Sewing Machines to HB 3072

I know what you are thinking right now, “What do sewing machines have to do Oregon’s House Bill 3072?” Well, maybe more than you --and even until yesterday-- I had thought.

A few weeks ago the Multnomah County Chapter of OLCV held several showings of the movie “The Lord God Bird”, a documentary about the extinction and possible reappearance of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker.. The film was fantastic and I recommend seeing it if you can, but for me the movie was about more than just the history and tragic loss of one of America’s most majestic birds. “The Lord God Bird” gave tremendous insight into how forests have been abused and why it matters today.

By the 1930’s, it was already clear that the Ivory Billed Woodpecker was one of America’s most threatened species in the United States.  One of the prime habitats for the bird, an area where many of the last sightings took place, was known as the Springer Tract, an area of southern forest named that because it was owned by the Springer Sewing Machine Company. As the national demand for timber grew, the Springer Company sold this land to the Chicago Mill Company, who planned to clear cut the land and sell the timber.
The Audubon Society tried desperately to get the company to refrain cutting one of the last known habitats of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, going as far as the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt. But even Roosevelt’s attempts failed and all involved were given the same bottom line: You may care about some bird, but we care about money. 

Nearly 80 years later the Oregon legislature is considering a bill that threatens vital habitat and balanced forest management in Oregon.  HB 3072 changes how our state forests are managed by redefining what the “greatest permanent value” of our forests are. Current law defines that as “healthy, productive, and sustainable forest ecosystems that over time and across the landscape provide a full range of social, economic, and environmental benefits to the people of Oregon.” This balance helped protect critical habitat for a variety of species, support recreation for all of Oregon’s citizens, support strong functioning watersheds, and secure a forest industry for years to come. HB 3072 will change all this by requiring our forests simply be “managed primarily for timber production.” HB 3072 is a direct threat to Salmon and bird habitat, hikers and campers, sportsmen, clean water, and the long term economic viability of Oregon.

After seeing “The Lord God Bird” and seeing HB 3072 I can’t help but wonder if we are just fighting the same fight we did throughout the last century. Are we putting the short-term economic gains of the forest industry over the long-term benefits strong, healthy, and sustainable forests can provide every Oregonian? Will we one day be like those searching in Southern Forests for something that we thought we had lost, but might have found in the Clatsop, Tillamook, or Santiam Forests?

Perhaps it’s time we put these questions to rest. Perhaps it’s time to prioritize a clear plan for our forests that secures them for decades to come. Perhaps the 2010 election will give us that opportunity when we elect a new governor. Get involved today and help make sure our forests finally have an answer that protects all the benefits they provide to us and Oregon’s wildlife.