when they do) with inferior and less profitable monocultural
tree farms.
Incredibly, the timber companies demand as their divine
right the public forests, and as they log off more and more public
timber they demand more of what is left The city of Astoria is a
microcosm of the situation Trees vs money The likely longrange
loss of a local ecosystem in exchange for short-term profit
Astoria is unusual in that it has a large city forest which most
cities lack and many wish to have This small remnant of a
much larger forest on the hills above the Columbia River is
vital to the quality of life many wish for themselves and their
successors Others do not share sympathy with that vision.
Trees are economical units to them, to be harvested to meet
market demands without consideration for esthetic or ecological
value.
The Pacific Northwest is in the same shape as Astoria.
Its resources have been ravaged and the greed for what remains
will not end until all of it is gone --- trees, fish, and everything
else despoiled for single generation profit, one generation
displacing another in its desire to exploit whatever left that is
yet available for sale.
Yet the glory days of logging are at an end, which
leaves a simple dramatic choice — to either allow loggers
to keep their jobs until they have cut down the remaining old
growth forests, or save what is left at the cost of jobs they will
lose anyway when the last trees are down. Automation and
export of raw trees have accounted for the loss of most timber
jobs, contrary to claims by the timber industry.
Timber companies and environmentalists push at each
other with little inclination to compromise their positions. Stub
born environmentalists make good ancestors. Loggers do not.
They have denuded the forests and showed little inclination to
replace what was lost on their own lands, instead demanding a
mandate of public forests for their chainsaws And here is a
paradox, not among managers who see trees as only ciphers on
ledgers but in the attitude of proud roughneck loggers who
consider themselves woodsmen and profess love for the forests
they destroy and refuse to quit cutting until nothing is left
When the last of the big trees are gone and the poor
grade second and third growth timber reduces profits, the
managers will diversify their portfolios and dismiss the woods
men who created their wealth: Let them be dishwashers.
Without the forests of Asia and the Americas we
bequeath our descendants an arid world, a hot greenhouse No
shade to shield us from the sun s ultraviolet rays (we’ve virtually
ruined the upper atmosphere ozone). Water systems dry up
without the cooler moist climates of forests Biological diversity
disappears. Marine life vanishes Maybe only hallucinogenic
drugs will recall the ancient symbiosis with Earth before our
species moved out alone to dominate our home planet through
obliteration of all that makes it home
- michael M c C usker