239 



A perfect recent example of this principle in practice is the 

 case of the Pacific yew tree. For years considered a "trash" tree, it 

 was systematically eliminated by timberland managers for generations. 

 Now it has been discovered to be the primary natural source of the 

 drug "taxol," a potent remedy for several types of cancer, and is 

 extremely valuable in the few places it still grows naturally. There 

 are undoubtedly many other species which naturally occur in Oregon 

 that will be of economic use in the future but whose uses are at 

 present completely unknown. 



Some lessons can be learned from neighboring state examples, 

 particularly in the realm of forestry practices. For instance, the 

 California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has long had 

 nursery and tree improvement programs to collect seeds from good 

 genetic tree stocks and to propagate genetically superior tree 

 specimens from them. Among the many genetic traits being invescigated 

 is resistance to disease and pests. Preserving genetic resistance to 

 naturally occurring pests is also one of the primary goals of 

 California's Gene Resource Conservation Program. In its report The 

 California Gene Resource Conservation Program: Phase I Report (1981) , 

 the ultimate economic importance of maintaining California's genetic 

 diversity with respect to our timber supply was specifically noted: 



"California has outstanding agricultural, forestry, and fishing 

 industries whose continued success rests on the availability of 

 appropriate gene resources. In fact, California will reap 

 tremendous economic benefits if this state can help meet the 

 projected increases in worldwide demand for food and fiber (due 

 mostly to the estimated increases in world population size). As 

 mentioned earlier, the development of new plant varieties is 

 likely to increase in importance as a cost-effective and safe 

 method for increasing production, (pg. 33) 



"Some of the diversity of California's native timber species is in 

 danger because of extensive artificial regeneration with 

 inappropriate seed and seedlings. This is now a serious problem 

 in north coast stands of Douglas-fir, where extensive aerial 

 seeding of non-native seed has occurred. Likewise, in the 

 central Sierra Nevada, plantations of another commercially 

 valuable species, Ponderosa pine, have been established with 

 non-local seedlings. 



Native populations of California's timber species are threatened 

 not only by contamination, but by land-use changes and other 

 human influences, disease, pests, and fire. An important means 

 of safeguarding the gene pools of native species is through in 

 situ reserves, such as federal and state parks and wilderness 



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