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streams. But keep in mind, this is second in priority to 

 protecting remaining undamaged habitat. 



In other situations, putting Nature in position to self-heal 

 salmon habitat means putting jams of huge logs in streams where 

 such "obstructions" were once removed when the channels were used 

 to float logs to market — and where second-growth forest has not 

 had time to grow and topple enough big trees to restore proper 

 channel structure. Hundreds of years may pass before a second- 

 growth forest does this, even if left uncut. 



I submit that it will be most rewarding in the long run NOT 

 to road and cut the scarce remaining old-growth forest, but to 

 manage more conservatively our present timber-harvest forests and 

 grazing lands. Thus, needs for costly "mitigation" will be 

 reduced while reaping sustained benefits, such as salmon runs AND 

 timber AND beef AND wildlife AND recreation. Many of the methods 

 for such management have been developed by aquatic ecologists and 

 hydrologists within USFS and BLM. The agencies should be 

 reformed to enable these people to put into practice what they 

 have developed. 



Organizing such reforms according to watersheds will be far 

 more effective than according to the present administrative or 

 political boundaries. A watershed is a logical unit in terms of 

 water catchment and flow and of the plant and animal life 



