Montana Healthy Forest Logging Project

ildWest Institute's Matthew Koehler gives a field introduction to the Middle East Fork Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project during a January 2005 monitoring trip to the project area. As part of this "Healthy Forests Restoration Act" project the Forest Service is proposing industrial logging of old-growth Douglas-fir trees up to 4 feet in diameter. For more info, visit http://www.wildwestinstitute.org.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• forest
• health
• montana
• logging
• bitterroot
• wildwest

[MatthewKoehler]

Hello Mr. 65 CrewCab: The issue really isn't what your family did or didn't do back in the 1970s. The issue is logging old-growths forests that have never before been logged in order to make them "healthy." Also, it's kinda hard to take you up on your dare when you make your posts anonymously.

[MatthewKoehler]

Mr. 65CrewCab: So the three elk that I and my hunting buddies got up the East Fork of the Bitterroot to feed our families and our neighbors this past hunting season really don't exist? Hmmm...Most of the elk I've come across while hunting are living just fine in supposedly "unhealthy" forests complete with recent fire activity, blow-down, etc. How can that be? I'm just an "ignorant greenie" so please enlighten me with your knowledge.

[papacodes]

Your own video proves that the trees are unhealthy, most of the trees in the background of your video are dead or dying, it doesn't take a genius to see. And the woodpeckers that you are hearing are probably after all of the bugs that are killing the trees! And clear cuts! Give me a break, The only clearcuts that are happening on federal land in the bitteroot are the massive devastating ones by mother nature, ie. burns.

[65crewcabpw]

Further, let me tell you right up front, that I can take you to where my family logged, and I DARE you to be able to find even the faintest SHRED of evidence it happened back in the late 70's. Instead, these areas ARE the most healthy compared to the surroundings that were not. You know, just because some of us might have just grown up packing chainsaws, doesn't mean we're clueless.

[rephaim22]

I live in Oregon, and over the past 2 centuries all of our old growth has been logged, except a couple percent. The Northwest once sported Douglas fir, up to 400 feet high, and 20 feet in diameter. Unfortunately, these were not protected like the Redwoods of California were, and they exist in our memory, and perhaps a few scattered reports and photos from the turn of the century.

[rephaim22]

65crewcabpw, you are wrong. Trees that have been standing for centuries are all too suddenly deemed "unhealthy" and clear-cut with the snap of a finger. This is what drives off the animals, and no way protects them.

[65crewcabpw]

Your comments "We're finding...blah blah". "We've seen trees 4 feet in diameter". Maybe you should also mention you found blades of grass and broken twigs, too. Maybe we need a preservation program for them as well? Maybe we should just close western Montana, northern Idaho, eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon to human presence? Would that mollify you?

[65crewcabpw]

You're FINDING this crap? Bud, I LIVED in it. This logging HAS to go on, or else all that "game" and "wildlife" you pretend to "love" will DIE in an inferno. Been there, lived there, know it first hand. Geez, I hate ignorant greenies. They know absolutely nothing but think they should be in control of stuff.