CLEARCUTS HELD HARMLESS IN
OREGON SLIDE

January 4, Oregon Department of Forestry geologist Dave Michael completed his examination of the December 16 Cape Foulweather landslide, along Highway 101 near Newport, Oregon, and stated his conclusion that it was "unlikely" either of two nearby clearcuts or rainwater running in a small logging road had caused or influenced the landslide. In essence, he confirmed the initial conclusion of the state Department of Transportation that road failure, prompted by heavy rains, had caused the slide. "It was a saturated fill slope failure, not a road wash out," he concluded, and stated that he had found no evidence of soil instability in the way of cracks, slides, or fallen trees in the harvest area east of the slide.

The Cape Foulweather slide, which carried away 180,000 cubic yards of earth in December, had attracted much attention, including a suggestion that "somebody should sue the forestry department" for creating conditions susceptible to a landslide.

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