Despite what the timber industry would have you believe, logging won’t save us from the climate-driven wildfires burning across the West. Besides the fact that the timber industry is the No. 1 source of emissions in the state, studies have also shown that clearcuts and monocrop tree farms actually burn more severely than native forests, putting surrounding communities at greater risk from wildfire.
Even in the face of the devastation that has leveled entire towns across the state and the evidence that shows it was exacerbated by contemporary logging practices, Big Timber is pushing to ramp up logging on public lands.
Just a few miles away from Eugene, neighborhoods in the Thurston Hills were evacuated due to the threat of the Holiday Farm Fire, yet Seneca Jones and the Bureau of Land Management are still actively advocating to clearcut the area despite the BLM’s own scientists showing that logging would increase fire hazards to local residents.
It is time that we hold these corporations accountable for the destruction they have wrought on our communities and our climate and stop them from putting any more towns at risk. If we are to survive climate change and the increase in wildfire that it will bring, we must protect our native forests, not sell them off to the corporations responsible for these disasters.
Madeline Cowen
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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