It is important to protect our forests for many reasons:

1) Water catchments: Healthy standing groves of trees capture water during the winter and help prevent floods. They also release water slowly throughout the summer and can help protect against drought.

2) Fisheries protection: Forests hold back the soils that would otherwise pollute streams and rivers and damage our important fish habitat.

3) Recreation opportunities: Old growth forests bring tourists who bring valuable tourist dollars to communities on a daily basis. 

4) Habitat and Hunting: Old growth forests provide habitat for animals that are necessary for a healthy ecosystem. This system supports the animals that people seek out for sport or recreation.

BLM has never proven they can cut a forest in as sustainable way. If the had cut the first 96% of old growth down in a sustainable fashion, people would have jobs now and wouldn’t need to cut the last 4% down… would they? If you allow the last stand of old growth to be cut, in a few years, we will be in worse shape. The job will be gone again, and our last forests along with them. In the end we will be losing our tourist dollars and our timber dollars. We will also be putting off the need to develop alternative economies other than timber. If you allow deforestation to occur, I guarantee it will end in disaster for Lane County. BLM will be held responsible.

Best regards,
 
Eric Johnson
Lane County Citizen