Are the Moon and the Stars aligned?

To date President Obama and Congress have shown a distinct inability for accomplishing anything that would help the economy and generate jobs.  However, in these bleakest of economic times, could restoring scientifically sound forest management to our publically-owned forests be a possibility over twenty years after the Northern Spotted Owl was listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act leading to the destruction of rural communities in Oregon, Washington and Northern California

The recent release of the NSO Recovery Plan and Critical Habitat may provide a line that allows us to move on.  In 1973, world-renowned spotted owl biologist Eric Forsman estimated that there were only 25 spotted owls in the Pacific Northwest.  After the owl was listed in 1990, estimates ranged from 10,000 pairs in Oregon, Washington and Northern California.

Now, after reducing timber harvests by over 90% from our federal forests, Northern Spotted Owl numbers are declining, not from logging, but because the larger, more aggressive Bared Owl is taking over Northern Spotted Owl habitat.

Ok, back to possible alignment of the Moon and the Stars.  Oregon Congressman Greg Walden, R-Hood River, told the membership of the Oregon Forest Industries Council that maybe, just maybe, Congress will return forest management for to produce economic activity and to restore the health of hundreds of thousands of acres of federal forests that are in a condition which makes them vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire.

Congressman Walden recently put a placeholder in a piece of legislation as he works to generate widespread support for his idea.  Since the Debt Crisis, Walden has been ready to add federal forest management language to any Congressional vehicle that is moving.

Would President Obama also support restoring forest management activities knowing that timber sales return millions to the federal treasury and to ailing rural counties.  Not to mention the 18 jobs every 1 Million Board Feet harvested generate for loggers, mill workers, grocery clerks and schoolteachers.

Many have tried in the past, but failed.  In fact, a former Congressman said the timber issue was the “worst issue” he had to deal with.  While Congress has to deal with abortion, stem-cell research and world peace, how could this be?  Well those critical matters are either black or white, for or against.  The forest/timber wars are grey, elected officials can’t be for or against; they have to carve out a position somewhere in the middle.

Here’s hoping the economy, celestial alignment, or the President’s desire for reelection will lead to putting forest management back into our federal forests.