Groups seek to halt clearcut timber sale near Eugene

Thursday Dec. 17 at 10 am, a patch of forest outside of Eugene goes to auction. That patch of forest, called the John's Last Stand timber sale by the Bureau of Land Management, is near the Willamette National Forest Hiking Trail and the Hardesty Mountain unroaded area.

Preserving the Hardesty wildlands complex, a little over 20 miles southwest of Eugene, has been a campaign of the Many Rivers Group Sierra Club for several years, and Many Rivers Group is protesting the sale along with Cascadia Wildlands and Oregon Wild.

According to the BLM's sale proposal, John's Last Stand is being sold as a "regeneration harvest." Oregon Wild says the proposal calls for leaving only six to eight trees an acre — essentially a clearcut.

Oregon Wild says the forest is 116 years old and the clearcutting will be "just a stone's throw" from a hiking trail and in a roadless area close to Eugene. The Many Rivers Group says in its campaign to preserver Hardesty as a wild area that, "on the Umpqua side of the Hardesty divide is the headwaters for Cottage Grove's drinking water supply.

In their Dec. 3 protest letter to the Eugene BLM, the three groups write, "A large amount of clearcutting has occurred on private lands in this area in recent years. BLM should no add to the cumulative effects by conducing more regen, harvest which may have significant effects on water quality, wildlife habitat, and scenic values."

The groups have asked members of Oregon's congressional delegation, including Rep. Peter DeFazio, to halt the sale.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!