I.V.+Public+Policy

=Public Policy - Macayla = =Non-Anthropocentrism: =

= = = = = = =**Logging in California with a focus on the effects of Coho Salmon populations **=
 * One of  Environmental Ethics' issues deals with anthropocentric actions. Anthropecentrism deals with humans acting in favor of themselves as the center of the universe. The problem: humans are not the only living beings on earth. In order to have an environmental ethic that will work, we need to consider other existences - and the moral considerability of these other non-human beings.**


 ==="The primary form of moral consideration is the moral regard for the ecosystem or the natural community. This must be the primary principle of an environmental ethic because environmental protection means more than just the protection of natural individuals and natural species - it means the protection of complete ecological systems." -Eric Katz  ===

The Issue:
[| Article:Logging Rules That Would Exterminate Coho Salmon]

In the 1960's there were about 56,000 spawning Coho Salmon on the coast of California. That number declined to 7,000 in the 1990's. Today, there are only 500 to 1,000 Coho Salmon returning to California to spawn. In California, 43-53% of the 133 Coho Salmon streams no longer support the species; this is largely due to the logging going on surrounding the streams and rivers.The Threatened or Impaired Watershed (T/1) regulations is a subset of California Forest Practice Rules that is supposed to provide regulations to the timber industry which would protect ecosystems, in particular the Coho Salmon population from Santa Cruz to Oregon. The effects of the logging include flattening of the stream channels and expanding their width to depth ratio. It is not uncommon for the sub-basins to be altered by at least 50% in the course of a few decades.

Sediments in many of the rivers and streams are further increased by the many different road networks created for the logging industry. The excessive sediments provides a problem because the salmon rely on hiding between rocks and pebbles to avoid predation, and the added sediments fill in those spaces. “For a decade, the Board of Forestry has avoided taking the steps that are necessary to protect California’s salmon from the impacts of logging activities, and meanwhile coho salmon have spiraled toward extinction,“ said Jeff Miller, conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, "these unacceptable rules would continue business-as-usual logging practices and facilitate the dismantling of the last shaded, cold-water forest refuges for fish.”

Streams with Coho Salmon numbering only in the hundreds:

-Prairie Creek -Freshwater Creek -Elk River -Mattole River -San Francisco Eel River -Noyo River -Lagunitas Creek

Many will argue that the drastic drop in the Coho Salmon population is due to changing ocean conditions. However, the Center for Biological Diversity in California, has done research that shows that ocean conditions since at least 1998 have been largely favorable for Coho Salmon production, and yet no population increases are apparent. Eight populations of Coho Salmon are at risk of extinction on the coast of California. This leaves the logging industry in the hot seat.

===Picture evidence of logging on the coast of California dates back to the early 1900's, as shown in this photograph taken in 1902 in Gualala Woods near Gualala River. ===

The amount logged in the Gualala area alone is staggering.


According to **Patrick Higgins,** a consulting fisheries biologist for the Center for Biological Diversity identifies the problems with the set of regulations proposed by the Threatened or Impaired Watershed Rules:

"They do not conform to recognized best science on land management and preservation and restoration of Pacific salmon species Most actions appear geared toward allowing more harvest and would thus include an increased level of take. The largest problem, however, is not the sufficiency of each proposed rule revision, but rather the lack of ability to deal with cumulative watershed effects. It doesn’t matter what specific restrictions are or what mitigations are applied because interaction between different disturbed landscape patches creates peak flows and sediment yield far above what would be expected from site impacts alone."


 * Patrick Higgins** goes on to explain that another major problem with the proposed regulations is that they do not acknowledge watershed processes and how salmon watersheds work. To reduce watershed disturbance, sediment excess, wood deposits and water contribution need to also be acknowledged.

[|Patrick Higgins' Report]

Supporting Philosophers:

 * Aldo Leopold's** quote, "A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community" can be taken into consideration when discussing the Coho Salmon. Our anthropocentric ways have led to the almost extinction of the Coho Salmon, which in turn has disturbances in the stability and integrity of the ecosystem where the Coho spawn and live. **Eric Katz's** primary principle states that the moral regard lies with the ecosystem, and that the goal of action should be the well-being, health, and stability of the ecological community-"It should be clear that if the primary ethical goal or principle of an environmental ethic is the well-being of the ecosystemic natural community as a whole". **Holmes Rolston III** states, "There is no better evidence of non-human values and valuers than spontaneous wildlife, born free and on it's own."

**Conclusion: **
We should not be deterred by the harm already caused by our anthropocentric ways in regards to the Coho Salmon. Although, we can not change the past, we can change and focus on the future for the Coho Salmon. Stronger logging regulations with special attention to the watersheds, will result in an increase in Coho Salmon population. Let's not let our desire to be the center of the universe overcome our knowledge of the effects our actions are creating.

OK - nice overview of issues of Coho Salmon and logging in California! Clearly logging is threatening Salmon runs. However it's not so clear that restricting logging and restoring the Salmon runs does not ALSO support APC perspectives. For example, healthy Salmon runs support west coast fishing industries, restaurants, groceries, etc. So there is an instrumental, APC value in protecting Salmon runs although logging industries would have to give way here. So how does this issue relate specifically to non-APC perspectives? For example are there policies implied by non-APC that would "hurt" the fisheries as well? How far should we go with pro-ecosystem/pro-IV perspectives? Should eating of most fish be banned to protect Salmon, etc? More discussion tying fishing/logging to non-apc perspectives would be good here - and clear distinctions between apc and non-apc based policies. You can also propose policy ideas based on non-apc perspectives here.

**Photo by: ©Danijel Micka**