ECOFORESTRY - The Art & Science of Sustainable Forest

Use by A,Drengson & D.Taylor, New Society,

BC/CT,’97 Rev. by micheal sunanda

The ECOForstry movement is ancient & being reborn in NW US & western Canada, mostly BC, where its 'sustainable' selective logging, organic growing & wilderness preservation efforts are now growing. So the new EF book reflects these trends & methods of forest-lovers on land they own &or manage. The EF book is best from EF Jo. '92 to 97. are simply collected together here to clearly introduce the EF field to us. I assume we dearly love our wilderness & need it sustain our lives in harmony gently cooperating with Nature & each other. Most city people don't know how forestry & logging practieces now effect all bioregional & global ("greenhouse") weather & air & water quality; species survival & extinctions; & true economic democracy, we only have rarely & locally if natural.

So the 35 contributors explain these patterns & how to practice EF in 39 chapters. & extensive appendix of resources. EF is a300+ pg book, a collection that expresses mostly agreed-on principles of ecological diverstiy; old growth protection, natural evolution & repect/acceptence of 'native species, Indians 'first nations' tribes of aboriginal cultures' values. Their simple ancient 'green' ways, beliefs & methods in nature are sensitive ‘wilderness managing for bioregional balance of fertility cycles with ‘all relatives’. The Jo. of EF has deeper articles developing themes & needs that change with seasons.

The EF book is big & beautifully illustrated with photos of lots of trees in varied stages of growth & uses. It uses an academic style of organizing for local, simple & natural economics with abundant woods. This is a 'beginning text' of ECOForestry as envisioned by 100s of current ‘green’ tree farmers & lovers of forests in the NW,even Earth First?! It supports our learning & grow with the trees in peace, like the Permaculture movement of organic living cooperatively with all creatures.

We need extensive work study in the woods to practice this daily as natural cycles change with the weather. seasons & harvests. The EF philosophy is intelligent, clear, peaceful & mostly positive. The authors do politely critisize(not rage) against the "industrial forestry" doing massive rape of forests by clear-cutting. However they ignore most of the gluttonous consumers wasting mtns of wood, paper & cardboard, that destroys wildernss to protect their tastes, values & style$. EF is proactive, politically-correct 'green politics' in the woods & markets of local free-trade & sustainable -iving. Can EF save earth from clear-cuts? Only where its done by forsters locally respecting mother nature. The timber-industsry mostly works to kill for profit, monster scale with political conspiracy tru$ts!?

The main themes in EF bk & movement now are educating ourselves on natural foresty, sustainable-living with forests into the future, certifying forest-sites, logging & products as 'green' & the needed networking between us doing EF, which expands yearly now. At Mtn.Grove(400 acers)EF Inst.in SW Oregon the EF Inst. is certified & a working model in practice, while 100s of other sites do it uncertified. Some local & state foresty officials are studying EF now. But few US FS/BLM agencies or big timber companies are interested. Few agro - tree-farms don't use chemicals, clear-cutting with monster machines & roads for maxi-profits that destroy nature, 'native' lands & species, with hi-tech industry promoting the ways of 'supply & demands, progress visions fueled by electricity, greed & speculation. Totall tree falling is heating up earth weather!

Locally we need to learn & use EF works in many ways more than merely natural growing & selective logging. We are doing many local projects like: barn/dome raisings, cooperating with tools, design, harvesting, gathering & work-parties, diverse eco-trainings, wilderness preservation & survival; helping the animals,& organic gardening with neighbors, fish, children & Permaculture. In PC EF happens in the 5=outer eco-zone space to grow with wildlife we harvest for home villages we support. Lets imagine & futurize the coming 'earth changes' & econo-crash, potentials to grow, to plan, prepare & survive any such crises, as we balance with evolution. PC & EF create the natural space, as We simplify our needs, work hard & play free with hearts opened by our love for nature, trusting neighbors & sharing resources. These needs, trends & passions inspire EF & the fight to save-the-forests, that impulses the Earth First & Green anarchist movements to radically defend mother nature in a 1,000 ways now, while we quietly do EF at home.