Letter: Near and dear

Published 12:15 am Tuesday, July 9, 2024

I’m not sure how to begin this letter, talking about something so near and dear to my heart. So, I’ll just begin.

I’m writing about a forest. To be specific, it’s the legacy forest that partners the property on which our house was built 125 years ago, from old-growth trees of the original old-growth forest of this land. This is the area known as Davis Ridge, which is slated to be clearcut through the Oregon Department of Forestry.

So, I want to tell you about my relationship with this land — not only the trees, but also all the creatures that live within this unusual place. I consider this forest to be a part of my family. I’ve spent countless hours finding (re)connection and refuge amongst these trees. I’ve brought my children and grandchildren into this wild area.

I’ve sat in amazement with my grandson, fully engulfed within the stump of an old-growth cedar, wondering what this land looked like hundreds of years ago. We visit sacred spots like the “Bee Tree,” an old cedar that has hosted bees for as long as we’ve been here, and “Owl Ridge,” upon which you can hear the great horned and saw-whet owls call to one another on cold winter nights.

Lastly, these woods have saved my life, finding solace through a particularly dark depression I experienced during the pandemic. Now, I sit and wonder if this magical place will be altered unrecognizable … for the remainder of my life.

RY MOORE

Brownsmead