Silent Forest

“Don’t you see the danger, John, inherent in what you’re doing here? Genetic power is the most awesome force the planet’s ever seen, but you wield it like a kid that’s found his dad’s gun.” Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park

Clearcutting a forest to sell the trees is bad enough, genetically altering trees is appalling. Trees have a superior value as forests, the best carbon dioxide vacuum system, nature’s way. On a hot planet, forests are essential sources of clean air, clean water, shade, habitats for wildlife, and wind and flood buffers. Our forests are going extinct.

Seeing the forests for the trees ignores the ecological value of the forests, and disproportionally seeks logging revenues. “What a better place to be taking trees to the next level and making them usable products for everyday life than southwest Arkansas.” In their promotional video The Timber Story the Arkansas Economic Development Commission tries to sell 19 million acres of forestland to paper mills, fluff mills, and wood pellet mills.

New threats for the forest

To increase the wood basket, patented and genetically engineered (GE) seedlings threaten forests. Dr. David Suzuki, a renowned geneticist, sounded the alarm back in 2009. He said, “I’m concerned about the unseemly haste with which my colleagues seem to be ready to rush in and begin to apply ideas in this revolutionary area… genetic engineering is the insertion of DNA selected for a specific trait into the cells of a living organism usually using a bacterium or a virus… the result is a tree that has been altered in a way that could never occur in nature… which often yields unexpected results.”

ArborGen, the infamous South Carolina company, is the largest provider of GE seedlings. ArborGen altered the loblolly pine variety with a “gene gun,” inserting genetic material from the Monterey pine, the American sweetgum tree, mouse-ear cress, and E. coli bacteria. They claim GE loblolly pine seedlings produce more wood per acre with greater consistency and quality, creating greater returns on investment with reduced risk. Not caring about the consequences.

Surprisingly, USDA determined the man-made pine “is not a regulated article and can be freely cultivated without undergoing environmental studies.” The South Carolina Forestry Commission has a contract with ArborGen to provide GE tree seedlings, endorsing their use.

Arkansas forests need protection

There is ample evidence GE seedlings are used in Arkansas, an unacceptable situation:

1. A 2015 USFS report says, “Thousands of acres are planted every year with genetically improved pine seedlings. An improved cherry bark oak seed orchard in North Little Rock, AR, is providing an opportunity to evaluate hardwood improvements.”
2. The Arkansas Forest Association Buyer’s guide lists GE seedlings.
3. ArborGen has an office in Bluff City, Ark.

Poor quality jobs

There are many local quality jobs to be ready for severe weather events, and work on other climate solutions.

Why would Arkansas give large subsidies to the Highland Pellet mills, the Arkadelphia Sun Bio paper mill, and other high-carbon mega deforestation projects? These funds are said to create jobs, but there are better ways to invest in local communities and protect the forests. Case in point: in 2016, Sun Bio Paper promised 250 new jobs at an average salary of $52,000 a year. This number includes Chinese managers and supervisors for four shifts, making big bucks. Locals will likely get minimum wage without union representation. Loggers and truckers are counted as indirect jobs. Public health, pollution, noise, road maintenance, congestion, and deforestation are ignored. So far, Arkadelphia has paid for a wastewater plant, road improvements, and the diversion of the Ouachita River. After 30 months, the Sun Bio mill is just a piece of paper.

Stay alert and protect your future

We are reaching the tipping point. Forests are nature’s way to capture and sequester carbon dioxide. We need a strong economy to pay for forest carbon offsets, keep forests alive and protected from logging, arson, and insect infestations. Without the forests, the cost to draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is more than $1 trillion per year.

Dr. Luis Contreras