Beware of the “temporary roads”.

It seems the latest in government double talk is a term that the Forest Service has come up with, “temporary roads”, an attempt to make logging new areas acceptable to the environmentalist and conservation communities.

I recommend reading an article in The New West written by George Wuerthner, Temporary Roads Are Like Low Fat Ice Cream.

As the story points out, there are many environmental problems with roads and “temporary” roads are no different than other roads:

“Roads compact soil. Even three trips by logging equipment over soil can result in a significant reduction in water infiltration. Roads, by slicing across slopes, alter downward flow of subsurface and surface water, often concentrating it on the compacted road surface, thus increasing erosive power. Roads are a chronic source of sedimentation, and a major impact on aquatic ecosystems.

Roads fragment wildlife habitat. Roads are avoided by some sensitive wildlife species or used as a convenient travel corridor by other species. Often roads provide access for “weedy” ones that negatively impact other species—such as creating access for edge birds to invade and attack interior forest species.

Roads change air flow which can affect fire spread and even the distribution of plants responding to micro-climate changes.

Roads are the major vector for weeds and disease. Weeds and disease are one of the most pernicious and problematic impacts associated with roads. In the long term, the introduction of weeds and disease may do more damage to forests than the logging. For instance, a root fungus that is introduced by logging equipment along logging roads is decimating Port Orford Cedar stands in Oregon and California where the tree grows.

Road beds provide access for hikers and hunters—giving more potential disturbance to wildlife. And ORVers typically find ways to get around gates and other obstacles to use the roads as roads. In short, a temporary road is mostly a mirage. It is essentially a new logging road.”

The last I heard was that the Forest Service was already asking for $30M to remediate some of the problems in the existing 400,000 miles of road they now administer, most of which are the results of past logging operations, once more putting the burden of payment on the American taxpayer rather than the logging companies which should rightfully be paying the bill for it.