The Pacific Northwest (PNW), sometimes referred to as Cascadia, is a geographic region in western North America bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and (loosely) by the Rocky Mountains on the east. States commonly recognized for having forests in the Pacific Northwest are Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. The forests of the Pacific Northwest are among the last remaining old-growth forests in North America. They are home to many species, including the Northern Spotted Owls. Logging and timber companies are currently cutting down these forests for goods such as paper, fuel and shelter. Many people play a role in either endangering one of the last primary habitats of these animals or helping them secure their habitat for the future. I propose the management scheme of the complete preservation of these forests. This would mean all logging and timber practices would discontinue immediately and allow the forests to come back to their former glory and allow many animals (including the Northern Spotted Owl) to secure their habitat once again.
Complete preservation of the Pacific Northwest Forests is the best management route for the animals and species living in the forest, the cities and the communities surrounding the forests. Preservation of the Pacific Northwest Forests provide many environmental benefits, economic benefits to the surrounding cities and the states in which the forests are in, and the Pacific Northwest Forests provide services beyond timber and lumber.
Preservation of the Pacific Northwest Forests plays an integral role in the water cycle and the handling of water in all forms. The Pacific Northwest Forests help with controlled runoff and reduces flood risk. Runoff is water, from rain, snowmelt, or other sources, that flows over the land surface. Studies near Puget Sound, Oregon show that, in natural forests, less than one percent of rainfall becomes surface runoff. In contrast, in urban areas, 84 percent of the rainfall becomes surface runoff (Beyerlein, D. and J. Brascher. 1998). This shows that in areas where logging and the timber industry has taken a toll on the forests, there is a dramatic increase in the percentage of rainfall to runoff ratio than in areas of natural forests. Surface runoff often occurs because impervious areas (such as roofs and pavement) do not allow water to soak into the ground. In forested areas, a large portion of rainfall in forest watersheds is absorbed into soils through infiltration, is stored as groundwater, and is then slowly discharged into streams through seeps and springs. Flooding is less significant in these more natural conditions because the runoff during a storm is absorbed into the ground, which lessens the amount of runoff into a stream during the storm. “Old-growth forests diminish the peak flows of streams following storms by 33 – 50 percent, relative to logged forests” (Jones, J.A. and G.E. Grant. 2001). This shows that surface runoff is a major component of the water cycle. Transpiration also plays a big part in the water cycle and the process of transpiration. Transpiration is the discharge of water vapor from the leaves of plants into the atmosphere. It is a process that the eye cannot see, even though the amounts of water involved are significant. During the summer, when evapotranspiration in the Pacific Northwest Forests exceeds precipitation, water resource demands are augmented by seasonal snowmelt and stored supplies (Link and Marks, 1999; Marks et al., 1998). This shows us that the Pacific Northwest Forests account for a majority of the region's precipitation during the summer. When industires cut down these trees, transpiration cannot occur and there is less water being released into the atmosphere. Droughts are more likely to then occur, which can be very detrimental to farm and agricultural lands.
The preservation of the Pacific Northwest Forests can help secure the economy of the surrounding communities. A 1988 study of the Siuslaw National Forest found that logging on 87,000 acres would increase sediment in streams, which would increase by $770,000-the costs local government would incur during the period to remove the sediment from municipal water supplies and roadside drainage ditches (Loomis, J. 1988). This shows that the logging and the removal of the trees in the Pacific Northwest Forests have negatively affected the quality of the water in the communities surrounding the forests and that the local governments had to pay additional money to clean the water for people to use.
By preserving the Pacific Northwest Forests, you can utilize the environmental services provided by the forests. For example, managing such a watershed tributary in Tillamook Bay produces an annual salmon population which is at historical levels and would generate annual benefits of $26.2 million – $52.4 million. The value of the salmon produced in coastal watersheds not damaged by logging may be as high as $4,500 per stream mile per year (Radtke, H.D. and S.W. Davis. 1997). This shows us that when watersheds are not damaged by logging, the salmon population thrives and that allows us to use the salmon to produce a greater profit for the state and cities surrounding the forest without damaging the forest and displacing many species in the Pacific Northwest Forest.
Also, many cities and industries in the region of the PNW obtain and use the waters from the rivers in the watersheds of the forests. The waters in these forested and minimally disturbed watersheds are sufficiently clean and they require minimal treatment before being distributed to consumers. A study of the North Santiam River, which proves water for the City of Salem, Oregon, found the savings for consumers were $18 – 34 per capita per year, and the water supply naturally meets the high-quality standards of silicon-chip manufacturing (Hulse, D., G. Grant, E. Niemi, A. Branscomb, D. Diethelm, R. Ulrich, and E. Whitelaw. 2002). This shows that water from these watersheds was naturally very clean and the city did not need to spend many additional costs to clean the water. If this is to be implemented in every city surrounding the Pacific Northwest region, the watersheds need to be forested and undisturbed and that can only be implemented by the halt of all timber and tree cutting process in the forests. Using the money saved by these watersheds, cities can invest and create programs to create more jobs to replace the loss of the jobs from the logging companies and to protect endangered species in the forest (such as the Spotted Owl).
Lastly, the forests of the Pacific Northwest have many other economic and environmental services other than logging and timber. Studies from throughout the western U.S. indicate that the value of unordered areas with the characteristics of wilderness increases the value of recreational activities by nearly $42 (dollars of 1999) per person per day. Many Americans place a value on protecting areas with the characteristics of wilderness, even though they will not visit or otherwise interact with them. This value, which economists call the nonuse value of wilderness, is about $6.72 per acre (Loomis, J. and R. Richardson. 2000). This shows us that even if people do not personally interact with the forest itself, people will care more about protecting it if it has the characteristics of the wilderness. Logging and cutting down the trees removes the main characteristics of the wilderness, leaving many Americans unable to place as much value on the forest. Also, the forests provide an aesthetic service of bringing more people to take part in recreational activities. The human attraction for biophilia allows other recreational businesses to thrive and create a greater profit. This increase in profit from recreational activity businesses can offset the economic costs of losing the logging industry. Forests produce many commercially valuable products other than timber, including mushroom, floral greens, medicinal plants, and edible plants and wildlife species. The total market value of these non-timber products harvested in the Pacific Northwest amounted to about $300 million in 1992 (Krieger, D. J. 2001). This shows us that logging and timber are not needed to provide a large profit for the states and the economy of the states. It shows us that we can move away from logging and still have thriving economies in the surrounding areas. Lastly, research in 1990 found that the recreational value of additional hiking trails in the old-growth forests of the region was $1,254 per mile (Englin, J. and R. Mendelsohn. 1991). Biophilia and ecotourism can make up for the losses incurred by the removal of the logging industries and are less harmful to the environment and the animals that interact with them.
As laid out in the preceding paragraphs, complete preservation of the Pacific Northwest Forests is the most effective management route for the needs of the animals and species living in the forest and the communities surrounding the forests. The forests of the Pacific Northwest are an essential part of the water cycle, the benefits of not logging the forests outway the costs for the surrounding cities economy, and lastly using the forests other aesthetic and biophilic services, we can shift away from logging and continue to economically thrive. With complete preservation, we can preserve one of the last old-growth forests in the United States and protect the homes of many small species. Many can play a role in either endangering one of the last primary habitats of these species or helping them secure a habitat for the future.
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