US Forest Harvest by Omani Company

Forest Harvest Does Not Benefit Wildlife

In a deal for the largest forest management project ever undertaken in the Southwest, the U.S. Forest Service has contracted with a wealthy, politically well-connected company based in the Sultanate of Oman.  The stated goals are to increase forest health, sustainable harvest, and regional economic growth.  Of course, the greatest benefactor will be Omani company Good Earth Power AZ LLC, and its political representatives in the U. S.

Speaking about the “impoverished U. S. Southwest,” Jason Rasamond, Good Earth Power’s global CEO, promised, “As our key commitment is to people and communities, we will reinvest 50% of our profits to deliver everyday practical benefits at the local level with a focus on education and healthcare.”  Rasamond did not identify specific programs or actions.

One community scheduled to benefit form the deal was Winslow, Arizona, but according to local residents, Good Earth dropped plans for a wood processing plant there.

I suggest that improving our forests just so they can be cut down is no longer a proper management strategy.  Even a century ago, when the need for forestry products was smaller, naturalists and the U. S. government recognized that forest harvest was often environmentally devastating.  The U. S. Forest Service was created to eliminate clear cutting and other forestry malpractices.  The Forest Service has never accomplished this.

Today, when wildlife and natural habitats are declining around the world, continuing the same harvest practices of the past seems even more unreasonable than it did a century ago.  Rather than thin forests, perhaps management should be devoted to restoration of biodiversity.  Concerns could be invasive species, global warming, livestock grazing, roads, recreation, soil protection, and restoration.

Perhaps our forests need to be allowed to mature, to become “old growth,” and not be harvested at all.  If management can contribute to this goal, fine.  But if supporting the profits of private companies is the primary goal, then the real renovation we need is within the personnel of the U. S. Department of Agriculture and its Forest Service.

Forest Harvest Deal Links:

An Editorial from a Pro Harvest source:  http://evergreenmagazine.com/web/Power_To_Good_Earth_.html

Press Release by Good Earth Power AZ, LLC:  http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5444076.pdf

Press Release by U. S. Forest Service:  http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5435935.pdf