It’s great to see the rich discussion, the exchange of information, the respectful debate continuing on in the wake of the Summit. Reading Brad, Pat, Dave and Peter’s posts and linking through to what’s underneath, I’m struck once again by what seems to be a divide in worldviews that causes the same information to be processed differently. I zoomed in on my part of the world – northern California – and saw much of the old-growth redwood forest remaining on private lands in Mendocino and Humboldt counties disappear in the 80s and 90s as Louisiana Pacific and Pacific Lumber logged it out. I saw the brown of the clearcuts green up, but I know the difference between the young, managed forests that are there now and the magnificent and ancient ecosystems they replaced. I also know that these same forests are treated far better under the current owners, Mendocino Redwood Company and Humboldt Redwood Company – sister companies that bought the LP and PL lands and started managing the timber that remained far more carefully under FSC certification. For me, this is very personal story that contains both tragedy and hope – it has unfolded in the region where I grew up and have spent a good part of my life. I witnessed some of it firsthand. A number of years ago, I even tried to tell it in this video slideshow: (R)evolution in the Redwoods.
Going forward, I’m committed to continuing to look for the both/and in Pat & Dave’s perspectives on the one hand and Brad & Peter’s on the other. Perhaps enough of the right folks in the industry and environmentalists “camps” really can lay down our arms and collaborate so as to make genuine and (relatively) rapid progress toward a Vision where ever-improving forestry really is balanced with the strategic restoration and protection of what needs to be safeguarded for biodiversity and climate. Perhaps the green builders and owners, the LCA experts and academics, etc. can join and support us in this effort. Hope!