We — concerned college students with the University of Oregon’s Climate Justice League — oppose the use of aggressive logging, or “regeneration harvest,” in the proposed Thurston Hills “Pedal Power” timber sale. The Thurston Hills Natural Area is a beloved park that provides invaluable access to nature for many Springfield and Eugene residents and University of Oregon students.
Willamalane Park and Recreation District has spent more than $100,000 in taxpayer dollars on restoration work and building a 15-mile network of trails throughout the park. This sale would leave miles of new biking trails within clearcuts, undermining the city’s efforts to bring recreation opportunities to the community, wasting tax revenue and the almost 2,000 hours of volunteer labor provided by a wide variety of community members.
Additionally, clearcutting this area would expose local residents to increased risk of wildfire. Recent peer-reviewed studies have shown that clearcuts, and the timber plantations they create, are extremely susceptible to wildfire and burn at higher severity than older, more diverse forests.
Considering the increasingly severe wildfire seasons that we have been experiencing across Oregon, it is unacceptable to make our communities even more vulnerable to wildfire than they are already. We have seen these kinds of clearcuts in Shotgun Creek Park and across Oregon, and we understand what an ugly wildfire hazard they will bring to our community.
Will we stand up to the timber industry? Join us for a Town Hall Discussion at Springfield City Hall 6-8 pm Thursday, April 18.
Brendan Adamczyk
Eugene
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!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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