Save The Owls! Essay, Research Paper

Preserve the Forests

In agreement with Kim Stafford, who opposes the clear-cutting of old growth forests, I feel that it is necessary to preserve the profitable lumber in its natural state for future generations. Currently, the tons of lumber produced from the Pacific Northwest region of the United States are taken for granted, and most people do not realize that the forests will be destroyed within ten years at this rate of exploiting our natural resources. We must make loggers a profession of the past and divert those current ones into another sector in our society. The spotted owl is more than a *Darwinistic* survival of the fittest issue; it represents the direction of our only planet.

In order to preserve the beauty of this planet, we must cease the clear-cutting of forests. All old growth forests have been around for multiple centuries and are cut down daily in a matter of hours in order to produce more buildings and houses in this already over-crowded world. If the rate at which we cut down trees is continued without any regulation, the forests will all be gone in ten years, so we should do mankind a favor and try to preserve what is left. If the old growth forests are gone, then they can never return because it takes over five generations to produce one and at the rate that the human population is increasing, there is not enough land to have a secure place for a new forest.

If we realize that it is best for the human race to stop destroying the natural resources, then we must destroy, too, the existence of loggers all together. To do so, there must not be any new loggers, so all training potential loggers must be stopped. The current loggers must be diverted to another occupation. Perhaps if the public supported the notion of stopping clear-cutting, the government would be able to provide services to educate the loggers in a different field. Also, with public support, many companies will probably offer several programs for former loggers. No matter what we choose today, the loggers have seen their last Haley*s comet; they will all be gone with forests in ten years.

When we stop the development and decrease the number of loggers, we will help save the spotted owl, a species that has greater importance than a mere animal towards the our species. It is a symbol of the general health of Mother Earth, a figure without which no living object can survive. If the cutting of forests at this rate remains constant, the spotted owls will disappear within the ten years along with the our forests.

In order to regulate the logging industry to keep our trees intact, there must be public support for the idea. With that, the government would most likely be willing to provide educational services for the loggers who need to get new jobs. Sooner of later, this sacrifice of loggers will occur, and the latest will be in ten years. The spotted owl represents a major part of our natural resources. At this rate, that major part will disappear along with the spotted owl in a mere decade.