By Susan Hess. May 31, 2018. Weyerhaeuser is set to begin logging 250 acres within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The location has raised concerns, because Weyerhaeuser plans to clearcut the timber in this nationally significant area.
The site covers scattered tracts of land the company owns east of Hood River, Oregon. The properties are in the General Management Area (GMA) designation. The Scenic Area Act “precludes the regulation of forest practices within the GMA,” so logging operations don’t need approval or review by the Columbia River Gorge Commission, the county, or the U.S. Forest Service.
Weyerhaeuser’s logging plan does have to meet Oregon’s Forest Practices Act, which is overseen by Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). During ODF’s review process, the Commission wrote to them listing potential impacts clearcutting would have on wildlife, recreation, and scenic values.
The company’s planned harvest has met the Forest Practive Act regulations and ODF will monitor the operation. The company can begin logging at any time. ODF regulations limits clearcuts to 120 acres. But a company can clearcut an adjacent unit if there is a 300 foot buffer. Otherwise, it must wait to clearcut an adjacent unit until the logged unit has ‘greened-up,’ which takes four to six years. In this case, Weyerhaeuser’s properties are scattered and may meet the requirements so they can log the entire 250 acres.
Clearcut on Lost Lake Road in Hood River County. Adjacent sites to the west have ‘greened up.’
The Friends of the Columbia Gorge also wrote Weyerhaeuser and ODF asking them to reconsider and “develop a forest management plan that is more consistent with the protection of our national scenic treasure.” They’d like to see “selective harvest of trees, much smaller clearcuts, and the phased implementation of the project to lessen adverse impacts to scenic, natural, recreation, and cultural resources.” And the Friends sent an alert to their 8,500 members urging them to contact Weyerhaeuser.
Weyerhaeuser’s Sustainable Forestry Policy states among other things that it will: “consider aesthetic values by identifying sensitive areas and adapting practices accordingly; identify sites of special ecological, geological, cultural, and historical importance and manage them in a manner appropriate for their unique features.” The policy includes Weyerhaeuser’s commitment to harvest sustainably for the long term, protect soil, minimize erosion, and provide a diversity of habitats for plants and wildlife.
Thank you, Susan, for giving an excellent summary of the facts and what’s been reported in the news. But there’s more to the story. I recently photographed the area of planned clearcuts the best I could without trespassing. It’s a forest after all, and as you know I’ve been documenting my love of forested areas for a long time now. My brother Darvel and I hiked the mile-long stretch of the historic Mark O. Hatfield Trail; and we also bushwhacked through the poison-oak woodlands above and below it. Our intent was to ground truth the areas that would be most adversely impacted by the Weyerhaueser project. To our surprise and wonderment, the dense forest harbors impressive old-growth trees. We measured some—ponderosa pine and Douglas fir—at more than four feet in diameter (DBH). Thus, we found a remarkable forest that few people give a second thought. We now know that the historic trail and the forest it passes through are irreplaceable treasures of the eastern Gorge. They must be protected at all costs. It’s the least that both private companies and public agencies can do for future generations.
Hurrah! Finally I got a blog from where I be able to truly obtain helpful facts regarding my study and knowledge.