Op-ed

_____The Redwood Forest provides moist land for any different organisms and trees such as the Western Red Cedar Tree. The forest is being cut down by Mendocino Redwood Company and is critically endangered. The company uses the technique called clear-cutting is when all of the trees in an area are cut down. Since the 1980's Pacific Lumber, known as Mendocino Redwood Company now has cut down over 200,000 acres of the Redwood Forest. The problem is the company cuts down more trees before the forest has time to grow. It has been proven by Professor Richard Harlow, David H. VanLear and Wildlife Biologist Robert Downing of Clemson University that clear-cutting can be beneficial to animals and the forest.
_____Through study and examination, clear cutting can enhance the availability of food, protection and nesting for a number of species such and birds. There are also negative side effects for semi-aquatic animals such as amphibians due to warmer temperatures and inhospitable habitats which can lead to reduced populations and reproduction. “Any forestry practice can be misused and abused. Clear cutting is no exception. If properly done, clear cutting is a beneficial management option” (Downing, Harlow, VanLear).
_____In 1994, Representative Dan Hamburg introduced a bill to congress to provide protection for the Redwood Forest including lands in the National Wilderness Preservation System. The bill passed through the House of Representatives and was referred to the Senate's Subcommittee of Public Lands, National Parks. The bill wasn't reintroduced to Senate, so the issue remained unsolved. The problem with the bill is still unknown.
_____If logging companies can’t be prohibited from cutting down the forest, a possible solution is to create or add to the logging company’s policy to have restrictions on the way they cut down the forest. These restrictions include time periods when companies can cut down the forest and logging companies should try reduced-impact logging. Companies can see if the technique is beneficial to business and apply the techniques when they cut trees. The number of trees should be recorded and the area cleared should be measured at every cutting session to show the progress of the company. The time periods between cuttings should be long enough for at least half of the area clear-cutted before to be regrown. This proposal will combine many situations that are already being applied to benefit logging forest overall. In due time the effect will be evident and the management of the forest will be improved.
_____Reduced-impact logging is currently being applied in the Amazon Forest. This method is supposed to shrink the percentage of carbon dioxide emissions caused by lumbering. The companies only cut 1 to 20 acres at one time due to the limited source of tree species. This is an improvement from current management because their progress is being recorded and can help limit their cutting and because only a certain amount of trees are being cut down at a time. They are also trying to prevent 50% of collateral damage. The companies are trying to be more careful about where the trees fall. Sometimes the trees pull down or knock down trees that are in the way of its fall.
_____Timber Industry Investors and Conservation Interests are trying to get the coalition's proposal approved. The proposal will permanently keep 197,000 acre of the Redwood Forest in sustainable timber management, providing protection for old-growth and significant habitats. "Our proposal of a permanent working forest means permanent work for the community," said John Tomlin, member of Conservation Forestry. "The local mill operations are critical to a viable, permanent working forest" (Lovelace). This is the right step towards managing the logging companies. This idea is unique because it allows companies to cut down some of the Redwood Forest, while still having have restrictions. It was allows the Humboldt community to have a say in the decisions made about the forest.
_____The Redwood Forest is a resource that should be treated with respect because it’s a National Park that people enjoy seeing everyday and has provided timber for many years. The forest is a home to many species such as the Pacific Giant Salamander and the sequoia trees. It would be a great loss to California if all of the Redwood Forest was cut down. We need to conserve the forest so it will be here for years to come.