Video Gallery

Does Big Timber hurt or help local communities?

“Without adequate protections for our forest waters, I’m concerned that salem residents are going to keep having to foot the bill for the dirty water that’s being delivered to our treatment plants. We all know we need timber, but we need to do it in a way where we are protecting our water supply” -Tina Schwickert, former Water Resources Coordinator, Salem Public Works

Dale is a hunter, a veteran and a rural landowner. He is concerned about the impact of aerial spray on his family, the wildlife and his water.

Jackson County resident Suzanne Willow shares her story of stewardship on her land at Willow-Witt Ranch. She and her wife have been working since 1985 to bring the land back to health, while using sustainable harvest practices and managing for the health of the larger trees.

Coos Bay Local Fisherman Sam Schwarz:
"Overall it seems like there are fewer and fewer fish"

"With Salmon coming in to the bay right now we have tons of recreational users putting boats in and in order for that to continue, I feel it's crucial that we protect the forest waters coming out of the west fork of the Millicoma and the tributaries to the Coos so that the Salmon continue to come back every year so that folks can continue to harvest for recreational and for commercial catch."

Woodworker Doug Pollock believes we can harvest wood products and have healthy forests.

He says:

Taking care of our forest waters, and working with wood go hand in hand.

80% of our water supplies come from forests, and Oregon Forest Practices Act is so far behind our neighbors. The laws definitely need to change to provide better protections for the water that we all depend on. We can do better by our forests, and have clean water, and have wood products that we use and enjoy.