Business and heritage — Why Wyden should protect old growth

A coalition of outdoor businesses advocates for the protection of the Northwest's old growth heritage.

I've been active in the outdoors all my life, both recreationally and professionally.

Growing up as a kid in the Portland area, I did a lot of backpacking with my parents. We went on a week-long trip every summer. Some years I wasn't exactly enthusiastic; it was cold, my equipment was heavy and I was a teenager.

But those experiences in wild places that only exist in Oregon instilled in me a lifelong appreciation for the beauty of our state's old growth forests. Nowadays I spend my free time backcountry skiing, climbing and hiking in Central Oregon, trading the Douglas Fir and Sitka Spruce for juniper and Ponderosa Pine. But I still get my old growth fix from an annual camping trip on the Oregon Coast.

Folks like me who have lived in Oregon for most of our lives have witnessed the ups and downs of living in a timber-dependent economy. We've also seen another path to prosperity when it comes to managing our public forest lands. Today, our trees are worth a lot more if they're left standing for recreational purposes.

I've made my living in the outdoor industry, working for the past 20 years with equipment and clothing manufacturers and distributors. In that time I've watched as the economy of Oregon has shifted to create new business opportunities, for the timber industry among others, and moved away from the divisive, controversial practice of clear-cut logging.

Outdoor recreation is a major economic contributor to local communities. Americans spent $120 billion hunting, fishing and bird watching in 2006. That's more than what was spent at casinos, theaters, golf courses, professional sports arenas and amusement parks combined.

For our state, the big draw is old growth forests. It has become scarce— only about 5 percent of America's old growth remains, much of it found in Oregon. The many manufacturers and retailers of outdoor equipment based and doing business in Oregon depend on these public lands.

Currently the Bush administration is trying to roll back protections for old growth forests, clean water, salmon and wildlife.

On March 13, our representative in the Senate, Ron Wyden, convened a hearing on old growth forest management, continuing the important dialogue on how best to care for this rare resource. Congress should permanently protect what little remains of our irreplaceable old growth forests for current and future generations of Americans. I applaud Senator Wyden's efforts and those of the other lawmakers working to preserve the outdoor heritage of our country.

Northwest old growth forests are a national treasure, home to countless species of rare animals and plants, some found nowhere else on Earth. Untrammeled old growth draws people from all over the United States to enjoy world class hiking and camping. Here in Oregon, we've got some of the best. These public lands are the places people take their children to relax, to escape the grind of their busy lives and enjoy the northwest's signature forests and mountains, where clean water, salmon, fishing and hunting, and scenic landscapes are part of our way of life.

I'm hoping my kids, 1 and 3, will help keep the traditional family backpacking trips alive when they're a little older. I'm hoping to take them to some of the same places my parents took me. For our kids to be able to enjoy them, to support the industry that depends on them, and to preserve the Oregon way of life, let's protect these last great places. I hope we can look forward to legislation protecting our old growth heritage in the near future.

John Sterling of Bend is executive director of The Conservation Alliance, a coalition of 155 conservation-minded outdoor businesses.