Timber!?

Not far, geographically, from the only rain forest in the contiguous United States the forests are dying. Through a combination of bugs, wind, drought and fire, trees are dying. The old-growth trees are being logged despite the fact that “To moderate the effects of climate change, foresters need to retain the largest trees, and recruit more by letting forests grow, scientists have found.” (Seattle Times, “Scientists say the last of British Columbia’s old-growth trees will soon be gone, if policies don’t change“)

Throughout the ports on the Puget Sound there are piles of lumber ready to be shipped to China. It doesn’t matter if the foresting companies claim that the trees chopped down are replanted – they’re not, by definition, old-growth. I know we all like to build fences, houses, and furniture with lovely wood products. To mitigate the effects of climate change, something has to change. Stop the flow of timber before it’s too late.