The Truth About Tongass
I grew up in the heart on the Tongass, on Admiraly Island National monument, and therefore was very excited to see this article, and have some definate opinions on what was discussed in the National Geographic Article, but I want to see what some of your thoughts are… I want you to give your thoughts on this article and whether or not we should be trying to preserve this old growth forest. In addition, I want you to respond to at least one of your classmates comments on here as well. Happy Blogging. Mr B
First one I guess. Well I thought it was kinda weird that the natives were doing a lot of the logging. But obviously the forest should be protected but on the other hand there needs to be some type of logging to remove dead trees. It seems like the government is paying too much attention to the logging companies and not enough attention to the forest itself. But thats just me, by the way I wont be in class tomorrow i am going on a field trip with Dr. Cook.
McCullah
I agree with Cody in that it’s kind of odd how it was mostly natives who were doing a good portion of the logging… You would think they’d be the ones who’d be dead set against it, you know? I suppose they make so much money off of it, though, that they don’t want to lose it. The article said the government’s definitely not making any money off of the logging, so you’d think that’d be reason enough to just stop it…
Furthermore, the old growth forest is like a treasure to environmentalists. I mean, trees nearly 1000 years old that have trunks with a diameter of over ten feet? That’s crazy! Who wouldn’t want to preserve something as amazing as that?
One thing that i got out of the article was that alot of logging was happening there. However, even though it seems outsiders would be doing the cutting, the natives were doing it. So i agree with chelsea and cody for that part of the assignment. One the things that came to my mind when i read it was what happens if we cut up so much of the forest, what would the long term effect be? I mean if we just keep cutting down our forests in a couple decades its gunna come back and haunt us. So well yea those r my thoughts.
JD
Ok, I agree with all of them, especially what Chelsea said, that the forest is like a treasure, and they just should quit cut down the trees. And that the natives are the ones which do the logging,is kind of sad, but ya, I think they get a lot of money for it.
But I think, it should something happen, that forest like this will be protected. When not in a few years, there will be no forest anymore. But maybe then they realize what they’ve done, but then it will be too late.
I think that really sucks is what government pay huge money to timber companies to biuld roads that only used by and for transportation.And what government can pay 160 grands every worker just to stay home and let forest be. Now it’s something I don’t understand logic in.
To Chelsey Cody JD yeah that’s another think I think is wrong – natives cut and many. Should be some limits or something…
i agree with chelsea and cody they were right… i mean why would locals destroy their environment? i just dont understand, but i guess its all for the money
I agree with Chelsea and Cody,stupid that the government hasn’t put a stop to logging
Obviously clearing the forest is a bad thing. I think that is not a bad thing however if we do not clear the whole forest. They should allow some logging to continue but not allow them to cut down whatever they want. The natives are cutting down and selling their own trees on the land that has been put aside by the government. That shouldn’t be right. It seems like a good idea to cut down the trees to make roads going through there. That seems like the only good input.
Jim
I agree with Chelsea and Cody with what they are saying. It’s kind of odd how it was mostly natives who are doing a great amount of the logging. You would think they’d be the ones who’d be against it. You know? But their not. All they seem to be doing is making money off of this. It’s giving us the idea that people can be bought off no matter what’s happening. The article said the government’s definitely not making any money off of the logging, so you’d think that’d be reason enough to just stop it. To me, everything that is going on up there is totally shocking to me. I would never have guessed that this happened.
i think it is really retarded that the govornment is paying loads of cash for roads that are used for like a year and then blocked off and never used again. we should be spending this money on dirtbike tracks and skateparks. we should be spending money on saving the forests and trees, and try to develope an alternative to lumber.
To everyone this is really terrible and if you don’t agree with Cody, Chelsea and I you need to take a serious look at all the stuff that is happening up there in Alaska.
Jimmy said that the roads are the only good thing coming from the logging. I disagree. The roads going through the Tongass don’t even go anywhere. Who would use them, besides the loggers themselves?
comment to brandons comment-
i also thinks it dumb that natives are the main ones that are allowing this. but it doenst affect me yet, so im not to worried about it.
