Four people were killed when a land slide slammed into their house this week during heavy rains, in a rural area northwest of Roseburg. The house, built in 1973, was near the small, intermittent stream, Rock Creek. Above the rural residential land is a 40 acre parcel of BLM old growth, and above that is private industrial forest land, containing the headwaters of Rock Creek. (See photo.)
The private industry land was clearcut in 1987/88 by Champion Lumber Co. According to neighbors, who have taken the long muddy hike up to the source of the slide, the land is very steep, perhaps 100% slopes. Other local soil scientists have said the slope was 75% to 120% (approaching vertical).
According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, who flew over the area yesterday, the land slide started in the middle of this Champion clearcut. ODF said it was an "in unit" slide. The 1994 aerial photo shows a road and landing, on a sideslope, south east of where the landslide reportedly started. The aerial photo also shows the 10 year old industrial clearcut to be largely unrecovered, with bare, rocky soils exposed.
The huge slide, and resulting debris flow, came down rock creek, through the clearcut, through the 40 acres of BLM old growth, and then through the rural residential property, taking out the house and four people as it neared it's confluence with Hubbard Creek, a few miles upstream of the main steam of the Umpqua River. Two children, now orphans, were able to flee the slide.
SEE AERIAL PHOTO WITH SLIDE AREA MARKED
I live six miles from a landslide that ran over the Moon family residence and killed four people. On the same day, November 18, 1996, a landslide spilled onto Highway 38 at mile post 13, pushing a car into the river, killing one woman.
So far, five people have been confirmed killed by landslides in November, coming from slopes that had been clear-cut. The Oregon floods in February also produced massive landslides - coming far more often from clear-cuts than forested slopes. But in February, only fish died.
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) claimed that the mile post 13 slide, came from land they had tried to buy to protect the highway. They couldn't buy it - it was clear-cut instead - and it killed one person and seriously injured two. ODOT said the areas above the highway that were forested produced far fewer, and less sever landslides. ODOT came right out and proclaimed - "logging increases the risks of slides".(1)
The Moon family had built their house on Rock Creek, near Hubbard Creek, in 1973. They were part of a group of people who had purchased the land together, and called their community: "Stump Acres". Thirteen years later, in 1986, they discovered the slopes above their house were proposed to be clear-cut, and they voiced their concerns.
The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) began the process of issuing a clearcutting permit to Champion International, and kept track of their 'pre-operation' work hours in a little handwritten diary. On September 3, 1986, the ODF forester writes that a resident of Stump Acres had stopped by the office and "was concerned, if a clear-cut, it might result in a slide that could damage structures like the RLC clear-cut on Hubbard Creek."He was referring to the Roseburg Lumber Company 1982 clear-cut that had collapsed and destroyed a neighbor's house in 1983. No one was injured, and RLC settled by purchasing the property. In 1975, a USFS study had confirmed that landslides happen three times more often in clear-cuts than forested slopes.(2) In 1986, the residents of Stump Acres knew enough to be alarmed when the clear-cuts were proposed above their houses.
But the preparations for the Champion clear-cut continued. On October 27, 1986, the ODF forester writes in his diary: "Worked on maps-soil and slopes - identified 4 structures, 3 of which are located in areas a debris slide could reach. One structure located up Rock Cr. and right on edge of creek (High Potential for slide Damage)... 8 hours pre-op work."
The forester was looking at the Stump Acre houses, and identified the Moon house right on Rock Creek. ODF had classified the Champion land above them as a "High Risk Area" and "High Risk Site" for mass soil movement. It is unclear if this information was ever given to the Stump Acres residents, but even if they had known what was being written about them, what were they to do after investing so many years in building their homes and raising their families? Susan Moon was a nurse, and Rick Moon was a carpenter. In 1986, their two children would have been three and six years of age.
On October 29, 1986, the ODF forester, writing in his diary, records that he talked to Rick Moon (builder of the house on Rock Creek, who later died in the landslide). ODF writes: "We let him know what we were doing there and what was proposed for the area. He does not oppose the logging, but is concerned about any slide that may block the creek and flood out at a later date."
