Deforestation of the Pacific Northwest - 1216 Words

Deforestation of the Pacific Northwest One of the most controversial areas associated with the global problem of deforestation is the Pacific Northwest of the US. The problem can be broken down into several issues that all tie in together. These include the near extinction of the Northern Spotted Owl, the business aspect of logging versus the environmental aspect, and the role of the government in this problem. In 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed. This enabled the Dept. of Commerce and Dept. of the Interior to place species, either land or marine, as either threatened or endangered. Under these terms species could no longer be hunted, collected, injured or killed. The northern spotted owl falls under the more†¦show more content†¦Guest speaker Jerry Howe would fall into this category as a private land owner. As a land steward, he believes he can do what he wants with his land. The term steward is used to mean that no one can truly own the land, it can only be used or under the care of a person. He uses clear-cutting when it has the smallest effect on the environment, he also uses strip cutting in which the forest is cut in strips to provide a buffer zone and is more aesthetically pleasing. His methods are better for the forest due to conservative forestry practices that speed up the regeneration of the forest. This produces a more sustainable yield than clear-cutting alone. While neither of these techniques is good for the environment, using wise management practices can still produce a large profit while conserving precious ecosystems. For large companies, such as Pacific Lumber, to switch to using conservative forestry practices would take more than proposals by environmentalists and the Forest Service to help the environment to change their current ways. For these companies to switch, it would cost them money to follow the more sustainable approach while also decreasing their profit due to less tree cutting in the short-term. In my opinion, it is up to the government to set standards that force these companies to switch by making regulations more strict as well as a greater number of them if need be. The roleShow MoreRelatedEssay Deforestation of The Pacific Northwest1212 Words   |  5 Pages Deforestation of the Pacific Northwest One of the most controversial areas associated with the global problem of deforestation is the Pacific Northwest of the US. The problem can be broken down into several issues that all tie in together. These include the near extinction of the Northern Spotted Owl, the business aspect of logging versus the environmental aspect, and the role of the government in this problem. In 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed. This enabledRead MoreEvolution Of The Declining Salmon Populations1672 Words   |  7 Pagesto the impact overfishing has on the salon populations (Ruckelshaus et al., 2002, pp. 679). Every year, around 385,000 metric tons of Pacific salmon are caught by commercial fisherman and with weak stock conditions, the natural life cycle of these fish cannot keep up (Knapp, 2007). Hydropower refers to the dams that currently block many rivers in the Pacific Northwest that prevent salmon from reaching or returning from their native spawning grounds (Gore and Doerr, 2000, pp. 40-41). This means thatRead MoreWhat Effect Does Deforestation Have On The World?1553 Words   |  7 PagesWhat effect does deforestation have on the world? Many people believe that deforestation has a negative impact on the world because it stops carbon dioxide in take (how trees take carbon dioxide from air to purify the oxygen), causes soil erosion and destroys habitats for many species, however many do not as it supplies jobs for thousands of people, it helps environments in particular places and frees land for grazing animals and houses. Firstly, it allows thousands of people to have jobs to earnRead MoreEssay on The Effects of Deforestation in Ecuador1118 Words   |  5 Pagestechnological breakthroughs, there have been many positive ecological impacts, but the negative impacts are almost overwhelming. A Perfect example would be the deforestation of our rain forests. Ecuador is located on the equator in the tropical Andes of South America. Its territory includes four principal regions: the Amazon, the Andes, the Pacific Coast, and the Galapagos Islands; and is home to at least 14 indigenous nationalities. The eastern half of the country makes up part Earth’s largest and mostRead MoreNotes On The Great Lakes1765 Words   |  8 PagesMexico, Arizona, and western Texas 6) The Pacific Coast †¢ Inhibited by hunter-gatherers †¢ Before the Spanish arrived, more than 300000 people lived in California ÃŽ ¿ Divided into small local groups with at least a hundred of distinct languages (though these societies mostly remained independent and separate from other societies, similarity existed, which included hierarchy, gathering seeds, catching fish and shells, and hunting games) ÃŽ ¿ In the Pacific Northwest, people were also divided into groups withRead MoreEssay about Management of Old-growth Forests in the Pacific Northwest2800 Words   |  12 PagesManagement of Old-growth Forests in the Pacific Northwest When westward expansion brought settlers to the Northwest in the 1800s, they discovered that coniferous trees â€Å"forty feet in circumference [that] shot two-hundred feet straight up† flourished in the forests of the Pacific coast (Ervin 55). These early pioneers found the opportunity for economic growth in logging these vast forests of towering trees unlike any they had seen before. Today, the timber industry still remains the backboneRead MoreThe Endangered Species Act By President Richard Nixon1461 Words   |  6 Pagesnorthern spotted owl dwells in the forests of California, Oregon, and Washington. These luscious trees in their forest have also become a major source or timber for a multi-billion dollar logging industry. Due to the excessive amount of deforestation in the Pacific Northwest, there are only 2,000 pairs of northern spotted owls to this day. The logging companies are now interdicted to cut down any more than sixty percent of any land that is within a 1.3 mile radius of a nesting spotted owl (Andre VelasquezRead MoreIndustrialization of Hemp: An Alternative Resource 535 Words   |  2 Pagesand paper, while the scenes were used for protein rich food and feed(Parade 13). Industrial hemp was one of our ancestor’s most useful crops, but even though they use it all the time it was soon outlawed. In addition to providing a solution to deforestation industrial hemp can provide solutions to other environmental problems. The fight for more gasoline in the world around us continues. Industrial hemp me provide a solution in the future to that problem. Cannabis sativa, known as industrial hempRead MoreRenewable Energy Is Not The Answer978 Words   |  4 PagesHydroelectric dams are harmful to the habitats of many fish. For example, the Bonneville Power Administration has an expensive program of capturing fish and moving them around its Columbia River dams. Their goal is to recover and preserve the Pacific Northwest Salmon. This creates a huge cost to fisheries and causes many environmentalists to support â€Å"non-hydro renewables† (Langwith). Biofuels have been suggested as a means to supplement these sources of renewable energy. Nevertheless, there is notRead MoreFormula For Success : Rise Early, Work Hard, Strike Oil ( J. Paul Getty ) Essay1654 Words   |  7 Pagesentrepreneurs to sell canned air. In addition, Chyna’s pollution is causing a change in strength, frequency, temperature, and levels of contamination with the cyclones over the Pacific Ocean, spreading all the way to the Western United States. This process has led an increase of 7 percent overall precipitation over the Northwest Pacific. Concrete data result determined that this particular matter is producing a regional greenhouse effect, which is causing a climate change. Chyna is not all to blame; the