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[pct-l] Logging Along the PCT



The following editorial appeared in the "Mountain Messenger" recently;

<<
"The Mountain Messenger"  Downieville, California
October 3, 2002
Page Six  "Pratti's Windmill

"From A Dream To A Reality" by Al Pratti

    It was sickening to read in The Mountain Messenger about the Sierra
Pacific Industry cutting timber along the Pacific Crest Trail.
    Some of our large industries throughout our beautiful country have lost
their sense of history.  Some have even lost their souls.  I wonder if
perhaps that all came from probably hearing the "ka-ching!" of their cash
registers for so long.
    Many years past, Clinton C. Clarke of Pasadena envisioned a trail for
hikers and equestrians extending from Canada to Mexico.  This dream started
to materialize when the United States Forest Service established the Oregon
Slyline Trail along the Cascade Mountains in 1935.
    Collectively, this trail, and several other small segments of trails were
developed in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California.  These were
eventually known  as the Pacific Crest Trail, when these trail segments were
established as an initial component of the national trail system by the
National Scenic Trails System Act of October 2, 1968.
    The Pacific Crest Trail, now completed, extends 2,500 miles along the
crest of the mountain ranges through Washington, Oregon and California.
    This trail was carefully designed to fit in with the wild landscape.  It
is still somewhat for certain a most lonesome country, where one can leave
the city crowds behind and find the real quiet of a large wilderness area.
    Eighty percent of this rugged trail is on federally owned land.  The
lands all along the Pacific Crest Trail are touched by the history of
Indians, the Spanish and the white man.  Here in our area on the ridge of the
Sierra Buttes area, the Pacific Crest Trail resembles a large ribbon through
nature's wilderness.
    There were trails that the Indians used for their hunting, and the Indian
women used the same trails to gather seeds, nuts, wild plums and acorns.
They all led from one tribe to another.
    I honestly believe that it is a rank shame that the white man does not do
his part in holding all trails sacred as the Indians did!
>>


All in all, I think this is well written and an excellent long term
perspective.  The short term interests of resource extraction in such a
"sacred" place is unforgiveable, IMHO.

The "evil" resource extraction industries: mining, logging, cattle grazing,
oil and natural gas, all produce "good" products that we, as a society demand
and desire.  EVERYTHING that we use, eat, wear, drive, compute, drink, smell,
snort, lather upon our bodies, etc., comes either directly or indirectly from
the earth - rocks -soil.  That is EVERYTHING except the sunlight that comes
from the sun.  Think about it.  Therefore, should be stop all resource
extraction? Of course not.  However, we MUST hold all resource extraction
industries to behave in a responsible manner.  Will they do this voluntarily?
 Of course not.  So we MUST regulate the actions of the resource extraction
industries.

This, from a resource extraction-employee trying to provide for this society
and yet in a responsible way.

Not on topic with the PCT, you say?  Hog wash.  Mining, logging and cattle
grazing
are all issues that have long been and will long be with the PCT.

Best regards,

Greg "Strider" Hummel