To the Editor,
È S ^ Itìfe i- f t . ï
This month’s 'Ecola Ilahee' column has been postponed until next
month. As the deadline approached for this month's issue, I was out
on some far-flung fjord, where computers are scarce and even the
longest, most ambitious extension cords never venture. An
unexpected abundance of "letters to the Editor" arrived in the Upper
Left Edge offices this month, however, and I gladly bequeath the
column space to civic minded citizens with axes to grind. Keep those
editorial cards and letters coming! Until next time, -DD
Dear Editor,
This spring I became aware of a hummingbird nest in a
Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga taxifolia) bough just ten feet outside my
kitchen window. It was in a dark and secure place where two limbs
crossed, and it was difficult to see whether the nest was occupied.
During April's wet and blustery weather, I could just make out the
little bird hunkered down in its nest, safe and snug in its swaying
retreat. It was very pleasant to note my little companion's comings
and goings as I stood at my kitchen sink, and I secretly enthused
about the possibility of observing it brood its young. This was not to
be; the endeavor fell through because of Swiss needle cast.
For those who came in late, Swiss needle cast is a fungus
disease that attacks a fir's needles, interrupting photosynthesis and
hindering the tree's ability to feed itself. Soon after bud break, spring
growth is re-infected and the affected trees yellow and drop their
blighted needles. It attacks firs of all ages, and like the nest tree
outside my window, virtually every Douglas fir within twenty miles of
the north coast is infected. The widespread presence of this disease is
caused by monocultural reforestation, and the discoloration in young
plantations* can be easily seen by the casual observer. So far no
effective treatment has been devised. It is unclear whether this is a
fatal malady, but the retarded growth is disastrous to the owners
(Corpredatorii speculatora) of industrial forestlands*.
As the fir needles fell, the nest lost its camouflage, and before
too long it tumbled onto my driveway where I retrieved it. I think it is
likely that once its location was revealed, starlings made quick work of
its contents. My husband Shorty says this is utter nonsense, that the
nest lost its support, since it was woven into the needles of the twig
that held it. He used to work in the woods and is a know-it-all. The
nest itself is a sublime fabrication, about the size of a golf ball
sliced in half, the interior lined with the finest down imaginable and
its exterior festooned with an intricate arrangement of lichens. It now
rests atop my fridge. Bye Bye Birdie.
Flora Picksniff
Clatsop County, OR
* Please forgive the redundancy. The terms "young plantations" and
"industrial forestlands” are interchangeable, and an all too familiar
refrain. There are no other type.
if
RKTMJMMT
Casualty Tdegant (Dining
Located in the
Cannon ‘Beach Motel
1116 S. Memlock
When my family and I traveled to Cannon Beach in the past
we really admired the town's efforts to conserve water. Drinking water
was optional at many restaurants, and not placed on tables until we
requested it. Little signs in motels and restaurants politely asked us
to limit our u^p of water. The town was coming close to overtaxing
the water system's capacity. Also, apparently the water comes out of
Ecola Creek and the draw on the lower water levels in the summertime
was starting to harm the fish and other things that live in the creek.
The waste water from all of the town's toilets and drains is also
eventually routed back into the creek too. So according to the signs,
the less water we used the better things would be for the town's water
supply, the sewage system, and the environmental health of the stream
and the fish that live there. We told friends back home about Cannon
Beach's efforts to limit water use, and to save the water of the creek
and the fish that depend on it, and people were impressed. It was one
more thing that made Cannon Beach special. Now we notice that all
these signs are gone, and that water arrives at our tables automatically,
just like it does everywhere else.
What has changed? Is the town no longer overexploiting its
water supply dunng the summer? I doubt it. There are more visitors
in Cannon Beach every year and there are more motels and houses
too. Are the fish out of danger? Certainly not. Everything I read
says that salmon are in big trouble on the north coast. Maybe it is
because people have gotten lazy, or the tourists find it upsetting when
they come to Cannon Beach and learn that there are limits on their
consumptive behavior. More and more people come to Cannon
Beach expecting a luxury vacation experience and only care about the
local environment when it doesn't interfere with their fun and their
inalienable right to consume more. I may be wrong, but it seems to
me that this is where the problem lies.
