What's Up, Hoh?

I have just returned from the forest moon of Endor my friends. Not the friendly home of the Ewoks, but the Endor that might have been if the Empire had been successful in it’s mission to colonize the entire Universe. (I have to pause to catch my breath as our shuttle nearly hit a black beast. The beast turned out to be a big black cow, so lets get out of here.)

As we drove into Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park, Highway 101 was lined with re-growth forests. These are feeble attempts that the logging industry makes to justify its clear-cutting deforestation methods. An overly proud sign along the road told us that the last harvest had been in 1984 and replaced with seedlings. Today, these trees stand not too much taller than I do, shadows of the giants they “replace.” They won’t be able to grow to their full potential until well after I am gone, but when is the next harvest planned for? 2036. Oh, how noble of you Pacific Coast Lumber, letting these majestic plants grow to adolescence only to cut them down for your own profit. And what do they do with the slash that is left behind? Burn it, releasing even more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.


Ironically, this is happening directly across the highway from a massive National Park. I applaud Teddy Roosevelt for establishing the Department of the Interior and the National Park system, but perhaps he didn’t go far enough. Sure, the Parks preserve some of the most beautiful natural parts of our country, but it also introduces humans into these delicate ecosystems. Furthermore, why do humans have the right to set aside this grove for preservation, while the adjacent forest can be abused? What about the millions of organisms that are snuffed out in the process? I’ve seen the other end of the logging industry and it sickens me to think that these plants are going to be mulched and then glued back together and coated with plastic. I would rather have all stainless steel cabinets in my house and brick siding and breathe a little easier.

So, I remind you to keep vigilant Rebels. We may have blown up the Death Star, but we can’t let the Empire win. The fires are still burning and the saws are still running.