A new report, Restoration or Exploitation? Post-fire Salvage Logging in America's National Forests, sheds light on the myriad ecological impacts this damaging form of logging causes to our natural heritage, but also the significant economic costs to the American taxpayer.
As this report is being released, Congress is working to finalize passage of a bill promoted by the Bush Administration, which will dramatically increase logging while decreasing the public's ability to stop environmentally destructive projects. It is likely that the Bush administration will apply the bill to most post-fire logging projects in 2004 by calling them "restoration" or "hazardous fuels reduction" projects.
The report, authored by Dr. Timothy Ingalsbee of the American Lands Alliance, provides current examples of ten of the most devastating timber sale proposals being developed by the U.S. Forest Service following the Bitterroot, Biscuit, Hayman, McNally, Missionary Ridge, Red Star, Rodeo-Chediski, Tiller /Apple, and Toolbox fires.
The report is available at http://www.americanlands.org/SALVAGE_REPORT_FOR_WEB.pdf
Significant findings contained in the report include:
* Post-fire logging has been almost exclusively focused on narrow, short-term economic motives to extract the maximum commodity timber value from burned forests as quickly as possible. Despite these economic incentives, most salvage timber sales result in a net loss to the federal government.
* Due to global market forces that have produced a current "timber glut" in the U.S., the Forest Service is having increasing difficulties attracting willing buyers for post-fire sales. In 2002, the Forest Service could only sell 69% of the post-fire timber it offered for bid. In response, the agency often changed the sale terms in order to attract potential bidders, such as reducing minimum bid prices by up to 80%, and increasing the extraction of larger, healthy, more fire-resistant and ecologically valuable trees. When federal treasury costs are added to environmental costs, post-fire logging adds up to an unacceptable loss to the American taxpayer.
* Post-fire logging causes extreme damage and often irrecoverable loss of sensitive forest soils, pollutes watersheds, destroys wildlife habitat, reduces natural regeneration, kills or damages surviving vegetation, creates a myriad of future restoration costs, and increases fuel hazards and wildfire risks.
* Although post-fire logging is often billed as a restoration or hazardous fuels reduction management practice, credible scientific evidence suggested the contrary. There is little evidence in the scientific literature to support claims that post-fire logging is necessary for restoration. However, there is ample research, including research reviewed by the U.S. Forest Service (see McIver and Starr, 2000), which concludes that post-fire logging itself may actually increase the rate of spread, intensity, and severity of fires.
With regard to post fire timber sales, profits for logging companies are most dependent upon getting large fire resilient trees out of the public's forests as quickly as possible, regardless of the ecological impacts. But as illustrated in this report, these profits for logging companies come at great cost to the public, our environment, and future generations.
Scientific and Economic Contacts on Post-Fire Logging:
Dr. Timothy Ingalsbee
Director of the Western Fire Ecology Center for the American Lands Alliance in Eugene, Oregon
He was a Research Associate, University of Oregon, Eugene and Instructor of Environmental Sociology and courses on Forest Fires and Society. He authored the 2003 report, "Restoration or Exploitation? Post-Fire Salvage Logging in America's National Forests."
541-302-6218
fire@efn.orgDr. Dominick DellaSala
Director of the Klamath-Siskiyou Regional Program for the World Wildlife Fund in Ashland, Oregon.
