13 May 2008
Getting things rolling…
Posted by Ivory under: General .
I got the idea for this web site a little over a week ago after having seen (what I considered) to be a shocking amount of devastation from the logging that occurred at Cedarlands over the past winter. Quite honestly, it took my breath away; it took all of our breaths away.
We’d taken members of our troop up to spend a simple weekend there, and had been forwarned that it would be “worse than what happened to Camp Ballou”. Even with that as a heads up, none of us could believe what had happened.
So… I set out to learn if our reactions were out of line with what others may feel about this. I purchased the domain name CedarlandsNews.com, set it up with a hosting service, and began work. I am doing this with my own money, and completely independent of my role with our troop. If people are going to get upset with with what happens here, they should focus their ire at me… not take it out on the boys or leaders associated with our troop. I’m hoping there is enough maturity around for people to make that distinction.
My intent is that this will become an open forum for everyone that has an association with Cedarlands…
- Scouts, parents, and leaders - both present and former
- Members of the local community
- People in the know - both members of the committees that voted in favor of this, and the people and organizations that brought it about
I can not stress enough how much I want people to openly contribute their views to this forum. People should feel free to be blunt and direct, but never abusive or offensive to others.
15 Comments so far...
jderrane Says:
15 May 2008 at 2:42 am.
I remember what Cedarlands used to look like, having spent many great nights there. It is sad to see what has befallen a real treasure. I am not against logging, but it seems that there should have been more discretion in the trees taken down, maybe some selective cutting? These pictures don’t look like the work of an organization dedicated to conservation and environmental preservation. It looks more like someone needed some quick cash.
Panther Says:
15 May 2008 at 5:20 am.
Good start. I look forward to hearing more.
jderrane Says:
15 May 2008 at 3:46 pm.
My buddy just had 200 acres softwood/hardwood mix, selective cut…not as intrusive as at Cedarlands. He only walked away with $165,000. What a bargain we got!
timkhj Says:
16 May 2008 at 3:04 pm.
Holy carp. If they needed $ and decided on logging for $, maybe they should have ASKED for some donations from the community. I acknowledge I’m a bit out of the loop, but I never heard a peep on this. Besides, as jderrane posted, there are ways to selectively log areas, and that did NOT look like it. That is horrible. Please post if you get further information on what decisions brought about the current conditions.
gcshepp45 Says:
18 May 2008 at 2:43 pm.
It is very simple. The counsel is there to protect the scout on property for the Boy Scouts. This is not some place that the counsel’s can come in when they are short some money and rapes the land to make some. My question to them is why where they scared to let all the troops know before they decide to do it. Me and my son where looking forward to go to CeaderLands for the first time this year since he just crossed over to Boy Scouts this year. What a let down for all the first year and us Scouts. All I can say is the counsels in charge of this land have a very short time to explain themselves before people start asking them to please leave as the counsel.
seal804 Says:
19 May 2008 at 1:16 pm.
Did anyone part of this have the Forestry merit badge??
N/A Says:
19 May 2008 at 5:56 pm.
(Comments removed at the request of the original poster)
Ivory Says:
19 May 2008 at 6:32 pm.
Actually, I respectfully disagree with you on a couple of points. First, I believe that putting up a web site showing the present state of things and providing a forum where people can politely discuss these issues DOES count as getting involved. Additionally, I am involved. I volunteer time every week to the best of my ability to give my best to the scouts in our troop, long after my own sons have left the program as Eagles.
Second, I did check out the Friends of Cedarlands site before beginning this, and found that most of it was inactive. Other than giving money and offering up free labor, it wasn’t clear what the actual purpose of the organization was. There seemed to be very little activity there, so I decided to start this site.
I don’t doubt that some efforts were made to forewarn people that some logging would occur. Mark Miller and Tom L. made similar assurances, and I have no reason to believe otherwise. What I have concerns about are the effectiveness of the attempts. For whatever reason, many people are shocked at what occurred, and at the apparent scope of the logging.
So what’s everybody else think here? Have we only ourselves to blame for not properly hearing the message?
N/A Says:
19 May 2008 at 6:56 pm.
(Comments removed at the request of the original poster)
ConScout Says:
20 May 2008 at 9:33 am.
Did know about the logging…just didn’t know that the main part of camp would be part of it (since there are 5000 acres to CSR). Also shocked as to the extent of the “harvesting”. Looks like more than dying and dead trees were felled (the safety aspect comment) and the downing of healthy trees was to such an extent that it looked like more than just “selected” harvesting. I am concerned for how the campsites look. Are the loggers going to clean up the site before the 2008 camping season? and what about the skid marks? So can anyone tell us how many years before we have healthy tall trees in our campsite area?
Bull44 Says:
21 May 2008 at 9:22 pm.
Where are we supposed to hang the “bear bags?” But what self respecting bear would be caught there now anyway?
