Young Thadeus Greenson scores again in the Times-Standard! Clearly, “Falk is not forgotten.” With Shaun Walker’s excellent photos, his articles dealing with personalities and areas of local interest are collector’s items.Timber was once the throbbing heart of North Coast economy. The Bureau of Land Management’s research on the history of company towns such as Falk is commendable. There was plenty of blood and sweat. What indomitable men felled the giant trees with hand tools on this curve of the coast a hundred years ago.Nevertheless, it will be the captains of industry such as Falk, Ingomar, Wrigley, Christie, Rushing and even Hurwitz who will be featured in local archives unless someone comes up with a legend to top Paul Bunyan. Timber company executives shaped the North Coast in very significant ways, in spite of tremendous odds and very determined opposition. Remember the delays, government restrictions, bad weather, tree-sitters, the sit-ins, demonstrations, and the courts? How could we ever forget?Paradoxically, some prime-movers and events in recent North Coast history may have been conveniently forgotten. This became evident during a hike in the Headwaters Forest Reserve. A friend and I, two seasoned relics, were fortunate; an attractive young BLM expert on local history was our guide.This ranger was well-versed on natural history and very enthusiastic about the origins of Falk. I was surprised to learn, however, that she did not appear to know much, if anything, about how Headwaters Forest Reserve came into being. It seemed evident enough: No preservation, no Falk -- and no preserve, no ranger!There were and are, intelligent captains of industry who will be remembered favorably. I suspect, however, that there are one or two who will be remembered primarily because they tore up the topography, opposed every reasonable environmental regulation and screwed their companies while they raped the earth. (Details for some of the later obscenities are sickeningly evident, perhaps even in Phonebooth, Texas.)“Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe” ( H.G. Wells.) You’ve heard it all before, but hang on: Healthy civilizations, particularly in future generations, will need to be educated to the fact that humanity will depend increasingly on the scattered parks and preserves for economic reasons as well as for recreation and the quality of life, if not for life itself.Whether it is acknowledged or not, many employees of “Parks and Recreation” owe their jobs to the efforts of unpaid volunteers -- idealists who struggled tirelessly to save a few open spaces, the scattered remnants of the original forests which once blanketed the earth, and a free-flowing river or two. For a time, at least, there will be hostility and continued opposition to anything that resembles preservation and conservation. The bum’s rush to oblivion invites all of to use it up, spend it, poison it, pave it over -- to hell with the future; we’re waiting for rapture, or at least some luck with the lottery!Is it too much to ask that we honor some who followed in the footsteps of John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt? These local activists were not in it for glory or gold -- there was none to be had.Among others there was Tim McKay, Cecelia Lanman, Susie VanKirk, Steve Madrone, John Amadeo and Julia Butterfly. Without Lucille Vinyard, there might not be Redwood National Park; without Greg King, no Headwaters Forest; without Richard Gienger, no Sinkyone Wilderness.Many determined individuals have freely given years of their lives to preserve remnants of the natural world in spite of tremendous odds and powerful opposition. Remember the jeering crowds, the death threats, the arrests, the demonstrations, the pepper spray, the courts and the hearings? How could we ever forget?In fact we’d better not forget how to preserve and heal significant portions of this delicate planet. We’re not top of the list for another habitable one any time soon.John Wiebe is a resident of Trinidad.