But the water issue won't go away, even if people have decided
to ignore it. Every room in every motel in Cannon Beach will use
thousands of gallons of water this year, and then flush it or run it
down the drain when they are done with it. Multiply this amount of
water by the number of rooms in town, add to it the water used by
restaurants, seasonal and rental homes, etc., and you can see that the
water use in Cannon Beach is truly staggering. The great majority of
this water is used in the summertime, when creek levels are already low
and the water too warm for many fish. Every drop of water that
Cannon Beach uses comes from this creek and then goes back into it,
in the form of polluted waste water. If the creek and the town water
supply has not already reached its limits, these limits are surely just
around the corner. Why has Cannon Beach given up on water
conservation?
A. Jones
Seattle, Washington
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Cell: 440-0278
P.O.Box 2577
To the Editor,
Tevis Dooley Jr.
Cannon Beach Or
(503)436-0908
0
O
Fax:717-0389
Gearhart, OR 97138
738-7563
While thumbing idly through the May 31st New Yorker, I was
pulled up short by a Weyerhauser advertisement. There, in the middle
of a full page spread, was the picture of an artfully painted black bear
in a forest clearing. In the white space where the sky should have
been above it, there appeared in large type, "Meet the president of the
Homeowner's Association."
Below the bear, in discrete type and in a conversational tone,
were two paragraphs extolling Weyerhauser's sensitivity to all the
forest critters and modestly pointing out the pains the company takes
to assure their happiness and well being while in its care.
The timber companies that manage our local forestlands
apparently take a different view. Bears, black, brown or otherwise, are
not welcome but instead have been trapped and killed in the tree
farms which have supplanted the forests immediately surrounding
Cannon Beach. Thejustification for this is that bears have an appetite
for young trees. It's amazing how the timber industry portrays itself
as a benevolent protector while its little known conduct proves just the
opposite.
ccb # ii 4007
THE
Casual Dining
Overlooking the Hestucca River
Spirits • Hot Sandwiches
Fresh Seafood Dinners • Home Baked Desserts
(5 0 3 ) 9 6 5 -6 7 2 2
PACIFIC CITY, ORCQOH
A
'Bgservations Suggested
L igh t Lunch 12:00 - 4:00
Momemade soups, chowders, bread
a n d detightfui desserts
Dinner Served 4:00 - 9:00
A w a rd w inning chowders, unique salads
pasta, seafood, steaks a n d chicken
Monday - QreekSpecials
Wednesday - Pasta Specials
ClosedSunday
C annon B each O utdoor W ear
We Carry Clothing that
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makes you feel great!
1238 8. Hemlock
P.O.Box 98S
Cannon Beach, OR
97110
(5 0 3 )4 36 -2 0 0 0
rax (803) 436-0746
Patagonia
Teva
Woolrich
Kavu
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BUSINESS CARDS
SIGNS & BANNERS
LAMINATING/ FLYERS
BROCHURES/ FORMS
OFFICE SUPPLIES
FAST U P S SERVICE
COMPUTER SUPPORT
INTERNET ACCESS
NOTARY SERVICE
J
Lotsa Good Stuff On Sale
Natural Foods-Organlc Juices-O rganic Coffee-Deli
239 N. Hemlock, Cannon Beach
Open Daily, 11-5 436-2832
ATM
N O W
Coffeehouse setting -with an Ocean View.
.Across fr o m the (Post Office.
Box 822, Yachats, Oregon, 97498 (541-5470-4065)
A V A IL A B L E !
THE.
(DON'T BE A VICTIM CP INFHUCR FRAMING)
▲WARNING
1287 Commercial S t. Attoria, OR 97103 • Phone (5CU) 325-5221
BIGGEST
W»N*
L IT T L E .
CONVENIENCE
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____________
{FAMIU
MARKET
4r3C~0Sf5
CieA^,
UFFER. LEFT EDGE .AUGUST
/
1170 3. H elmlock .
By HMSTACK ROCK
Mon-Thurs 7am-11pm, • Fri-Sat 7am-Midnight • Sunday 8am-11pm
4
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