BH118 Says:
22 May 2008 at 3:37 pm.
I agree with Bull44. This would have been my fourth year at Cedarlands, and what has been done disgusts me. I may be 14, but I’m a boy scout and I obviously know a little more about the woods then who ever logged this does. The part that amazes me is that my friends and I heard only rumors of logging it and our troop was never formally informed. I understand that counsel was going to inform all the troops that had been there last summer, but it was convenient that we didn’t know about it until we had our full payments in. I have many questions my self about this, but all I know is that my leaders are going to the next counsel meeting and are going to try to find out about this. I find it hard to believe that something like this would be done. If counsel needed money so badly they could have raised the yearly troop fee or could have charged and extra $10.00 a person for camp. Sure people would complain, but it would be better then logging the place. The only reason for this would be to drive down the scout population in an attempt to have a reason to sell the camp. I’m not making accusations or saying this as a fact, but it is the only reason I see for this happening.
boreal Says:
22 May 2008 at 8:37 pm.
Good post, BH118. However, since the Council’s budget had an 80K shortfall when the logging contract was inked, there is no way a modest increase in camping fees could have made up the difference. Not coincidentally, the Council received 80K for the near-deforestation of a good chunk of Base Camp. Like what you see so far? We’ve got 9 years to go in the Cedarlands Tree Farm Program. By the time our “forest management plan” is complete, we’ll need a “meadow management plan”. I’m surprised the State will allow logging of such magnitude on lands encumbered by its conservation easement. I wonder what the public will think when the rest of CSR is plundered, er, “harvested”. Whatever happened to “Forever Wild”?? I’ve spent hundreds of nights camping at Cedarlands. Each night (except for a few on Masters) was spent in a splendid campsite in the boreal woods. I understand the need for responsible forest management but the Council made a tragic blunder in allowing this level of logging. And in Base Camp!!! Why don’t we log Muir Woods (google it!). Or, closer to home, Nick’s Lake? Could you imagine the public outcry if “selective” logging occurred there?? Now, we’ve essentially been told by many in the “inner circle”: Shut Up!!! Don’t criticize the decision!!!! You were TOLD what was going to happen. Nobody objected, etc., etc., etc. Well, most of us don’t have a vote on matters like this. And. let’s face it, even if a few people objected, I really don’t believe it would have made much of a difference. Well, on second thought, maybe if the Council told us “We’re gonna level the campsites next year” we would now have no choice but to be silent. Of course, very few of us really appreciated what was in store for “our” forest. Up to this point I’d argue that the Council has been a good steward of CSR. However, logging Base Camp was a disaster. Cedarlands will not be “Cedarlands” again in our lifetimes. Hopefully, we’ll all adapt to the shock and the number of campers will not drastically decrease. Maybe the numbers will hold but I doubt it. Honestly, I can’t believe what happened to our forest.
shocked2 Says:
24 May 2008 at 11:46 pm.
What a disaster. Another example of the true “pecking order.” The little people don’t need to know too much. Just give them a little information to appease them. That way when it is all said and done, we weren’t lied to. After all - we were told - just the little bit of scraps that they wanted to throw to us. I think if anyone realized the full extent of this, there would have been more discussion and fighting to save Base Camp. I remember my thoughts when I heard that there would be “some” logging done. I actually believed that no one would want to ruin Base Camp. I trusted the people making the decision because I believed they had the kids in mind.
Funny how this has happened before - just in different ways. Anyone consider the idea that maybe some of these feelings of anger go back a long way?
By the way, I don’t want to be identified either. Isn’t that a pretty sad way for people to feel?
ShockingTheConcious Says:
25 January 2009 at 7:21 pm.
Dear Troop 14 Scouts and Ivory
The same generation-long destruction is about to happen at the Boy Scout camp up the road from my house - 1 mile away in the dense Redwood forest in Santa Cruz CA. This camp is beautiful, i’m not a scout, but i love the hiking trails, it is so beautiful here! Its well developed 60 year old camp grounds possesssing wildlife galore. the California Dept of Foresty already issued a Timber Harvest Permit. Also, another camp in the mountain town was logged last year! It seems like all across America, many of main camps are being logged, your camp looks horribly raped - I am so sorry.
In researching the issues.. I discovered that the LDS Church (mormons) began joining the BSA councils over 10 years ago and currently has the largest percentage of boy scouts of any other ‘group’. They fund over 1/2 of the camp activities and church members raise donations for the “friends of ____” organizations (which is NOT a legitimate non-profit org). Your Charity trustee (executives) are required to act for the benefit of the troops and councils, not to sell BSA assets under the guise of reducing forest fire, etc… bull! The executives appear to have been lobbied by the LDS (as they have 50% control) and may be involved in the natural resource extraction for the church’s personal gain or given to the logging industry friends. If your trustee sell the assets (value) of the land (timber rights) that is a loss to an organisation through a breach of trust or duty then the Trustee is normally required to make good the loss to that org (and is insured). Anyway, I feel for you and your scouts and generations loss over this all tooo common blunder. You are a hero for creating this website, which will assist your community and others’ and for speaking OUT on matters that YOU know are just plain wrong (i.e., like mountaintop mining) IF THE BOY SCOUT CAMPS ACROSS AMERICAN ARE NOT PROTECTED FROM BEING PILIAGED… I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS safe anymore….
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