Cup of Blooming Constellations

This marvelous mosaic of a Redwood adds much to my already hefty reverence of nature. So sad that only a minuscule amount of these awesome organisms exist compared to the forests of just a century ago. Bursts of progress within our country’s history, a splinter compared to these 2,000 year old titans, has sent logging corporations’ machinery full throttle into old growth forests.

Their approach was one of meeting the demand at any cost. Down, out, and milled pronto. This was the dominating method for harvesting this “golden wood” for decades. But these techniques only addressed the immediate goals. The land was harvested with no thought given to the consequences of clearcutting. Wiping thousands of years of accumulated diversity. True that this mimics some natural occurrences, such as wildfires. But tree species found in these forests are almost impervious to these disturbances. Bouncing back with rapid growth from an ostensibly chard tree. To carry out such deforestation and than to expect a return to the same state after this leveling would take another 2,500 years. Some aspects of these forests never to return again.

Older redwoods have an amazing ability to resist rot, and this does not develop till a tree nears 1,500 years. Younger trees’ wood quality is inferior to that of old growth, without the rot resisting heartwood and being much softer. But often areas that were clearcut 50 to 60 years before, again were subjected to cut it all harvesting. Such slash and burn ways toward short term goals led to poor results. Devastating in the long run.

This behavior could not even be a bit sustainable. And now these days we see a revamping of the industry, a change of focus. Machines that would rip the ground open, leaving soil to be taken by erosion, have been abandoned for low impact equipment. Removal of trees in a way that promotes the overall health of the forest. A study of how a forest maintains its capacity, and with us keeping that in mind while we work within it. Harvesting for sustainability rather then productivity. We must be more than just a reaper, but also the keeper of our wildwoods. Ecoforestry. Tell your friends.