Logging started in early 1987. The slopes were extremely steep, an average of 80%, and some say they were up to 120%. It was so steep, people remember that the loggers had to use repel ropes to get in to cut the trees down. They completely clear-cut 168 acres, not even leaving a single tree along the edges of Rock Creek. The 1975 USFS study concludes that landslides from clearcuts continue for 20 years after the hill is cut. Slides will happen after the old tree roots decompose and can no longer hold the soil. Only 9 years after Champion clear-cut their land, it slid.
On November 18, 1996, during heavy rains, the water and mud moved through the clear-cut, and down the slope to Hubbard Creek, crushing a home and four lives in its path. The two children, now orphaned, were able to flee the catastrophe.In response, ODF District Forester Steve Truesdell acknowledge that the Department of Forestry recognized the danger of landslides in the logging units in 1986, but had no power to prohibit the logging. ''It's all private land. We don't have the authority to not allow activities."(3)
So the clear-cutting continues. The remaining residents on Hubbard Creek now know they live in 'unstable' mountains. One recently said: "I am willing to take my chances with Mother Nature regarding slides but I will not willing see the chance of a slide increase threefold just so a company can make some money."(4)
Less than two miles down the road from the former Moon house, Hubbard Creek residents also know about the new roads now being built above their houses. They asked Roseburg Forest Products what their plans were, and RFP responded by saying they could have their harvest plans completed by February, 1997. This potential clear-cut would be directly above 5 people's homes. According to the Oregon Department of Forestry, some of the new roads are being built on slopes up to 65% (steep), on sites with old slides and evidence of small failures.
In response to these recent events, ODF area director Craig Royce said: "The Oregon Department of Forestry is not in the business of protecting houses."(5)
Indeed, human houses are not included in the ODF goal of: "sound management of fish and wildlife resources." Considering the plight of our endangered fish and wildlife species, ODF doesn't seem to be in the business of protecting the home of any species. The first goal of the Forest Practices Act seems to insure the continuation of industry profits, or, as ODF puts it, their goal is: "to assure that the maintenance of forest land for forest purposes are the primary uses of privately owned forest lands."(6)
But now there is a new voice that can be heard above the roar of chainsaws and mudslides, in the up-to-now unchallenged area of sacred 'private' industry land. That is the voice of the old-timer, living on Hubbard Creek for 50 years, saying: "I don't want to be labeled an environmentalist, I feel in a bind over this. But wondering what Roseburg Lumber will do is like waiting for destruction. It's like having a sword dangling over your head and not knowing when it will fall."(7) It's also the voice of a nurse and neighbor on Hubbard Creek, saying: "Cut away the old growth forest above me and what will happen? Will we be the next people on Hubbard Creek to lose our home? Will we be the next to die? At least if we get killed in a slide, there will be some good documentation of our feelings before they logged. Please help us stop destructive logging in hazardous, slide-prone areas."(8)
(1) Associated Press, December 3, 1996
(2) Impact of clear-cutting and road construction on soil erosion by landslides in the western Cascade Range, Oregon, 1975, F.J. Swanson, Department of Geology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon. C.T. Dryness, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Corvallis, Oregon. Published in Geology, July, 1975. [excerpted here]
(3) Associated Press, November 26, 1996, written by Jeff Barnard.
(4) Karen Henderson.
(5) News-Review, December 6, 1996, written by Erik Robinson.
(6) ODF WWW home page.
(7) News-Review, December 4, 1996, written by Paul R. Huard
(8) Ibid 4
Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) today released the history of the 'Rock Hubbard Creek' Timber Sale. This 1987/88 sale, now a clearcut, was the source of a landslide that killed 4 people last week, including Rick Moon, who died in an octagon house next to Rock Creek. Jeff Orr is a neighbor who escaped the slide.
