The undersigned Petitioners are residents, business owners, and visitors of the North Oregon Coast who are concerned about their homes, access to clean drinking water, work, and recreation within Clatsop County. The proposed ‘Mothball Hill‘ clearcut lies adjacent to John Day County Park and the Columbia River. The proposed ‘Davis Ridge’ clearcut lies adjacent to Gnat Creek. The proposed ‘Slough Hill’ clearcut lies near Blind Slough, a tributary to the Columbia River.

PETITION

WHEREAS, the proposed clearcuts named ‘Mothball Hill’, ‘Davis Ridge’, and ‘Slough Hill’ (Alt) in Oregon Department of Forestry Astoria District draft Annual Operations Plan for 2025 are immediately abutting numerous residential properties and recreational areas, and fail to address community concerns; 

WHEREAS, Oregon Department of Forestry’s planned logging fails to address unprecedented climate change and does not account for the increasing coastal heat waves and water scarcity correlated with deforestation;

WHEREAS, the standard practice of pesticide applications after logging can have serious impacts on the health of neighboring residents, recreationalists, drinking water quality, and wildlife;

WHEREAS, clearcutting and replanting practices are known to increase wildfire intensity and reduce stream flow for up to fifty years post harvest; they are known to increase risk of landslides on steep slopes, as found at ‘Mothball Hill’ and ‘Slough Hill,’ as well as increase flash floods during storm events;

WHEREAS, the proposed logging near John Day River and Gnat Creek increases the likelihood of silt and other contaminants impacting drinking water, as well as wetlands and tributaries that are essential to salmon and other aquatic life; salmon are a native species that are endangered due to numerous industrial practices including clearcutting;

ACCORDINGLY, Petitioners want ‘Mothball Hill’, ‘Davis Ridge’, and ‘Slough Hill’ removed from ODF’s 2025 Astoria District Annual Operations Plan and eliminated from further considerations of timber harvests in the future.

ACCORDINGLY, Petitioners want the ODF to publicize draft Annual Operation Plans in multiple media at least two months in advance of the public comment deadline and to make a special effort to contact and meet with residents living in proximity to any planned logging before initial approval.