According to The World, ODF spokesman Kevin Weeks acknowledges that the recent Millicoma Between timber sale in the Elliott State Forest logged by Swanson Group is a high landslide hazard zone. Barbara Shamet, owner of property that will likely see debris from a slide deposited upon her property has filed a lawsuit against Swanson Group alleging lost property value of $235,000 because of the recent clear cut.
The Millicoma Between sale was an acreage swap for another high landslide hazard area that would have potentially killed the occupants of an adjoining home down slope from the clear cut. From comments submitted by Cascadia Wildlands on the Elliott State Forest Management Plans-
14. Clearcutting High-landslide hazard locations above other people’s property.
It’s bad enough that ODF clearcuts high-landslide hazard locations (HLHL) on our public lands, but it is worse to potentially cause a landslide above someone else’s property, especially families and non-industrial land owners. Clearcutting increases the rate and volume of landslides100. Take, for example, the Millicoma Between sale that adjoins private land, and found to be a High Landslide Hazard Location. The ODF stated in the Millicoma Between Pre-Operations Report:
“Most of the unit meets criteria for classification as high landslide hazard locations…. There appear to be two channels capable of channelized debris flow delivery to the small Type N, which forms the east boundary of the unit. This is a Potential Debris Flow Track Reach. Aerial photo examination and field reconnaissance show a debris flow deposit in the West Fork Millicoma at the mouth of this basin. Large wood delivered to the West Fork will likely be mobilized during high peak flows.”101
The Potential Debris Flow Track leads into and through a family’s private property. The debris flow that already deposited in the West Fork Millicoma was from the ODF clearcut next to this sale, that slide through the family’s property in 1996. ODF tries to claim landslides are good for fish by stating that “Large Wood” will be delivered to the West Fork during peak flows – but that large wood and associated landslide will travel through the family’s property to the West Fork that is also on their property. The family was so concerned after logging started, they tried to talk to the purchaser. In response, the ODF sent police and threatened their arrest.
It is unconscionable that ODF would make these types of choices, deciding between actually killing someone or just destroying someone’s property rather than just modify their sales to not threaten adjacent landowners.
