Biscuit Fire publication controversy
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The Biscuit Fire publication controversy refers to an academic controversy which occurred in January 2006, when the U.S. Forest Service and a group of professors (including six at the Oregon State University College of Forestry), wrote a letter to the prestigious scientific journal Science requesting that a controversial forestry paper written by an OSU Forestry graduate student (and others) not be published in the journal's print edition, arguing the article was "short on qualifiers and context". Alternatively, the group requested that Science publish a sidebar illustrating their concerns alongside the paper. Science refused, and the paper (which had already undergone peer review and had been approved for publication) appeared in the January 20 2006 edition of the journal. The paper had previously been published in the online edition of Science, prior to the controversial letter being written.
The paper, written by graduate student Dan Donato and several colleagues, concerned the effects of logging the remains of the 2002 Biscuit Fire, a massive wildfire which burned nearly a half million acres (2,000 km²) in southwestern Oregon. Some forestry scientists, as well as the Bush administration, have proposed that so-called salvage logging--removal of dead trees after a fire (many of which may still be useable as timber)--is necessary for fire safety and forest regeneration. The paper claimed, however, that after examining sections of the burn which had been subjected to salvage logging and sections which had not, it was found that the unlogged portions had over three times the number of conifer seedlings that were found in the logged portions. The paper suggested that soil disturbance and materials left over from the logging process may have disturbed the growth of seedlings.
The incident, and its aftermath, have had significant repercussions in the forestry community, and has highlighted the political issues surrounding forestry research. Originally, when the letter came to light, the College of Forestry was subjected to heavy criticism from both within and outside for what was perceived as an unwarranted attack on academic freedom. Accusations of politically-motivated bias have flown in both directions, and critics of the incident have noted that the College receives 10% of its funding from a tax on logging, and that many professors have ties with the Forest Service and the logging industry. Outside observers predicted the incident would have a "chilling effect" on researchers at the College, especially those whose work opposes the interests of the logging industry. [[Citing sources citation needed]] Hal Salwasser, the dean of the College of Forestry, eventually apologized for the incident on behalf of the College, and reaffirmed OSU's support for academic freedom.
Science has invited the scientists to submit a rebuttal for potential publication in a future issue; which the scientists have indicated that they will do. In addition, the letter's primary author, OSU forestry engineering professor John Sessions, has claimed that the paper's publication constitutes a failure of the peer review process, and that he would appeal the matter to the board of Science. Science editor-in-chief Donald Kennedy has stated, in a letter to The Oregonian, that it "would be foolish to argue that no consideration of the political extensions of this finding could have entered the decision" regarding publication; however, he believes that the paper would have "made it (to publication) on its own".
Donato and his colleagues have stated that they stand behind their results.
External links
- [Wildfire logging debate heats up]
- D.C. Donato et al., "Post-wildfire logging hinders regeneration and increases fire risk," Science, January 20, 2006.
- * Online version and abstract [here] (subscription required to access full text)
- [The Oregonian: Logging study sets off own firestorm]
- [MR Zine: Corporate Forestry and Academic Freedom]
- [Miami Herald: Forestry professor continues to fight anti-logging research]
- ["Buy Donato a Beer" fund]
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