Scorched Earth: Military Forest to Fuels in Oregon

January 12, 2016
Scorched Earth: Military Forest to Fuels in Oregon

by Chris Zinda

Goose Lake is 26 miles long and 9 miles wide, extending from south central Oregon and into northeastern California where the two meet with Nevada. The lake used to support an endemic form of redband trout that act like ocean going salmon, growing to giant proportions and migrating up the streams that feed it. Goose Lake has been dry in recent years and a run of these endangered fish hasn’t occurred since the early 1990s. Thankfully, they still exist in mountain streams.

The Warner Mountains form the east shore of Goose Lake, a narrow 70 mile long range in places over approaching 10,000’. Heavily forested, the range is the meeting place of three bioregions – the Great Basin, Sierran, and Cascadian – creating a unique mix of flora and fauna, many endemic. Its unique biology, geology and feel, an abundance of academics well know.

The archeological record indicates peoples have lived in the area for almost 15,000 years and the number of cultural sites and resources unparallelled in the United States – even compared to the southwest. Petroglyph panels 2 miles long and 40 feet high with figures taller than most men. Over the last few years, law enforcement has closed many of the large recently dry lake beds in the region because of looting.

Since contact, the area has been heavily logged and grazed – even irradiated from uranium production – but is recovering. With a population density averaging one person per mile, the potential for large scale wild lands protection for the many threatened and endangered species in this sea of blue sky, sage, antelope and juniper is among the best in the country.

The Project

The Department of Defense is subsidizing Red Rock Biofuels, of Ft. Collins, Colorado $75 million to annually create 18 million gallons of highly volatile jet, naphtha (white gas), and diesel fuel from forest biomass in the town of Lakeview, Oregon. The Environmental Assessment for the project, whose public comment ends February 5, 2016, is site specific and does not address regional cumulative environmental and social impacts.

More:
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/01/12/scorched-earth-military-forest-to-fuels-in-oregon/