This fall, Alliance for Sustainable Jobs and Environment members Tracy Katelman, Don Kegley and Jim Jontz met with local labor representatives to discuss the possibilities of using union wage jobs to restore forests and watersheds in Humboldt County.
Building on that initial meeting, a steering committee and larger group is now researching the potential for a labor-environment, quality-job, restoration-project. The goals here are bigger than roadwork and stabilizing stream banks. Restoration is an untapped industry with much of the current work being done by volunteers. As the timber industry runs it?s course, our rural economy must develop a catch net of jobs for displaced workers to fall into. While our group is still many months away from establishing permanent, family wage restoration jobs, labor and environmental movements are working together to create a model for this emerging industry.
The ASJE, New Initiatives Working Group, is taking a ?High Roads? approach to quality restoration jobs. NIWG is also creating a quality restoration jobs initiative in Oregon and Washington State, and is holding regular conference calls. The project began with a background paper ?Taking the High Road to Forest Restoration: A Quality Jobs Approach? by Chris van Daalen was created with input from labor and environment and was completed earlier this year. This paper is available through the ASJE office. For more information on the Humboldt quality jobs restoration group, contact ASJE.
ASJE
1125 SE Madison St., Ste. 100-D
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 736-9777
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TOC for Forest & River News, Spring 2002