Region Archives: United States

In the 1990s, Oregon’s powerful timber industry used its influence to win a series of tax cuts that have cost local governments a cumulative $3 billion. …Now the industry is in line for another tax break. With the costs of fighting Oregon’s wildfires climbing, the timber industry worked with policymakers behind closed doors to develop legislation that would reduce what industrial forest owners pay for protecting their cash crop from flames. Timber lobbyists not only helped write the bill, they even helped write a top lawmaker’s talking points. …Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, a Portland Democrat. Steiner, one of the state’s top budget writers, wants taxpayers to pay $7 million more annually for fighting fires so timber and ranching interests can pay less. Her rationale: fairness. She says wildfires affect everyone, not just timberland and ranchland owners. Meanwhile, a competing effort would do the opposite: raise taxes on timber.

Washington lawmakers are looking to quell some of the backlash over new wildfire-related building codes set to take effect in March, while also trying to keep homes on the edge between wooded and developed areas safe from the blazes. The “wildland urban interface” codes require new construction and renovations to use certain fire-resistant materials and to limit trees and other vegetation around structures. They sparked criticism from builders, cities and environmentalists who say the rules will be expensive to follow and could result in excessive tree cutting. Now, lawmakers are moving ahead with Senate Bill 6120, which would require the Department of Natural Resources to create a new wildfire risk map. The map update would likely narrow where the new rules apply. The bill would also ditch tree-clearing requirements in the code. …Requirements for fire-resistant materials for roofing, exterior walls, decks and porches would move forward.

Since 1994, the Northwest Forest Plan has governed management of national forests across the Pacific Northwest. It was developed to strike a balance between conservation of old-growth wildlife habitat and the needs of human communities in a rapidly growing region. Depending on who you ask, it’s either been a resounding success or an abysmal failure. The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the middle. The U.S. Forest Service is taking public comment on the plan until Friday – we have a unique opportunity for improvement. As the agency proceeds, they must ensure the updated plan conserves all remaining old-growth forests, improves resilience to climate change, and benefits rural and Indigenous communities. …The Northwest Forest Plan was ahead of its time 30 years ago, but our understanding of our forests has advanced. Now is the time to build on the successes and address its shortcomings as well as its unintended and unanticipated consequences. 

The Biden administration’s December announcement that it plans to protect from logging old-growth trees such as those slated for removal in the Yaak’s Black Ram timber sale, is a reason for everyone to celebrate. Few old-growth forest lands remain in the West and even fewer in Montana. …These forests are critical to mitigating climate change and once lost, will take centuries to replace. We simply don’t have the time. Old growth trees range in age from 100 to more than 1,000 years old. Some trees marked for cutting in the Black Ram Project, halted by the 9th Circuit Court in 2023, exceed 500 years of age. We advocate for protecting these ancient trees as part of our nation’s first Climate Refuge, the initial step in creating a curtain of green which would stretch across the northern tier of the globe and play a vital role in ameliorating the biodiversity crisis and slowing climate change.

Forests and wildlife are dealing with a winter whiplash. Last winter produced enormous amounts of snow and an infamous polar vortex, even as 2023 in its entirety was one of the hottest years on record for Minnesota and the globe. While there have been periods of intense cold this winter, there has been little snow.  “If this winter is a one-off, and then next winter we have lots of snow, the effects can be different than if we have three of these kinds of winters back to back,” said John Erb, wolf research scientist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. …Some of northernmost Minnesota is host to boreal forests… These forests are home to wildlife, including endangered animals such as the Canada lynx — but also make up the world’s largest terrestrial carbon storage system. If those forests recede or shrink, that could result in species loss and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Senator Weber and Representative Javadi are peddling a false narrative about a mill closure in Banks, on behalf of the timber industry. The facts: Hampton Lumber, headquartered in Portland, made a business decision to invest $150 million into expanding its mill in Willamina thanks to state and local tax breaks. At the same time, it chose to close an ageing Banks mill (40 miles from Willamina) which is in need of substantial upgrades. This a clear case of corporate restructuring and consolidation made by Hampton executives in Portland, not the failure of the state Habitat Conservation Plan. But Hampton — and Weber and Javadi working on behalf of an industry that paid for their elections — blamed the State Forest Habitat Conservation Plan for the Banks mill closure. This so the company wouldn’t have to come clean to its workers in Banks: the truth is, the company doesn’t need them anymore.

Tree climbing is an indispensable component of forestry work, serving as a vital means to access the canopy. In the Northwest, pine cone collection is one of the primary reasons for tree climbing. Without the ability to collect cones, scientists would face significant challenges in understanding tree health, and reestablishing forests would be an arduous task. But cone collection is dangerous work and involves maneuvering in some of the world’s tallest trees. As a result, the U.S. Forest Service mandates that all climbers acquire proper certification. Tree climbing school, located in Cottage Grove, Oregon, is a four-day crash course in tree climbing that takes place every June. The event hosts some of the country’s most skilled climbers and climbing instructors, drawing in students from all over the U.S. who work as biologists, arborists, technicians, and even smoke jumpers. Skill levels range from experienced climbers to absolute beginners.