The Need for a New Conservation:

• Coastal Communities are experiencing water insecurity during the summer months.
• Protection of Forested Watersheds is vital to the preservation of local water supplies
• In order to accomplish this there needs to be collaborative action to create a new conservation focused on the health of human communities, along with the protection of habitat and species.

In the tall, misty forests of the Oregon Coast water drips from the ancient, moss covered trees. Though the mists mute the lush green landscape in an eerie haze, far off through the clouds you can hear the crash of ocean surf pounding on volcanic rock formed in a fiery explosion o’ some 50 million years ago. In the uplands of the dense coastal forests, on sunny afternoons the sweet smell of fern and fir fill the air and nourish the soul. In this rugged landscape of sublime beauty, the very earth beneath your boots feels old. Its these ancient forests that sparked the historic conflict between conservationists and the timber industry in the 1980s and 90s, often referred to as the timber wars. Due to their location and climate the forests of the Oregon Coast are some of the most productive in the world, at its peak producing 8.1 billion board feet a year. Timber production fueled the European settlement of the area in the late 1800s and over time built many of the towns that populate Highway 101 today.

The sounds of chainsaws in the valleys and hills today are far less frequent than 50 years ago. In the late 1980s conflict over timber harvesting practices on the Oregon coast garnered national attention. Conservationists and environmentalists were concerned at the rapid decrease in the old forests that used to dominate the region and even more concerned for the animal species that called these old trees home. A small species of owl called the Spotted Owl became the poster animal for the national movement to conserve these forests after being added to the endangered species list. This move by environmentalists created legal protection from logging in the old forests the owl called home. While this win was celebrated by environmentalists across the country, the families in the towns fueled by timber were less ecstatic. To them, these urban environmentalists were coming out of their universities to tell them to shut down the mills that put food on their families tables for year; telling them the profession that had historically provided a living wage and opportunity for the working man of the coast was no longer acceptable. To the working families who lived and breathed timber this was nothing short of an existential attack on their way of life. The spotted owl and the concepts of conservation that came with the activists became a sign of the enemy for these people of the coast. What resulted was a prolonged legal and social conflict pitting environmentalists against the timber industries and working-class families the fall out of which, to this day, can be seen in furrowed brow of an old landowner when someone mentions the word conservation.

Today, the landscape of conservation looks different. The old timber towns have rebuilt into tourist destinations, prized for their scenic undeveloped lands. Logging on government and private lands has been resigned to areas deeper in the landscape, out of view from the widely traveled coastal highway. Although heated confrontations over cutting trees has faded from the region new issues have emerged. The world’s climate is changing, and communities everywhere are beginning to see changes in the natural systems that have supported them for so long. On the Oregon Coast the freshwater streams and rivers that provide drinking water to small towns are drying up in the summer months. As the summers get hotter and dryer the streams that provide water are yielding less water for treatment. In order to protect the streams that provide essential water to these communities it is important to protect the forest around the streams. Forested watersheds are more able to hold and store water in the soil which leads to more, higher quality water being fed into streams and rivers. The protection of these watershed areas is crucial to the survival of these communities as climate change continues to augment our natural systems. Many of these watersheds have a variety of owners from private landowners and timber companies to state and federal management agencies like the Forest Service. To conserve these forests requires a new form of conservation that centers environmental health for the benefit of humans and ecologies as a unified goal instead of competing values.

This lesson goes beyond the rocky coast of Oregon. All across the world communities are facing challenges and changes due to changing weather and climate. From his experiences working in conservation, this author believes that it is time we reassess how we think about nature. On Oregon’s coast, what is good for the forest and its inhabitants is equally good for the people living in the adjacent towns. So too is the health of our ecologies everywhere beneficial to human life in a wide array of ways. These issues are global ones to be sure and while no one can fix this looming issue alone we can all act to benefit our communities. Echoing the old adage: think global, act local, there is work to be  done everywhere but the best place to start is in your own back yard.

About the author, Sam Hillmann: Sam grew up in Columbus, Ohio and graduated with a B.A in Environmental Studies from Ithaca College in 2020. Shortly after, he fulfilled his life-long dream of moving to the Pacific Northwest. After a summer as a Wilderness Ranger with the Forest Service in western Washington he moved to Yachats, Oregon and began his year as a RARE service member. During his time at Ithaca College, Sam managed his school’s 560 acre nature preserve and had the opportunity to study sustainable development for a semester in India. Sam loves hiking, backpacking, and all other outdoor recreation and hopes to attend University of Oregon next year for Graduate School.

Does environmental and sustainability planning interest you? Are you looking for a life changing experience in rural Oregon? Learn more about serving with the RARE AmeriCorps Program. Applications for Year 28 (2021-22) due April 23, 2021.