INTRODUCTION TO ACT I
Today on TUNING IN THE U.S.A., Richard Stewart is the great forests of the Pacific Northwest. Here, much of America’s wood is produced. Richard is interested in photographing the trees and the men working among them. Some of the giant fir trees he sees are hundreds of years old. But they are being cut down for sale. Richard talks to a tree cutter and learns of a meeting where the people of the town will discuss the future of the trees.
Act I
Richard: [he speaks to himself.] What a beautiful morning! ... I love being with people, but there’s something about being a line in nature. It makes me feel so good…These Douglas fir trees are so big! [He photographs the trees.] [We hear the sound of saws.]
Ri: Sounds like chainsaws. Hmm. I thought this was a public forest. I didn’t think they were cutting trees here. Let’s take a look.
Lumberjack: Timber! [Tree falls to the ground.]
Lumberjack: Hey, fella! What are you doing here?
Ri: I’ve been hiking in these woods, and I wondered about all this noise.
Lu: Well, now you know. But you should get back over that way. It’s dangerous around here.
Ri: I can see that.
Lu: The logging company doesn’t allow the public up here. It’s too easy for people to get hurt when we’re cutting down trees.
Ri: Well I’ll be leaving then. But would you mind if I took a couple of photographs before I go?
Lu: Go ahead. I don’t mind. Are you a conservationist!
Ri: If you mean, do I care about nature and the environment, then the answer is yes.
Lumberjack: My sister is a conservationist. And in a way, I am too. I love to hunt and fish. And the animals have to have wild lands to live in. But this is my job. I cut trees.
Ri: Who do you work for?
Lu: The logging company that runs this operation. They bought the rights to cut all around here from the Forest Service.
Ri: How do you choose which trees to cut?
Lu: In some places they’ll mark this tree and that tree. In other place, like here, we cut them all down. That really angers the conservationist.
Ri: I can see that it would. These are beautiful trees.
Lu: Listen, buddy. I’ve got work to do. If you want to hear more about this business, you should come to the town meeting tonight.
Richard: Oh?
Lu: Yeah, people from the logging company and from the town will be there. You’ll hear all sides of the story.
Ri: Maybe I’ll do stat. So long.
NTRODUCTION TO ACT II
This time on TUNING IN THE U.S.A., Richard is at a town meeting in the Pacific Northwest. At the meeting there are many people who are concerned about the forests. But they are worried for different reasons. Some want to stop togging companies from cutting so many trees. Others say the cutting must continue because their jobs depend on it. It’s a difficult problem-as Richard soon discovers.
Act II
Richard: Excuse me. Is shat chair free?
Maggie: Yes, it is. This should be an interesting meeting. Hi. I’m Maggie Wright.
Ri: Hi. My name’s Richard Stewart.
Chairperson: [she bangs the desk and speaks into a microphone.] Come to order! Come to order! We’re here tonight to discuss the new “forest plan” for West Mountain. The Forest Service wants to hear our comments within the nest thirty days. As you know, the Western Logging Corporation wants to start cutting trees on West Mountain…
Vice: Yeah, we know about that plan! It’s a bad idea.
Chairperson: [she bangs the desk.] Hold on. Now, there are microphones on both sides of the hall so we can hear and record all your comments. Let’s get started.
Maggie: Richard? Have you seen their plans for West Mountain?
Ri: I’m from out of town, Maggie. But I was up on East Mountain photographing this morning.
Ma: It’s the same thing.
Ed: [he speaks into a microphone.] I’m Ed Anders. I’m a logger by trade. We’re cutting all over East Mountain. I see no reason not to do the same thing up on West Mountain.
Maggie: Excuse me, Richard. I need to move to the microphone.
Ed: My family has made a living in the woods for three generations. We have to be able to keep cutting.
Ma: [she speaks into a microphone.] I’m Maggie Wright. I understand your point, Ed. But those are old growth Douglas firs on West Mountain. They’re the last ones we have around here.
Ed: What do you propose we do?
Ma: I think we should preserve the trees on West Mountain.
Ed: Come on! Seventy percent of the jobs in this town are in cutting and in forest products.
Ma: I know. My brother is a logger, too. But the forest is a home to animals. And the land belongs to our children, too.
Ed: And what are we going to do for jobs? I don’t want to move away from here or go into any other kind of work. I’ve been a logger all my life…
[The meeting ends. Richard and Maggie walk outside to the parking lot.]
Richard: Well, Maggie, you were right. It was interesting.
Maggie: Oh, here’s my car. [She opens the door to her car.] We need to find other kinds of work to do around here. We can’t expect to live exactly the same way we always have – cutting and cutting. I just hope the Forest Service listens to us.
Ri: I’m sure they’ll try to come up with a plan that satisfies everyone.
Ma: Yup. That’s the way it works. Nice to meet you, Richard.
Ri: Nice to meet you, too. Good night. |