The Pre-Operation Notes, hand written by the ODF foresters in 1986, were included. The notes were for the purpose of documenting ODF work time in issuing a permit for the proposed logging. They were written 13 years after the residents built their homes. Since the notes were internal ODF documents, it is unlikely the residents saw them. I have excerpted some entries from the one and half pages below, and [information in brackets] or not in "quotes", are my comments:
"Sept. 3, 1986 - Jeff Orr stopped in the office to ask about a proposed sale on Champion... Was concerned if a clear-cut, It might result in a slide that could damage structures like the RLC clearcut on Hubbard Ck. Jeff was not opposed to logging but did not want any damages."
[RLC is Roseburg Lumber Company, the 1980 name for Roseburg Forest Products. This is a reference to an early 80's slide into Hubbard Creek, originating from industrial forest land, that demolished structures on rural residential property.]
"October 27, 1986 - Worked on maps - soil & slopes - Identified 4 structures, 3 of which are located in areas a debris slide could reach. One structure located up Rock Creek, and right on edge of creek (high potential for slide damage). Have given copy of map to J. Seward and pointed out some potential problems...."
"October 29, 1986 - ...We all walked the proposed spur. John and I walked down through the sale to Rock Ck. and out the bottom. The average slope was found to exceed 80%. Lots of rock outcrops and lots of bluffs. Soils seem to be quite shallow and in some places very rocky. There is evidence of old slide however the stand of timber on it now just has slight pistol buttes."
"October 29, 1986 - John Seward & I talked to Rick Moon (owner of Round House)... We let him know what we were doing there and what was proposed for the area. He does not oppose the logging but is concerned about any slide that may block the creek and flood out at a later date."
Ten years and one month later, Rick was killed by this very concern. The 1986 pre-sale documents show that ODF classified this area as "High Risk". The Forest Practice Act requires that High Risk areas have a written plan. The last entry in the Operation Notes says:
"December 30, 1986 - ...Primary recommendations from John & Keith were to keep draws cleaned of debris. Felt no written plan was needed."
ODF's response to these notes today, according to the 11/26/96 AP article:
District Forester Steve Truesdell acknowledged that the Department of Forestry recognized the danger of landslides in the logging units, but had no power to prohibit the logging. "It's all private land. We don't have the authority to not allow activities."
Action Alert: More Homes In Jeopardy From Logging
Karen Henderson
Friends of Hubbard Creek
Last year, on Nov. 18th, one mile down the road from me, four of my neighbors were killed in a massive debris slide that originated in a 1987 clearcut. They had lived there for the past 25 years. At their Memorial Service, I learned that Roseburg Forest Products had begun preparations for logging the mountainsides for a one mile stretch above my home and 6 others.
I bought my home out Hubbard Creek in Umpqua, Oregon four years ago. My 5.71 acre parcel of land was part of the original 240 acre property first settled by the Briggs family's back in the early 1890's. The man who built the original house, Clyde Briggs, was born out here in 1895. I would like to point out, that my property was a private rural residence long before the timber industry existed as we know it today.
In the process of closing the sale of my home, it was never disclosed to me that this was a slide prone area. I was never made aware that in the early 1980's, a slide originating in a recent clearcut by RFP, destroyed the Teller home - less than 1/4 mile down the road. I now find myself living between two destructive slides, with a large timber company wanting to cut the old growth forest above me!
Without a doubt, I feel this type of information should be disclosed at the time of sale. I also feel a stronger look at land use planning needs to be initiated. At the same time, current rural residents need to have legal protection from logging and road building on steep, unstable slopes in the watersheds above their homes. The Forest Practices Act must be amended to provide that protection.
Last year, RFP began preparations to log their property in Township 25s, Range 8w, Section 36. This area is along the same steep and unstable ridge that slid last November and is the very same ridge that slid and destroyed the Teller property in the early 1980's. It is located immediately above 7 occupied homes along the west side of Hubbard Creek Road. In their preparations, RFP put in five new roads and landing sites.
One of the new roads went over Day Creek, above a neighbor's property. This road ends at a landing site directly above three homes. During the heavy rainfall in November, a 110% slope on the north side of that landing site, slid into Day Creek. Everything, right down to the bedrock, went down the slope. Trees, boulders, gravel and mud came crashing down Day Creek all the way to Hubbard Creek Road. It is very obvious that the origin of the gravel and road rock is from the landing site and is the direct result of the road building that occurred in 1996.
