Aside from scarring the landscape and altering forest conditions for habitat and healthy streams, clear-cuts pose a greater risk for landowners in the form of mudslides.

A December 2007 storm raised these issues again in the public eye after a hillside gave way above Highway 30 near Clatskanie. No one was injured, but the small hamlet of Woodson was demolished. Later news reports showed that the slide had been caused by past clear-cut logging in areas above the town.

Click here to read a report on the Highway 30 slide with images from the event. This slide closed Highway 30 traffic for days and was eventually linked to clear-cut logging.

Scientists have long known that clear-cutting can disrupt the stability of soil and expose hillsides to greater amounts of rainfall, increasing the risk of a catastrophic landslide. Check out a summary of the science here.