Eugene weekly., April 30, 2009, Page 4, Image 4

opinion/viewpoint
BY GEORGE WUERTHNER
Seeing the Forest
Through the trees
T
here’s an old cliché that one can’t see
the forest for the trees. It is used to
describe people who are so focused
on details that they fail to see the big picture.
Nowhere is this failure to see the forest for
the trees more evident than the rush to utilize
dead trees for biomass fuels and/or the pre-
sumed need to “thin” forests to reduce so called
“dangers” and/or “damage” from wildfi re and beetle
outbreaks.
Dead trees are not a “wasted” resource. An abundance of dead trees,
rather than a sign of forest sickness as commonly portrayed, demonstrates
that the forest ecosystem is functioning perfectly well. For far too long we
have viewed the major agents responsible for creation of substantial qualities
of dead trees — beetles and wildfi re — as “enemies” of the forest, when in
truth, they are the major processes that maintain healthy forest ecosystems.
Recent research points out the multiple ways that dead trees and down
wood are critical to the forest. One estimate suggests that two-thirds of all
species depend on dead trees/down wood at some point in their lives.
Dead trees are very important for functioning aquatic ecosystems as well.
Trees create structure in streams that shapes stream channels, reduces water
velocity and erosion, and provides both food and habitat for many aquatic
species, including trout.
Once a tree falls to the ground and gradually molders back into the soil, it
provides home to many small insects and invertebrates that are the lifeblood
of the forest, that help recycle and produce nutrients important for present
and future forest growth. For instance, there are hundreds of species of
ground nesting bees that utilize down trees for their home. These bees are
major pollinators of fl owers and fl owering shrubs in the forest.
Ants are among the most abundant invertebrates in the forest and many
live in down trees and snags. Ants play a critical role in the forest, helping to
break down wood, aerate soil with their burrows, and protect trees against the
onslaught of other insects. One study found that ants killed 85 percent of the
tussock moths that attacked Douglas fi r, and there are many other examples
of how ants protect trees from tree predators.
A recent review of 1,200 lichen species found that 10 percent were
only found on dead trees, and many others prefer dead trees as their
prime habitat. Lichens, among other things, are important convertors of
atmospheric nitrogen into fi xed nitrogen important for plant growth.
Even the charcoal that results from wildfi res burning up trees is important
for soil productivity, helping to increase soil nutrients, water-holding capacity,
and as a long-term storage mechanism for carbon.
Several recent studies have concluded that both beetle-killed forests and
the burned forests that remain after stand-replacement wildfi res have among
the highest biodiversity of any habitat type.
Logging, thinning, biomass removal and other forest management
introduce all kinds of negative impacts to the forest ecosystem, from the
spread of weeds to soil compaction to alteration of water fl ow, disturbance
to wildlife, creation of new ORV trails and increases in sedimentation, that all
lead to the degradation of the forest ecosystem itself. Most of these negative
impacts are ignored or glossed over by proponents of thinning and biomass
removal.
Forest “management” is so focused on trees and wood products that it
represents a critical failure to see the forest through the trees.
George Wuerthner is an ecologist and writer with 34 published books. He will be speaking at 7 pm Wednesday,
May 6, at Harris Hall, 8th and Oak, on “Wildfi re Hysteria & Forest Biomass Greenwash.”
letters
TO THE EDITOR
SLASHING SERVICES?
In this week's issue (4/23) you have two
items concerning the newest proposal for a
new police station. In both pieces you make
the claim that "the city is raising taxes and
slashing services." As a member of the
city Budget Committee, I am writing to
challenge this characterization. What taxes
are being raised, and more signifi cantly
can you point to any place where services
provided by the city of Eugene (not Lane
County or the state) are being slashed?
While I will admit I don't stay up to speed
as much as I should on the taxation side of
this issue, I can say that unless I fell asleep
during the most recent Budget Committee
meeting and missed something dramatic,
there are no plans to "slash" city services in
order to fi ll the $12 million defi cit in the city
budget. There will be some programs that
were funded on a multi-year basis whose
funding is about to expire and may not be
renewed, but those are decisions that will
be made over the course of the upcoming
budget committee hearings.
That fact is that the city manager (Jon
Ruiz) has proposed a budget that seeks to
retain current service levels and close the
budget defi cit without laying off any city
workers, an approach that has earned him
kudos from some and criticism from others.
Your paper does a disservice to our city
when it casually throws around unsupported
statements about "slashing" services. I hope
you will take some time to actually look
through the city manager's proposed budget
which was just released this week, and
provide our community with much needed
accurate reporting on how Ruiz plans to
close the budget defi cit.
Claire Syrett
Eugene
NASTY BUGGERS
I am not a fan of spraying, especially
in these current sensitive times of random
lawlessness in that area. I am as anti-
chemical as anyone could be. But I also grew
up on the East Coast during the onslaught
of the gypsy moth infestation, and believe
4 APRIL 30, 2009
EUGENE WEEKLY
me, you do not want those things destroying
the Northwest. If I have to choose between
permanent neurological damage and gypsy
moth infestation, I will choose the former. I
repeat, you do not want those fuckin’ things
ruining the West Coast. They get into every
little corner, cutting a swath, destroying
plants with disgusting little egg sacs,
leaving a wake of wanton wee folk.
I would love to see an alternative to
spraying. It was effective in the East, if way
too late. I sincerely hope we won't have to
resort to sprays, but if the gypsy moth is
allowed to get a foothold I am so outta here!
Believe me, something must be done.
Ken Sokolov
Eugene
HELP EUGENE SAY NO
I am writing with the voice of Eugeneans
who are speaking out, with an overwhelming
majority, against biomass extraction.
Biomass is not green energy. Please do not
allow desperate industries to decide the fate
of Oregon's health and natural environment.
Please listen to the vote of the people whom
you lead and represent when we say "no
biomass."
Vote “no” on HR 1190 and S 536.
Please, let’s stop these bills that destroy the
meaning and hope of a green energy future.
Burning biomass will pollute our air and
cause irrevocable environmental damage.
Biomass is not a green or clean energy.
Just because trees are green does not make
burning them a source of clean energy. The
Seneca biomass plant that is almost in effect
will release tons of lead, sulfur dioxide,
carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, dioxin,
particulates, mercury, benzene, chromium
and many more hazardous air pollutants.
These pollutants from Seneca biomass, and
all biomass plants, will leave Eugene in a
haze of pollution that we will breath every
morning, afternoon, evening and night for
decades to come. Please join the many
Eugeneans who are coming together to stop
this hazardous industry.
People are organizing under the guidance
and help of Cascadia's Environmental
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