Oregon Forest Practices Act discussed by Jason Gonzalez from Oregon Wild
Jason describes problems with the Oregon Forest Practices Act (OFPA), and how it fails to protect people, fish, and wildlife from industrial forest management on corporate private lands. For instance, schools and homes have inadequate buffers from the pesticides sprayed from helicopters on clearcuts. Jason describes studies that found industrial tree plantations are a fire hazard and also contribute to summer low water flows in Oregon streams. The forest practices of adjoining states (Washington, California and Idaho) have far greater protections for fish, soils, and people. These states also have a tax on trees cut that help provide public services, while Oregon has eliminated it’s tax on corporate forest owners, causing Oregon to loose around $40 million annually. This is in spite of the fact that logs from many Oregon clearcuts are being shipped overseas, also depriving Oregon workers of mill jobs. Finally, Jason talks about efforts to reform the OFPA, and how you can stay informed. These web sites will help: http://www.clearcutoregon.com/