Looking Southeast from this landing site, shows immediate slopes of 70% and old slide basins. This is directly above my home. Myself and two geologists, hiked and observed these areas. They commented that this particular road should never have been built. Even with modern road building techniques, it is too unstable of an area. Multiple failures along the road leading to the landing site supports their statement.
If this old growth forest is cut, what else will come down these slopes? How fast will landslide activity be accelerated due to logging and road building practices? How much larger will debris torrents become if the trees are gone? Must we as private rural residents, be punished because Roseburg Forest Products bought and held land that is too unstable for logging?
Pictures from the recently built road, above our homes, speak for themselves. It will take decades for Day Creek to recover from the slides of this past winter. Those slides are a direct result of the new road and landing site placement. They would NOT have happened this winter if that road had not been built.
I am very concerned that "Voluntary Deferral" of forest practices on high risk sites will protect ALL rural residents until the Forest Practices Act can be amended in 1999. In fact, the term, "high risk", has never been clearly defined by the Department of Forestry! Sadly, due to the deaths of my neighbors, my particular area has been extremely well publicized and I do not fear to speak out. Indeed RFP has verbally told me that they do not have "immediate plans" for logging above our homes. However, you must realize several different situations: Not all areas will generate the publicity that Hubbard Creek has experienced. Not all rural residents are aware of proposed logging above their homes. Not all residents are willing to speak out even with the threat of extreme danger and face it: some timber companies or private owners may not have the ethics involved or required to voluntarily defer logging.
As of today, I have no written letters or documents from RFP that state they will not be logging above my home... Only verbal reassurances for the immediate future. We all know how verbal conversations can be misunderstood, misquoted, or plainly insufficient.
I liken this logging/landslide issue to burning brush piles. Common sense dictates that I do not construct the largest brush pile possible and set it afire on September 1st. During the height of the fire season, I would be endangering not only my own property but all of my surrounding neighbors as well . This includes my upslope neighbors, the RFP land or the "timber resource" as some people like to call it. For those people lacking common sense, there are enforceable rules and regulations in place to minimize fire danger during the driest times of the year.
I expect the same type of consideration from my upslope neighbor. If they lack the God given common sense to know that their logging practices and road building endangers the downslope residents, the Forest Practices Act must be amended to allow for enforceable laws to provide that protection. ALL of us share a responsibility to our neighbors whether they are private citizens or timber industry.
The rural residents of Oregon need your help. Please write letters demanding changes in Oregon's Forest Practices Act so that there is protection for downslope home and property owners.
Send your letters to:
Gov. John Kitzhaber
254 State Capitol, Salem, Oregon 97310Federal Forest & Resource Policy Team
Paula Burgess, Director
775 Summer St. NE, Salem, Oregon 97310Oregon Department of Forestry
State Forester's Office
Mr. Jim Brown
2600 State Street, Salem, Oregon 97310Roseburg Forest Products
P.O. Box 1088, Roseburg, Oregon 97470The members of the Board of Forestry:
David Gilbert, Chair
Eastern Oregon State College
1410 L Avenue, La Grande, OR 97850
work: 541-962-3512Y. Sherry Sheng
Metro Washington Park Zoo
4001 SW Canyon Road, Portland, OR 97221
work: 503-220-2450, FAX: 503-226-6836Dick Baldwin
The Springfield Group
97 Constantine Place, Eugene, OR 97405
work: 541-343-3488Wayne Krieger
Skyview Ranch
95702 Skyview Ranch Road, Gold Beach, OR 97444
work: 541-247-7990, FAX: 541-247-7154Brad Witt
Oregon AFL-CIO, Secretary-Treasure
2110 State Street, Salem, OR 97301
work: 503-585-6320, FAX: 503585-1668Sam Johnson
1449 SW Davenport Street, Portland, OR 97201
home: 503-223-4772
Mr. Howard Sohn
Sun Studs
P.O. Box 1127, Roseburg, Oregon 97470
Your State Representatives and Senators at:
State Capitol
Salem, Oregon 97310Your County Commissioners
Thank you for all your help in this life threatening matter.
