The Climate Justice League has focused its forest defense campaign this year on getting Windy Peak, an ecologically diverse plot of forest that includes old growth and keystone species, from being included in the N126 timber sale. CJL strongly believes that establishing a land ethic with the areas we are working to save, should be the basis of all work we do. We led a trip to Windy Peak on January 26th utilizing the Outdoor Program’s trip initiator program to show twentyfour UO students an incredible old growth forest that is under threat. After that trip individuals wrote comments that were sent to the BLM. A week later the BLM dropped Windy Peak from the N126 sale. Here are some excerpts of the comments sent:
“As young advocates who care about our futures and the environment, we will not stand idly by as nearly 22,000 acres of precious forest is ripped apart.”
“The forest is teeming with biodiversity and hiking off-trail feels like I’m walking on the flesh of Mother Earth.”
“Once arriving at the trailhead, it was immediately clear that we were in an old-growth stand, with large hemlocks and Douglas-firs surrounding us. Old snags with giant conk mushrooms were all around, and the undergrowth was a lush mix of salal, huckleberry, sword ferns and young trees.”
“The sale would negatively affect the communities nearby, when trees are absent there is an increase of runoff and soil erosion. The forests are not ours to sell, as the majority of North America has been stolen from Indigenous people. I want there to be forests remaining for future generations, and I hope you do as well.”
“The proposed clear cut of the area of forest known as “Windy Peak” is not only a gross moral injustice but as well as an environmental transgression of the highest caliber. As global temperatures continue to rise further and further beyond habitable levels, any actions that remove thousands of acres of carbon sequestering forest in the name of greed can only be construed as a crime against humanity, much less the earth itself.”
Visit these threatened places. Have your voice be heard. It matters and it works.
