Zhaorong Tu, Week 12: Power Struggle in Sierra Nevada
The Sierra National Forest, located in between the Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks, was recently the subject of a power struggle between local legislators and environmentalists. The Unite the Parks campaign, started by national park ranger Deanna Lynn Wulff, is aiming to officially change management of the forest from the U.S. Forest Service, which essentially functions as an agent of the logging industry, to the National Park Service. By converting the forest, it would connect it to its neighboring national parks, collectively creating the“Range of Light” national moment that would span over three million acres.
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| via the U.S. Forest Service |
The campaign would still allow recreational use and tourism, with the main difference being the banning of commercial logging in the forest. Because of the policy, Wulff has faced backlash. Following the start of her campaign, dueling groups representing people both for and against the campaign have each attracted thousands of followers.
Her opponents claim that regular logging within the Sierra National forest is essential to maintaining its health. Under the legislative jurisdiction of Californian representative Tom McClintock, the forest has seen little reduction in commercial activity because of his ardent support for various uses of public land.
Hi Zhaorong! I know a decent amount on deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest (the place with the most biodiversity in the world) and Brazil, but I didn't know there was a similar conflict going on in our State. For my most recent current events for APES, just last week, I read an article that talked about conflict between loggers and farmers practicing agroforestry. The loggers had burned down the farmers' homes, drove them out at gunpoint, and even murdered a few farmers. Luckily, we aren't in a third world country, so it would be unlikely for the conflict here to escalate to the point of death and destruction. Hopefully the National Park Service ends up gaining control of the Sierra National Forest for the sake of the environment.
ReplyDeleteHi Zhaorong! The range at which the political power struggle extends is over the Unite the Parks campaign that focuses on the topic of environmental conservation. The change that is being prompted and wanting to be implemented can work to become an agent for demonstrating the logging industry sparks a sense of understanding that there could be conflict beginning to emerge within the leaders of both campaigns. Since on one hand national parks benefit from the extra money on receiving more to develop their programs, and the opposition is attempting to preserve the health of the country, I definitely have to agree that making such a decision could be tough. In such a scenario, I would recommend sending out an anonymous poll that incorporates the opinions of multiple individuals so that the organization makes the most constructive decision. Restoring the forest for the better of the community could be difficult, but it is important to not shy away from such problems so we can develop solutions that benefit us as a community. Thank you for your blog!
ReplyDeleteHello Zhaorang, I like your blog post because it shows the conflict between power struggle and order. Some people need to put their ego aside because it puts order at stake, but the unfortunate truth is that it does not happen most of the time. It's just like in Lord of the Flies where they are so focused on trying to gain power that they lose power of what actually matters: making it out alive. The result was a burned island and a bunch of dead people. Just like Lord of the Flies, the same thing is happening with the forests.
ReplyDeleteHey Zhaorong, I find it it honestly disappointing and sad that people have created such a conflict and power struggle over the protection of woods and forests that would be so beneficial to existing ecosystems and environmental structures in the vicinity. The fact that such a crisis has escalated from the simply decision of wanted to protect the forests by shifting its management to the National Parks Service really does indicate how our planet is falling into a massive downward spiral towards the destruction of our environment and ecosystems. In my opinion, significant action should be taken to advocate for this shift, and more support would lead to the protection of more acres of woods and natural environments, which we definitely need as our country and planet continue to industrialize and destroy our planet.
ReplyDeleteHi Zhaorong, I really liked the angle you decided to focus on for your blog. I hadn’t heard about this power struggle between environmental groups and logging companies in the Sierra National Forest before reading your blog. The environmental benefits of changing the mannership of the forest from the US Forest Service to the National Park service seem huge. I definitely hope that the Unite the Parks campaign is successful in achieving their goal because forests are so important to both the environment and also our society. Thus environmental recovery is essential to protect natural diversity and to preserve precious resources. I wonder why the US Forest Service wants to hold on to this territory so desperately! Anyway, thanks for another educational blog like always!
ReplyDeleteHi Zhaorong, I really liked that you chose to cover something close to home for your blog post this week! I never heard about this till now, so thank you for helping me learn about it. From the information that you communicated, I see that people are probably upset about the probable limitation of their commercial use of the forest, but I think that the protection of animal species and the environment holds greater precedence than people's commercial uses. You mentioned that the political power struggle plays a key role in the conflict, and I find that interesting because it points out that people in political positions need to know a lot about the environment since their policies directly affect it. Thank you for your post, and I look forward to reading more from you.
ReplyDeleteI had no clue such a massive event was occurring so close to me. This topic is highly political and commercial in nature, with massive companies hold huge stakes in how this plays out. I could see massive lobbying from the logging companies that could easily shut down the Unite the Parks campaign, or an abundance of fear causing the National Park Service to refuse the acceptance of the Sierra National Forest. Nonetheless, I would take the side of "Deanna Lynn Wulff" on this controversial movement, as we simply cannot lose more forests in an age when carbon dioxide levels are at an all time high and our forests are getting smaller by the second. We need these forests to stay alive, and Wulff is the one that can accomplish that goal.
ReplyDeleteHi Zhaorong, before reading your blog I didn't know about this situation and how close it is to home. It's crazy to think about all the little events in the world and even the big events such as this one that exist only to be overshadowed by other news, probably about a celebrity or the War in Ukraine. Politics plays such a huge role in environmental conservation and it's sometimes sad to see elected officials ignore or downplay issues that affect the environment and in turn all of us who benefit from it, whether we know it or not. Thank you for sharing!
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