Reason number six of twenty-three (or whatever) to vote against Ron Saxton

Let's see.  Saxton is anti-government, he's anti-tax, he's anti-public employee, he's anti-public education (don't be fooled by his stint on the Portland Public School Board), and he's something of a hypocrite (immigration, maybe school choice.)   That makes five. 

Number six?  He's anti-environment!  Specifically forests, which he says exist only --OK, "primarily"-- to provide revenue to cash-strapped counties.  Those counties, like Tillamook County, wouldn't be so strapped for cash, by the way, were it not for Measure 5, the big kahuna of anti-tax initiatives which has wreaked havoc on schools especially, and local governments. 

The other culprit in the impoverishment of heavily forested counties is the timber industry itself, which has a rich history of "overcut and run", especially on public lands.  They like to blame it on the spotted owl, but the truth is, commercial loggers have never actually practiced anything close to "sustainable" forestry.    If that were true, we'd surely have national forests in the Northwest consisting of more than 10% old growth trees.  The missing 90% fell to the greed and gluttony of Big Timber. 

Big Timber is supporting Ron Saxton.  If he's elected, Saxton would likely replace "four of the seven members of the Board of Forestry", whose terms are expiring, with timber industry cronies.  Then listen to those chainsaws roar.  Timberrrrr!

The problem with Saxton's stance is it undermines the notion of multiple use, which itself is an oxymoron.  You know the old joke --multiple use is using tree stumps for picnic tables.  That's why in the last election I voted for the 50-50 initiative (it failed), dedicating half the Clatsop and Tillamook Forests to logging and half to what would eventually become old growth.  More importantly, it would have protected absolutely the endangered Coho salmon riparian habitat.

I'm convinced that Ron Saxton doesn't understand that.  Nor does he understand that a tree farm or plantation is not an ecosystem.  Only natural forests deserve that designation.  Therefore it makes no sense to talk about "sound management" of forests as if that were enough to protect habitat and the wildlife dependent on it.

Fishing guide Bob Rees has the right take on whether more logging is necessary.  He says the Tillamook Bay salmon "fishery is an economic powerhouse":

"But the waters now often are too warm for the fish, a problem Rees blames on cutting. Aggressive logging can remove shade from streams and take away the logs that might someday slide into rivers to provide refuge for fish, he says.

" 'They're not giving the forest enough of a chance to grow the large wood,' he says."

 

Comments

[DarePDX]

You left out anti-God, anti-apple pie, and a hater of Seseame Street stuffed animals.

Come on Terry. This isn't that black and white. I firmly believe that a little more critical examination of how our state operates would go a long way to improve our state. This is really what you dislike, the fact that he might hold budgets accountable to results. Which coincidentally is what voters have consistently asked for.

Not being a huge fan of Saxton I can't see Kulongoski offering anything other than inaction as a reason to vote for him. Ted having proven that he at least is incapable of doing harm (let alone good) as governor.