Sincerely,
Karen Henderson
Friends of Hubbard Creek
This is not just another timber sale - this is an old-growth forest. This blows away the myth that private industry doesn't have any old-growth left to cut. Roseburg Forest Products (RFP) owns this valuable piece of real estate - they own the mother bear, and her children, and the top soil, and the water and birds that live here. They own it - privately - and they can legally exploit and enslave the land to make it conform to their profit margins.
Most of the Mother Bear cutting units are classic, beautiful, ancient forests. Big fat Douglas Fir trees, centuries old, stand in the overstory, proudly displaying their fire and wind scars - still healthy after all those catastrophes. Beneath them are madrone, grand fir, hemlock, and yew trees. Even lower is rhododendron, hazelnut, and oregon grape. On the ground is the usual fallen debris found in ancient forests - thick old rotting logs, nursing the baby trees to a new life. This is endangered species country.
The timber sale is on Rattlesnake Ridge, on the slopes above Hubbard Creek. The unit boundary markings are freshly painted blue squares around paper signs, naming the sale Mother Bear and displaying a Roseburg Forest Products subsidiary logo.
Immediately to the north of Mother Bear is a 15-year-old RFP clearcut that slid and destroyed a home on Hubbard Creek the year after it was logged.
Less than 2 miles to the south of Mother Bear is a 10-year-old Champion clearcut that slid last fall, crushing the Moon home and killing four people.
Less than 1/2 mile to the east of Mother Bear, and directly downslope, are 7 more homes on Hubbard Creek - separated by less than 2300 feet from Mother Bear's boundary. Will this 2300 feet protect these people from potential landslides if Mother Bear is clearcut?
The Moon family was separated from their killer clearcut landslide by a patch of BLM old-growth. The landslide went right through it, traveling over 4500 feet into Hubbard creek (see photo). When it finds its drainage, nothing can stop it.
The roads that were just built into the heart of the Mother Bear sale have already slid, pouring gravel and wood down into the yards of people living below, and fouling their water supply. These roads were built last year - finished by December 31, 1996, according to ODF notification documents. These documents also tell us that Northern Spotted Owls live close to the roads, that the roads cross small streams with "unknown fish use," that the roads cross old slides with small failures, and are being built on slopes up to 65% (steep!).
I walked one of these roads yesterday - what was left of it. I sunk ankle deep in mud pouring off the cut bank, and I saw slides cascading down into Day Creek (the stream with unknown fish use?). Trees had toppled and thick silt had replaced the creek bed. Huge tree stumps, cut to push the road through, had slid down the mountain, root wad and all, scarring everything in their path. An immense mound of soil (mud) was piled up near the bottom end of the road, slowly drooling into Day Creek.
This is private land - and privately Roseburg Forest Products is destroying this forest. There is a public BLM road that brings us through parts of this sale, so we can view this destruction. But usually private destruction is behind locked gates - only water, wildlife and fish can cross, if they dare.
Roseburg Forest Products recently said they "may" not cut an undefined area above the houses on Hubbard Creek - for the next six years. This was a verbal statement given to a newspaper - not to the residents, despite their repeated phone calls to RFP. The only official statement ever given to the people on Hubbard Creek was that RFP will not give them any information, a one sentence letter written last December.
In the newspaper statement, no promises were given not to cut the Mother Bear timber sale, with her freshly painted boundaries and new roads. Notification to begin cutting could come any day. No promises were given to stop cutting anywhere - just an unclear "may be" in an unclear "area."
And what about 6 years from now when their "may be" promise not to cut expires? Is RFP just giving a warning? Had the residents, established there for over 100 years, better sell and clear out now? Is RFP telling them they have 6 years to get their affairs in order? Obviously, these people need enforceable legal protection.
Residents of Hubbard Creek will be telling their story to the Oregon Department of Forestry at the board meeting March 5, 1997, in Salem, at the fairgrounds. The public will be allowed to voice their opinion afterwards.
Francis
