Once the covering vegetation is removed, these roots deteriorate and much of the soil strength is lost. But that is not what they are saying in 1996. They should be ashamed. The Oregon State Forest Practices Act doesn't require forestry department personnel to warn folks whose homes are likely to be trashed because of logging and it doesn't authorize the department to stop the logging. But simple decency would dictate that it should have.
Landslides can kill.
The department says that public safety is not its job. It should be. The law must be changed, strengthened and enforced by folks who are not industry apologists. We all must insure that those changes take place. We don't need cheerleaders for industrial logging.