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activities to have additional cumulative or even synergistic impacts. For example, the 

 depletion of large woody debris from streams due to logging in riparian areas, or the 

 scouring and mass deposition in a stream channel caused by a landslide and large, 

 downstream-moving debris flow, have effects that are large and irreversible over a 

 period of many decades to centuries (Bissonetal, 1991, Frissell 1991). Because even 

 limited new logging in these riparian areas will deplete what few conifer trees are left 

 to replace the natural forest, even a limited activity will now have a large cumulative 

 impact. Similarly, because extensive road networks and clearcuts have triggered 

 widespread landslides and debris flows in the past, the few remaining undisturbed 

 streams have important and increasingly rare values for fish and wildlife; even small 

 incursions into these few remaining intact watersheds now can jeopardize a sensitive 

 species over a large areas by threatening its only remaining secure habitat (Frissell 

 1993). 



The second critical factor is that in many cases, continuing declines of sensitive 

 fishes and other species indicate that these species have not yet adjusted to the loss 

 of habitat caused by past human and natural disturbance. Even where new human 

 disturbance has been abated, streams continue to suffer the effects of past activities. 

 Many populations of salmon, for example, have likely been so depleted and 

 fragmented by past human disturbance that they are likely to become extinct in the 

 next decade or two. What this means is that we have not yet been held accountable 

 for our past indiscretions in the management of rivers and the private and public lands 

 in their watersheds. The situation will likely get worse before it gets better. It also 

 means that when we err in land management, especially on steep and sensitive forest 

 lands, the consequences can be biologically and physically irreversible. Therefore it 

 is critical that we be extremely cautious and conservative in how we manage the last 

 few streams that support abundant populations and high diversity of salmon and other 

 native species. Until we have detected significant and persistent recovery of disturbed 

 and degraded habitats elsewhere in the river system, we must jealously guard the last 

 intact pieces of the ecosystem that we have left. These last pieces are largely located 

 in roadless areas and other less-developed lands under federal ownership. 



Failure of Federal Agencies to Respond Effectiveiy 



The problems outlined above have developed due to institutional biases and 

 systematic neglect or suppression of scientific data and expert opinion, especially but 

 not exclusively at regional offices and higher echelons in the agencies. This has 

 occurred despite the best efforts of many local resource professionals. In some cases, 

 good information has been assembled and disclosed, but decisions have been made 

 heedless of the likely irreversible ecological consequences. In many other cases, 

 however, sufficient expertise and institutional support have not been made available 

 within the agencies to allow for incorporation and full disclosure of accurate scientific 

 information in resource management plans. Such agency dysfunctions lead directly 



