Tag: forestry

Socialist Forestry

By Erik Loomis

In General

On April 5, 2019

The Venn diagram between socialism and forest policy in 2019 is basically me. But at one time, this was a major thing in the United States and during the 1930s and 1940s, really tore the Forest Service in two. The leading figure in that was Bob Marshall, one of the most fascinating figures of the […]

General

This Day in Labor History: February 11, 1978

By Erik Loomis

On February 11, 2019

On February 11, 1978, Gail Slentz and her fellow reforestation workers in the cooperative called Hoedads went to plant Douglas fir seedlings on a mountainside near southwestern Oregon’s Umpqua River

General

Capitalism, Socialism, Forestry

By Erik Loomis

On October 22, 2017

It’s not often that essays are published that combine socialism with forest policy, so I may be legally obligated to comment on this Jacobin essay by a British Columbia firefighter on capitalism

Conservative Lies about the Spotted Owl

By Erik Loomis

In General

On March 26, 2016

Bill Clinton enacted the Northwest Forest Plan in 1993. This marked the logical ending point for the Northwest Timber Wars between environmentalists and the timber industry that had riven the region for the previous 20 years. This closed most national forest land with old-growth timber to logging in order to save this sensitive species from […]

General

Logging in Idaho–U.S.A. (1926)

By Erik Loomis

On April 21, 2014

Too busy to blog today (in fact, with a book due in 6 weeks, that may be a not infrequent occurrence for a bit). But not too busy to put up another British Pathe film, this time on another topic close

General

The Northwest Forest Plan

By Erik Loomis

On April 13, 2014

Twenty years ago, President Clinton shepherded the creation of the Northwest Forest Plan, designed to put an end to the conflict in Pacific Northwest forests between timber companies and environmental

Logging and the Washington Landslide

By Erik Loomis

In General

On March 28, 2014

If the Washington landslide was on the east coast rather than a remote Washington logging town, it would have run the Malaysian Air flight off the front pages. But instead it’s only west coasters so it gets relegated to a fairly minor part of the news. In any case, my first thought when the hill […]

General

Illegal Logging

By Erik Loomis

On October 19, 2013

Illegal logging is not something the progressive community takes particularly seriously, but it’s actually a very big deal, not only in Brazil (where it does get attention) but in Mexico (where

General

America’s Deadliest Job

By Erik Loomis

On August 28, 2013

I’m sure the timber industry is glad it retook its historically appropriate title America’s most dangerous job. An excerpt from my book manuscript draft, part of which explores the history

Forest Fires and Exurban Housing

By Erik Loomis

In General

On July 12, 2012

The Times hosted a “Room for Debate” about forest fires. They address it in a silly way, asking “Does the Government Cause or Prevent Wildfires?” Um, both? Also, wrong question. The fundamental problem is that wealthy people have moved to the forest edge, built large homes without proper vegetation clearance to protect those homes from […]