Deforestation clipart created by Mailley Pierson.
Oregon is a habitat for a plethora of trees, the 30.5 million acres of forest that cover nearly half the state gives Oregon its distinction from other regions. As for the recent popularization of cities, housing has turned into a scarce necessity for citizens. The two in conjunction can lead to difficult decisions regarding deforestation, which is the widespread clearing of trees. Making room for further housing is essential for those to be given homes, however, heavy deforestation can lead to climate crises.
The Importance of Trees in the Environment
Trees allow air and water purification, wildlife support and forestry occupations. Deforestation poses a threat to not only the city it is occurring in but also the planet itself. Removing trees to such a large extent disrupts the ability for carbon dioxide to be absorbed and releases it back into the environment. This action is a climate change contributor, changing the pattern of weather events.
In the act of urbanizing Oregon cities, I do not believe that deforestation is an ethical method to perform. Not only does it negatively impact the environment, but it supports the notion that rapid population growth is fixable with harmful actions. The housing crisis is not solely about existing trees. Housing development around forestry is costly compared to simply tearing and replanting trees. True “developable land” is more expensive and in turn, the cheapest route is chosen. This distinctly shows the morals that mass producers have to bypass strict environmental ethics to further production.
Salem’s Proposal to Relax Deforestation Regulations
For the Salem area, stricter regulations are in place to prevent mass deforestation, however, this does not prevent this event from occurring. Governor Tina Kotek is in an attempt to alleviate the restrictions regarding deforestation. There were split opinions on each proposal, one of which was, “No city or jurisdiction shall have a tree code that prohibits or charges a fee for the removal of a tree less than 60″ in diameter.” Which received an outcry from the public as it potentially poses a threat to Oregon’s environment. With this implemented, unless a tree is over 60″ in diameter, the city can freely chop down any other tree with zero consequence. With such permissive regulations being considered, I question just how far they will go to legally permit mass deforestation.
Tree codes have remained consistent throughout the years to keep Oregon as a heavily forested area. Oregon now faces a threat to its beautiful atmosphere and greenery. An environment that is proudly recognized and cherished.
The Homeless Crisis in Oregon
In consideration of the reasoning behind deforestation, I looked specifically at the homeless crisis that is prevalent in Oregon specifically. The housing crisis is a direct result of the rapidly growing homeless population.
“Oregon has the fourth largest homeless population per capita in the country, after D.C, California and Vermont, according to the census, and it’s growing at an above-average pace.” Alex Zielinski on How Homelessness in Oregon Started, Grew, and Became a Statewide Crisis.
Despite being fourth in the entire United States, Oregon is not the most heavily populated state. It is the 27th most populated state respectively. With these two comparisons, it is clear the severity of the state of affairs. Regardless of the instance, deforestation is not an appropriate response to this data. There are a variety of solutions to this ongoing problem that do not include intense stripping of trees.
What can be Done Regarding Eliminating Deforestation?
In terms of improvement, more costly developments should be undertaken to protect the environment. If more housing can be implemented with the earth’s future also in consideration, both problems can be handled. On a larger scale, deforestation not only impacts the city of Salem but the entire world’s ecosystems.
Deforestation is a convoluted manner, however, from my perspective, it is clear for me to harbor sympathy for the environment. At some point, climate change will be irreversible. That is why it is important to safely and effectively care for the environment. There are many solutions to the housing crisis in Oregon, none of which needs to involve stripping trees from the state.
