thedougsite
Loggin Up
Swift Creek
Logging Devastation
September, 2010. After way too long a time, I dug the old '86 Honda
dirt bike out, gave her a good going-over and she fired up. Needed
somewhere to try a ride so I loaded up and took her up to Swift Creek
where a 2-month logging venture devastated the pristine forest right up
above Warren's place. In this economy, the value of the logs barely
covers the cost of cutting, yet cut they did. The mess left behind is
enough to bring tears to my eyes. Trees that are worth far more to the
economy and to the world as standing, oxygen producing, atmosphere
scrubbing live beauties are sacrificed for a few weeks of work for a
handful of people.
This first shot shows the edge of the clear cut where you can see the
mossy, parklike forest floor, clean and peaceful, open and healthy.
Here's whats left after the loggers are finished. A moonscape of
scarred ground and rock covered with debris. The amount of waste is
staggering, the amount of destruction is staggering.
The dead brown of left behind by the loggers in contrast to the vibrant
green of the untouched hillside. There is my bike and Warren's bike on
the logging road.
Warren and a chunk of tree trunk left behind. The bio-mas left to rot
would supply a pulp mill for who knows how long.
This had been a beautiful mountain side slope where Warren used to pic
Pine Mushrooms. Now it will be weeds and mud for years to come.
The new logging roads needed to access the trees gouged into the
mountainsides. The only 'silver lining' is that it opens up the
scenery, creating viewing point that over look the Tantalus.
One last look at the contrast between high peaks with their snowfields,
green standing trees and devastation. Its called 'progress' !!
