Letter: Maybe I’m missing something?

Published 12:15 am Thursday, July 25, 2024

The actions of our Oregon Department of Forestry confuse me. Science is telling us that older forests and wetlands act to help our planet with the dangers of climate change. Active preservation of those areas are what Oregon can contribute to cleaning our air and preserving future options.

We are close to enacting a habitat conservation plan, which reinforces the values of protecting our wildlife and holding on to our older trees and vegetation, consistent with scientific research and the demands of dealing with climate change. At the same time, other state foresters are scheduling the harvesting of older forests near homes and the Columbia River in the Brownsmead area.

Are members of the department communicating with each other? Is the department acting to continue “harvesting” before the habitat conservation plan is officially adopted, thinking we won’t notice that they are undermining their own program? Maybe I’m missing something.

JAN MITCHELL

Astoria