My picture is not going to do justice but as my friend, Sarah, and I were walking along the White Chuck Bench Trail outside Darrington, Washington, this last Sunday she stopped and gazed up admiring this mammoth beauty.
I have to admit that I had not noticed this giant of a Douglas fir at first, whether I was gazing down at my feet so as to not trip or because we were on our way out. Either way, its grandeur was worth a few minutes of admiration. Nothing makes you feel more small than to stand next to something that has weathered the years and resisted the elements enough to tower above you as a regal example of perseverance.
This was my third time on this meandering trail as it follows the White Chuck River that flows into the mighty Sauk River in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and territories of Sduhubš (Snohomish), Sdukʷalbixʷ (Snoqualmie), Sqaǰətabš (Skagit) , saʔqʷəbixʷ-suyaƛ̕ʔbixʷ (Suiattle), and Stuləgʷábš (Stillaguamish) peoples.
This viewpoint was spongy and soft as we approached and we quickly stepped back as it was clear the bench is being eroded and the surface was undercut.
As I wrote on We Are Not Broken, we have so much to learn from nature. We are nature and nature is us, as humans we will not continue as a species if we don’t acknowledge and appreciate that relationship.*
The current Republican administration has made announcements about increased logging in our forests in efforts to decrease timber imports and the United States’ dependence on other countries (AKA deforest our public lands and isolate us). It is important to pay attention to what is happening and contact your local representatives if saving our forests from exploitation is important to you.
I do not purpose to have all the answers about what is the best way to manage our country’s forests but I do know that any motivation by the current administration is FINANCIAL and not based on any desire to preserve our forests for future generations to recreate in. They are not based on any respect for our human connections to nature as part of our global ecosystem. They are not based on how the loss of forests increases the effects of climate change. The list goes on and on.
It is ALL about consumption.
Anything that has the goal to “fast track” devastation of our forests (with little regard for impacts) is not in our country’s best interest.
- “Fact Sheet”: President Donald J. Trump Rapidly Expands Timber Production
- ANALYSIS: Trump Executive Order Puts Logging Above All Else
- Trump wants to use the ‘God Squad’ to increase logging, but it must follow strict rules
- Trump’s Executive Order on Forests ‘A Devastating Blow,’ Activists Say
- Trump orders massive forest clearings to curb US reliance on foreign timber
- Yes, Trump signed executive order to fast-track logging on federal land
- Center For Responsible Forestry
- 5 Calls
These are the only cut trees I want to see on our public lands.
*I know I have mentioned this book before but Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer is essential reading in understanding how we move forward through the climate changes our planet is experiencing by fostering a healthy relationship with nature and ourselves. The Serviceberry by the same author is another.
You can learn more about the White Chuck Bench Trail here. Past posts about saving our local lands: Saving Lake Serene and Save Blanchard Mountain. Advocacy is always needed!
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