99-17NC Merging Forest Philosophies Note CardOn May 18, 1980, at 8:32 a.m., an area of 156 square miles in southwestern Washington state was turned into a raging hell on earth. In a cataclysmic explosion, Mount St. Helens blew itself apart in one of the most spectacular volcanic eruptions in history. A countryside that had formerly been beautiful, pristine wilderness …disappeared. Millions of trees were flattened into orderly rows, or were ripped up by their roots and hurled across the devastated landscape.If Mount St. Helen's destruction was fascinating, its recovery has been nothing less than astonishing. Within 3 weeks, the first insects and birds were seen just below the crater. Within 3 years, 90 percent of the plants and animals that had lived in the pre-eruption blast zone had regained a toe-hold there; within 15 years wild trout were swimming in Spirit Lake. By the eruption's centennial, St. Helen's forests, meadows, and river valleys will be almost indistinguishable from those that flourished before the blast. For those who look closely, a subtle story will unfold. Multiple use/sustained yield on private land juxtaposed with natural regeneration on public land. Side by side, these merging forest philosophies will stand in silent testimony to the ever-changing condition of the forest. Generations to come will contemplate the panorama before them: nature's power to destroy followed by nature's grace to restore over decades, framed by human knowledge and skill to speed forest recovery within just a few short years. At Mount St. Helens, people can stand with one foot in each system and ponder the resiliency of the forest ecosystem. (Thanks to Gladys Biglor and the Society of American Foresters for thoughts in rendering this oil painting and story.) |
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