"These are the times that try men’s souls.  The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."

These words still apply in 2025 , or perhaps even more than they did 249 years ago when Tom Paine wrote them.  It was clear last November that we were in for a delay in creating the Douglas-Fir National Monument.

 It only gets more threatening.  Last week President Trump issued an executive order, directing the Forest Service to increase logging on all Forest Service lands.  The new Secretary of the Interior discussed lowering the federal deficit by selling or opening for exploitation all public lands under his jurisdiction, with the possible exception of national parks and wilderness areas.

                  So what are those of us who treasure our public lands and think that the value of places like the proposed Douglas-Fir National Monument lies in scientific based management, to do?  The only answer is to keep on keeping on.

                  One of the most important things we can all do is to let everyone know how we feel.  The deadline for commenting on the proposed amendments to the Northwest Forest Plan, amendments that propose to increase logging on Northwest forests, including logging of mature forests, is March 17, 2025.  If you have not already submitted your comments, do so right away.  Go to https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=64745 and submit your comments.  The official Friends comments were, in substance:

  The premises behind the examination of amendments was flawed.  The described action alternatives will increase the threat to endangered species, while offering no additional benefit in such areas as fire suppression or community economic benefit.  More logging of mature forests will threaten, not protect, old-growth forests.  The only appropriate step is to end the analysis of any alternatives now; abandon the general amendment process, and allow the individual Districts to implement appropriate, scientifically based management programs to achieve the goals of the NWFP.  Feel free to cut and paste if you want.

                  Write letters to everyone you can think of – your Senators, your Representatives, the Federal Agencies – let them know your feelings.  Let them know you are watching.  If you want, include a mention of your support for the creation of a Douglas-Fir National Monument.

                  Join and support environmental groups who have devoted themselves to protecting our public lands.  If you wish, you can make a donation to the Friends at our web site https://www.douglasfirnationalmonument.org/membership.html  We will use any donations to continue to press for the creation of a National Monument and to monitor the condition and treatment of the forests within the proposed Monument area.

                  Tom Paine’s essays were titled The Crisis.  We are in a crisis now.  We can only hope and work to insure that our crisis works out as well as the crisis of the winter of 1776 did.