Internationally renowned author of over 100 technical papers, and co-author of two books on biodiversity and sustainable forest management
541-482-4878
541-621-7223
dellasal@wwfks.orgJon Rhodes
Senior Conservation Hydrologist, Planeto Azul Hydrologic Consultants, Portland, OR
Co-authored the 1995 Report, "Wildfire and Salvage Logging: Recommendations for Ecologically Sound Post-Fire Salvage Logging and Other Post-Fire Treatments on Federal Lands in the West"
503.236.2207
jjr_agua@msn.comDr. G. Wayne Minshall
Professor, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID
Co-authored the 1995 Report, "Wildfire and Salvage Logging: Recommendations for Ecologically Sound Post-Fire Salvage Logging and Other Post-Fire Treatments on Federal Lands in the West"
208-282-2236
208-775-4443
minswayn@isu.eduDr. James Karr
Professor, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Professor of Aquatic Sciences and Biology, Adjunct Professor of Civil Engineering, Environmental Health, and Public Affairs
Co-authored the 1995 Report, "Wildfire and Salvage Logging: Recommendations for Ecologically Sound Post-Fire Salvage Logging and Other Post-Fire Treatments on Federal Lands in the West"
206-685-4784
jrkarr@u.washington.eduDr. Ernie Niemi
Economist, ECONorthwest, Eugene, OR
Author of 2003 report, "Economic Issues Underlying Proposals to Conduct Salvage Logging in Areas Burned by the Biscuit Fire" [www.salmonand economy.org]
541-687-0051
niemi@eugene.econw.comLocal conservationists who can provide information and tours of post-fire logging projects:
Arizona, Rodeo-Chediski Fire: Fire Salvage and Rehabilitation Project
Brian Segee, Center for Biological Diversity, PO Box 710, Tucson AZ 85702-0710, bsegee@biologicaldiversity.org 520.623.5252, ext. 308, www.biologicaldiversity.org
and John Talberth, Forest Conservation Council, P.O. Box 22488, Santa Fe, NM 87502
jtalberth@cybermesa.comm 505.986.1163 www.forestconservation.comCalifornia, McNally Fire: Sherman Pass Restoration Project, Roadless Restoration Project, Burnt Ridge Restoration Project, and the Hazard Tree Abatement Project
Ara Marderosian, Sequoia ForestKeeper, P.O.B. 2134, Kernville, CA 93238
ara@sequoiaforestkeeper.org (760) 376-4434
www.sequoiaforestkeeper.orgCalifornia, Star Fire: Red Star Fire Restoration Project
Chad Hanson, John Muir Project, P.O.B. 697, Cedar Ridge, CA 95924
chadhanson@nccn.net 530-273-9290 www.johnmuirproject.orgColorado, Hayman Fire: Hayman Fire-Upper South Platte Watershed Protection and Restoration Project
Rocky Smith, Colorado Wild, 1030 Pearl #9, Denver, CO 80203
rocky@coloradowild.org 303-839-5900 www.coloradowild.orgColorado, Missionary Ridge Fire: Burned Area Timber Salvage Project
Rocky Smith, Colorado Wild, 1030 Pearl #9, Denver, CO 80203
rocky@coloradowild.org 303-839-5900 www.coloradowild.orgMontana, Bitterroot Fires: Burned Area Recovery Project:
Matthew Koehler, Native Forest Network, P.O.B. 8251, Missoula, MT 59807
Koehler@wildrockies.org 406-542-7343 www.nativeforest.orgOregon, Biscuit Fire: Fire Recovery Project
Don Smith, Siskiyou Project, 9335 Takilma Rd., Cave Junction, OR 97523
don@siskiyou .org 541-592-4459
Rolf Skar, Siskiyou Project, 917 SW Oak, Suite 407, Portland, OR 97205
rolf@siskiyou.org 503-222-6101 www.siskiyou.orgOregon, Tiller and Apple Fires: Baked Apple, Apple Seed CE, Tiller Roadside, Ash Creek, and Acker Fire Salvage Timber Sale Projects
Francis Eatherington, Umpqua Watersheds, P.O. Box 101, Roseburg, OR 97470
francise@internetcds.com 541-673-7649
http://www.umpqua-watersheds.org/umpqua_fires_02.htmlOregon, Toolbox Fire: Fire Recovery Project
Doug Heiken, Oregon Natural Resources Council, P.O.B. 11648, Eugene, OR 97440
dh@onrc.org 541-344-0675 www.onrc.org