I’m often asked to define
the term “multiple use”. In this calendar, I’ve
tried to define it as I see it through the lens of my
camera. Each scene was photographed within sight of a
road because I believe roads, which give access to forests,
are what make multiple use possible.
In looking for a concise statement which I believe tells
the story of multiple use, I have turned to a piece titled,
“We can Have It All”, which appeared in the
December, 1989 issue of Evergreen. In this short excerpt
from that article, it’s author, Jim Petersen, and
his good friend Rod Greene, explain what multiple use
means to me.
Hopefully, these photographs, from our great Northwest,
say the same thing: We can have it all.
Rod is one of the most
disarming people I have ever met. When he talks about
forestry, people listen. In his frequent presentations
to forestry neophytes, like me, he summarizes his 25 years
in forestry in a single powerful statement:
“We can have it all,” he says
quietly. “All we have to do is work at it.”
Recently, I asked Rod if he could explain
this statement to me in broader terms. A couple of nights
later, he left this recorded message on my telephone answering
machine.
“Every day, I am reminded of the wonder
of nature’s forest.
“I see it on ridgetops at first light,
where the forest silhouettes itself against the red dawn.
I see it in fog-shrouded valleys, surrounded by islands
of green timberland.
“I find it in the majesty of elk herds,
the wonder of spotted fawns, the glory of eagles and the
mystery of salmon, pushing upriver to perform the last
rites of their lives.
“It is the opportunity to raft a river
in the hot August sun, or fish for steelhead in the numbing
silence of winter dawn, or walk through the deep green
solitude of days end.
“It is the knowledge that our deer
and elk herds are increasing in their number as a result
of timber management.
“It is the promise of salmon and steelhead
returning to our rivers in record numbers because we are
doing a good job of protecting our watersheds from natural
disaster as well as the undesirable impacts of logging.
“It is certainly that the 100 million
trees we planted this year in Oregon’s forests will
benefit generations of Americans yet unborn.
“And it is the certainty that the trees
we are harvesting now are benefitting millions of families
who would not have wood and paper products were it not
for the present-day science of forestry and the skill
our industry’s workers bring to their jobs as loggers,
truckers, millworkers, foresters, computer operators,
engineers and office personnel.
“Sometimes I wonder about the young
people in our rural communities. Will the timber dollars
that flow into our school system mean that, someday, one
of our students will discover a cure for cancer, or for
hunger, or war.
“Nothing is more important or more
sacred to me than the love of my family. Most of my memories
of our family, and our kids growing up, are memories of
time spent in our forests camping, hiking, fishing, hunting
and picnicking. We are as much at home in the forests
of southwest Oregon as we are in our own home.
“Because the forest is my home, I am
pledged to do everything I can, personally and professionally,
to protect our forests from natural disaster, and to increase
their bounty using the tools science provides.
“The process of renewal, of new life,
is never ending in our forests. It is God’s gift
of shelter for mankind, and his promise of life everlasting.
“Caring for our forests is a sacred
trust that I do not take lightly. I like to think of myself
as a professional environmentalist. My years as a forester
have taught me that when we respect nature, when we work
with her and learn from her, we really can have it all.”
“I hope I’ve answered your question.
See you soon.”
The recording machine fell silent.
Yes Rod, you have answered my question.
-Jim Petersen (Evergreen)
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