Forests

Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Thieves

November 26, 2010
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Can you believe someone would stoop this low for a few bucks?

A group of thieves hacked their way through a forest on the Olympic Peninsula, stripping the branches off hundreds of young white pines. Washington DNR says they stole about 20,000 pounds of pine boughs, probably to sell them to holiday garland and wreath makers. At 25 cents per pound, the boughs are worth about $5,000. Most of the trees will probably die.

You can read the rest of the story on DNR’s Ear To The Ground Blog:

Thieves take 20,000 pounds of pine boughs; destroy hundreds of trees on state trust land.

Most Of Mt. Hood Forest Goes Off Limits To Off Roading

August 27, 2010
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A view of Mt. Hood from Timothy Lake. Photo by K. Carpenter/U.S.G.S.

Off roaders are going to start seeing a lot of “closed” signs in the Mt. Hood National Forest.

A new Forest Service plan dramatically cuts back where off road vehicles are allowed. Environmental groups couldn’t be much happier.

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OSU: Climate Change May Be Hurting The Spotted Owl In Oregon

August 3, 2010
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Northern Spotted Owl. Photo by Dennis Newman.

As if old growth logging, and competition from barred owls wasn’t enough.

There’s another threat to Oregon’s fragile population of northern spotted owls.

Research from Oregon State University says climate change may also hurt the spotted owl’s chances for survival.

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Help Save The Big Trees Of Mt. Emily

May 17, 2010
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Photo from Friends Of Mt. Emily.

An icon of Northeast Oregon has a date with the logger, unless a lot of money can be raised quickly.

What’s at risk is 500 acres of the Mt. Emily Recreation Area near La Grande. A timber company is getting ready to cut down most of the big trees in the Trails Unit, a section that’s hugely popular with hikers, bikers and horseback riders.

Local efforts to save the trees are falling behind and falling short. So the group Friends of Mt. Emily is appealing statewide for help.

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Do Oregon Forests Need Liberating?

April 30, 2010
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Does this land need "liberating" from the federal government? Photo of the Umpqua National Forest from the U.S. Forest Service.

Apparently they do, according to Oregonians in Action. The property rights group says it will lobby the next Legislature to pass a law giving Oregon the power to condemn and seize federally owned land in the state.

That includes 15 National Forests and Monuments, a National Park, and millions of acres of land managed by the BLM. About 55% of the state is federal land, according to OIA.

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New Rules Mean More Logging In Oregon Forests

April 23, 2010
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Oregon’s Forestry Board has approved a controversial plan to increase logging on more than 630,000 acres of state forests.

The reason? More timber revenues for counties, schools and other local governments. But environmental groups say wildlife will be hurt.

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Coming Tuesday: Debating The Future Of Our National Forests

April 5, 2010
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A view of the Calapooya Mountains in the Umpqua National Forest. Photo from U.S. Forest Service.

If you’re not happy with what’s going on in our National Forests, then this is the year to do something about it.

The Obama Administration is working on a new planning rule that will guide the future of all 155 National Forests and Grasslands across the country. What’s at stake? Big issues such as logging, mining, old growth, stream and river quality, wildlife and recreation.

On Tuesday, the Forest Service holds a series of public meetings in Portland to hear from Oregonians.

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A Symbol Of Oregon’s Forests, The Douglas Fir Faces A Growing Epidemic

April 5, 2010
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New research has found that older Douglas-fir trees in Oregon are just as susceptible to Swiss needle cast as younger ones, suffering the same needle loss and in some cases almost stop growing. Photo from OSU.

Oregon’s state tree, the Douglas Fir, is under attack from a disease that’s spreading and intensifying through the Coast Range.

It’s called Swiss needle cast, a fungus that causes the tree to lose its needles and stunts its growth. Researchers with Oregon State University say the disease has gotten so bad, it’s damaging forests to the tune of $200 million per year.

They suspect global warming may be a cause.

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Mt. Hood Delays Decision On ATV Plan

April 2, 2010
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A view of Mt. Hood from Lolo Pass Road. Photo by Dennis Newman.

The Mt. Hood National Forest is giving itself more time to make a huge decision that will affect just about everyone who uses the forest.

It’s going to spend the spring and summer doing additional environmental studies before making a final ruling on where to allow off road vehicles.

That ruling was expected by today, but now it’s being put off until August.

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Oregon Sierra Club: We Won’t Support Wyden Logging Bill

March 10, 2010
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The Oregon Sierra Club says it won’t support Senator Wyden’s logging bill for Eastern Oregon.

The group had been withholding judgement ever since the deal was announced almost two months ago. But now, the group’s Conservation Director Ivan Maluski tells me that without some changes, the Sierra Club will oppose the measure.

His critique of the logging bill is, in many ways, similar to concerns raised by the Obama Adminstration.

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