“Whenever it rains, water washes over every inch of road in the forest. And as each drop heads downhill toward the waterways that line our forest valleys, they carry with them little souvenirs from their roadtrips.”
Client: Bark is a Portland 501(c)(3) working to protect Mt. Hood National Forest.
Project Description: Write an article for Bark’s website and e-newsletter explaining the ecological threat posed by over-sized road systems in our forests, culminating in an introduction to the Forest Service’s “Travel Analysis Process” (a program intended to reduce roads in public forests nationwide).
A Quote
“Whenever it rains, water washes over every inch of road in the forest. And as each drop heads downhill toward the waterways that line our forest valleys, they carry with them little souvenirs from their roadtrips.
What kind of souvenirs?
Sediment. Bits of dust, specks of dirt, particles of debris, and of course residue from rubber, gasoline, exhaust, and oil. The kind of stuff salmon have nightmares about.”
The Inside Scoop
This assignment fell to me while working as Bark’s Interim Grassroots Organizer.
The purpose of the article was threefold:
- Explain why too many roads harm our forests
- Introduce people to the Travel Analysis Process (that being the Forest Service’s plan to reduce roads in our National Forests)
- Equip readers with enough basic knowledge to understand—and participate in—the implementation of the Travel Analysis Process for Mt. Hood National Forest
My Favorite Part
My favorite part has got to be the call to action at the end, where I bring the reader into the narrative:
“Now, I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that if you’ve read this far, you have a vested interest in reducing roads on Mt. Hood.
Maybe you go hiking there, take the kids camping or fishing; it might be that you work in a community near the mountain; perhaps you’re concerned for the future of Oregon’s economy; or maybe you’re just worried about the environment, and want to protect Earth’s last, precious, wild places.
Either way, you are not alone.“
I feel that this section perfectly captures the heady mixture of inspiration and motivation intrinsic to nonprofit work.
See the results:
Why You Should Be Worrying About Roads
