TO THE EDITOR
of a railroad and later came under BLM man-
agement. When the management plan for
these lands was written, timber was king.
Forest management is now guided by an en-
tirely different set of principles where any
number of management activities might be
prioritized over industrial logging. For exam-
ple, the Bull Run Watershed, once roaded and
partially logged, is now protected for the
clean, fresh drinking water it provides for the
city of Portland.
We are incredibly fortunate that old-
growth forest remains on these BLM lands
and clearly it should be protected. Old-
growth forests are storehouses of biodiver-
sity, producers of fresh water, factories for
clean air, banks of stored carbon and offer op-
portunities for sustainable economies and
refuge for human beings.
Observation and science have shown that
fire burns as a mosaic in old-growth forests,
resulting in complex landscapes, whereas
tree farms burn hot and fast, leaving few
structural legacies and stark landscapes with
damaged aquatic ecosystems.
The BLM’s statistics show that old-
growth forests are far below their historic
level while dense, even-aged tree plantations
represent more than 30 percent of the plan-
ning area. Why doesn’t the timber industry
focus on forestry that enhances the existing
plantations with a mosaic of patterns and tree
spacing instead of logging irreplaceable old
growth forests?
David Mildrexler
Joseph
KILLER TREE
While I wholeheartedly agree on the value
of saving trees, I thought I should tell you of
one occasion where someone was killed by a
failing tree. Working from memory here, but
perhaps five or six years ago (perhaps longer)
someone was driving down Jefferson, and at
approximately 9th Avenue one of the big
street trees on the west side of the street had a
limb fall as the car passed underneath. It
crushed and killed the occupant, a male I be-
lieve, and the car ran off the street and
crashed into a house a few feet away.
I really enjoy the canopy on Jefferson
street but I fear as the trees age we will lose
their beautiful arching over the street. I can’t
remember offhand, but I don’t believe a tree
was ever planted to replace the one they took
out after the limb fell.
I have also worked to get the city to re-
plant the big trees in Sladden Park as they fall
every few years in the storms. We’ve lost
about 10 trees in the last 25 years, and only
about three or four years ago was I able to get
the city to plant a few new trees. I think they
E g e n e Wa l d o r f
S c h o o l’ s
planted five or six.
I was amazed that the city tree “specialist”
didn’t understand the concept of the small
trees being planted on the west side of the
park as a wind break for the big trees in the
winter storms. He was particularly offended
that I tried to discuss this with him and was
rude and abrupt with me afterwards. I don’t
know where the city hires their arborists, but
they need to study nature more and build an
understanding of how trees interact with each
other rather than just having a knowledge of
single trees.
If we want to be a “Tree City” we should
build a canopy, not just plant a tree.
Thanks for the article (cover story, 11/12).
Cathy Evans
Eugene
QUIT YAPPING
A few simple requests:
1. Keep running the meth ads. They’re
downright disgusting but I appreciate the
practical approach regarding these thieving,
drugged-up parasites who raise their children
on the freakin’ dole (no shit, a couple of them
live up the street from me).
2. Local companies — quit crowing about
how goddamned green you are and do it for
its own sake. Self-righteousness belongs to
the right, not the left (if you robots want to
categorize such things so simply).
3. Downtown has sucked since our glori-
ous overseers dug out the fountain. Here’s my
idea: Put the fucking fountain back in! How’s
that for “revitalization”?
4. I’m glad my scooter is a classic so I don’t
have to worry about its two-stroke engine being
taken off the road, but for those greenies out
there, I encourage you to support P-Town
Scooters up in Portland regarding their
biodiesel conversion for the older two-strokes.
For now I’m just happy watching a thick cloud
of two-stroke smoke waft down the street when
I start the scooter (and I’ll get another one back
on the road soon!). Suck it up, hippies!
5. WOW Hall — Quit booking preten-
tious assholes like Bassnectar who won’t
allow the local artists opening for their show
to get paid. I went to see a friend spin, she got
nothing, and “Suckcheddar” got everything.
Sickening.
6. Quit yapping about “diversity” while
you live in one the most white-bread cities in
the country. It’s tiring. boorish and stupidly
loud. I have a better idea: Follow the Golden
Rule and shut the hell up.
7. Bier Stein — Find a distributor for Rebel.
NOW. Klaster comes in a bottle too big for the
lunch break and, by your own admission,
Rebel has won most of your lager taste compe-
titions. I promise to buy a six-pack every week.
N
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T
I
W R
L IGHT
e
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A
F
Saturday, Dec. th
a.m. - p.m.
Admission is Free!
Live Music & Dance
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1350 McLean Blvd., Eugene
683-6951 . www.eugenewaldorf.org
Choose Waldorf for a rich and
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