Tillamook

Logging debate

"Above the Little South Fork, the slide tore a giant chute starting at the top of a ridge....As much as 800 cubic yards of debris poured into the stream, burying the gravel nests of chinook salmon and darkening the water to a chocolate color for the first few days. "

"Oregon Department of Forestry officials on Thursday said the hillside collapse was too large and too deep too have been caused by the timber cutting. Conservation and activist groups, however, cited the slide as further evidence that state logging rules fail to provide adequate protection. "

Guess what, the new rules on steep hillside logging went into effect after the 1996 deluge. This section of the Tillamook was logged in 1997. Since then, we've had multiple dry years, and this year's been a wet one again. Nah, it couldn't be that the rules are STILL TOO LAX? But then there's this:

"Restrictions to protect habitat are less stringent."

hmmh

"Long-term, Plawman said, the slide has added elements to the stream that are good for salmon. Large boulders and uprooted trees create deep pools where salmon can escape the heat of summer and hide from predators."

true, but it's really only a matter of time before the timber industry comes in and "salvages" those very same beneficial logs:

"Before attempting to clear debris, forestry officials said they will await the advice of Fish and Wildlife Department biologists."

Oh, the ones who were supposed to be outsourced to private corporations?