I agree with Chelsea, and Cody. It;s stupid that the government hasn’t put a stop to logging, it’s just costing the government money, and also cutting down the environment. There cutting away ancient forest that have been around for a thousand years. Ya, so just don’t cut down big ol’ trees, If u don’t like trees then start fires, like that one kid in California, don’t cut them down
To Conner: you have the right idea man. what is happening is really retarded but what can we really do about it?
I think logging is helps some people but it is also bad for the environment. it helps us with the industries it also takes the homes from animals and people that survive of the land.
I think the government should slow down on the tree cutting to preserve wildlife. But if they slow down the ecomomy would fall or people would have to mine more stones. If we stop the clear cutting then people would have to use another resource for building, as we destroy the forest we destroy the homes of organisms. There are hundres of endangerd species that live in the forest and the government dosnt care, and if there going to spend millions of dolloars on building roads just for clear cutting they should stop and use that money for war etc.
To Conner. It’s good idea to use money that government spent on building roads somewhere in Alaska it’s better to spent money on more social needs.
what i really got out of that was the gov. is paying big buck to make roads and stuff in the alaska area. the native there a cutting and shipping loggs. The trees there are very big. people are being payed big bank of this job
Well first of I think that the goverment should not pay to build roads just for timber companies because they could probably find something better to use all that money for then roads that are just used for one thing.
ya joe is rught we need to start to save some of the trees
we cant do anything, why cant we just talk about this in class, it would be way funner, but i like being in the library more, wow, pointlessssssssnessssss
Chelsea what do you mean they don’t go anywhere. What if there is a town and you have to go around the forest just to get to a town. They make roads through the forest and the government pays for it. Instead of going around they make roads through the forest and can make the destination much shorter. I am not saying I am for it, but I am just saying that seems like only good outcome from logging. Cutting down trees resulting in dead vast areas wouldn’t be too attractive. :/
Jim
So…pretty much i would have to agree with everyone on this one. Its pretty messed up how the natives are the ones cutting the trees down. You would think they would want to preserve the forest… People are just tooooo money hungry. Pretty sad. Yes?
…HELLO!!! Some of those trees are over 1000 years old. I think it would be cool to keep em around even longer. RIGHT?! right…
I agree with James, we should controll btter the loggin. So they can du their money, but not cut down all the trees.
I feel that the forest (of any kind) should and is meant to be cut down , but only in an intelligent way, no clear cutting, no cut and burn, just take what one needs and replace, always replace. Now to comment some of my classmate…. To Brandon L, There is something we can all do, one is to weaken the demand, Recycle all we can, The more paper we reuse the less we have to cut down, two use alternative building blocks, it may not look as well bet have a metal roof, (fire proof is a good side to this). And just use common sense, pressure you senate and House of Rep. to but more stricter restrictions on all logging, even those companies that are run by the natives
Jimmy-
I hadn’t thought about that, you have a point. I don’t think very many people would use those roads though, since aren’t most of them just dirt? Sounds a little dangerous, especially for those who don’t have two wheel drive. Maybe we should focus all the money being spent on logging on creating better road conditions instead.
One thing i really don’t understand is why the government gives the loggers so much money to make roads that only the loggers can use. It is a waste of land and it is destroying the forests. Even though i don’t agree with the natives cutting down the trees i do understand that it is what there families have been doing for generations. So completly stopping would cause some families to starve and go bankrupt. so you can’t just expect them to stop like that. So then the government should set limits to how much the loggers can cut down and set up certain areas.
Peace Ya’ll
I agree with what Conner said to begin with..like what he said about the roads and everything except for the skateparks and dirtbiking trails and everything. I also agree with what Jimmy said…
I agree with jimmy roads are big to the loggers so they can cut more trees down and what is perrty about dead things not attrective.
I thought the article was interesting. I didn’t know that three times the size of the next largest U.S. national forest is the Tongass. I don’t think that they should be cutting down all the logs. What I also learned was A century ago, President Teddy Roosvelt established the Tongass National Forest.
I agree with JD i couldn’t believe how much money they were giving the loggers to make roads that the loggers could use.
mr.blackhurst class is the shit so cowboy up U’All