Press Release: House announces hearing on the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act

Friends of the Clearwater

***PRESS RELEASE OCTOBER 4, 2007***

U. S. House of Representatives announces hearing on the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, H. R. 1975

Gary Macfarlane, Friends of the Clearwater and President,
Alliance for the Wild Rockies 208 882-9755

Michael Garrity, Executive Director,
Alliance for the Wild Rockies 406 459-5936

Meghan O'Shaughnessy, Office of Congresswoman Maloney 202 225-7944

Dave Natonski, Office of Congressman Christopher Shays 202-225-5541

Washington, D. C. - The U. S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee announced today that its subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands will hold a hearing on October 18, 2007 on the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, H. R. 1975, sponsored by Representatives Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Christopher Shays (R-CT) and 114 other Representatives. NREPA will designate all of the inventoried roadless areas in the Northern Rockies as wilderness; protect some of America's most beautiful and ecologically important lands while saving taxpayers money and creating jobs.

To preserve the biological integrity of the Northern Rockies ecosystem, NREPA will designate as wilderness over 24 million acres of wilderness in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, eastern Oregon, and eastern Washington on federal public land. Included in this total is over 3 million acres in Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Teton National Parks.

The Northern Rockies is the only place in the lower 48 states where native species and wildlife are protected on lands that are virtually unchanged since Lewis and Clark saw them. This is public land belonging to all Americans. NREPA designates all of the remaining roadless lands in the Northern Rockies as wilderness, the strongest protection the federal government can confer on public lands.

NREPA establishes a pilot wildland recovery system. Over 6,000 miles of damaging or unused roads will be restored to roadless conditions, providing employment for over 2,000 workers while saving tax-dollars from subsidized development.

"NREPA is a common sense bill that will save taxpayer dollars, create thousands of good jobs, and protect vast expanses of treasured public land - land that belongs to the American people," said Rep. Maloney. "NREPA's time has come. I want to thank Chairman Rahall and
Subcommittee Chairman Grijalva for holding the first hearing on this important issue in nearly a decade."

Rep. Shays added, "The Northern Rocky Mountains are one of America's great wilderness preserves--a living treasure, and home to a critical component of the continent's ecosystem. It is imperative we preserve and protect our environment. We simply will not have a world to live in if we continue our neglectful ways."

"The bipartisan Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act protects public land owned by all Americans and saves taxpayers money," avers musician and wilderness advocate Carole King. "NREPA is a win/win bill whose time has come."

Grizzly bears, caribou, elk, bison, wolves, bull trout and salmon still thrive in the Northern Rockies. The bill seeks to safeguard both these species and the lands on which they live.

Gary Macfarlane, Friends of the Clearwater and a board member for the Alliance said "NREPA would provide the core habitat protection plus the connectivity needed for grizzlies to thrive in the Clearwater region. The grizzly that was recently killed in the Clearwater shows that the great bear can recover if we give the species a chance."

A 2001 study from noted biologists Carlos Carroll, Paul Paquet and Reed Noss shows the Clearwater region to be the best place for all large carnivores in the entire Rockies, including the Canadian Rockies. Without protected corridors and core habitat, grizzly recovery in the Clearwater may not occur.

"The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act will create high paying jobs by recovering old roads and clearcuts, save taxpayers money and protect the environment," said Michael Garrity, Executive Director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies.

NREPA would save taxpayers $245 million over a ten-year period by managing the land as wilderness. Additionally, more than 2,300 jobs would be created in the region through NREPA's program to restore Northern Rockies habitats to their natural state.

Wilderness guide/outfitter Howie Wolke of the Paradise Valley notes that "This is our chance to do it right. NREPA represents a rapidly fading opportunity to prevent more endangered species listings, more resource extraction-induced watershed disasters, more soil destruction and noise pollution from all terrain vehicles, and more losses of the irreplaceable values that we in the Northern Rockies hold dear. And equally important, it a chance to avoid all of the expensive band-aid mitigation measures plus the controversy and polarization that are inevitable when we fail to properly protect the habitat to begin with."

The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act:

Connects natural, biological corridors, ensuring the continued existence of native plants and animals and mitigating the effects of global warming;

Restores habitat that has been severely damaged from roads that were built, creating more than 2,000 jobs and leading to a more sustainable economic base in the region;

Keeps water available for ranchers and farmers downstream until it is most needed; and

Eliminates subsidized development in the designated wilderness areas, saving taxpayers $245 million over a 10-year period.

More information about the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act can be found at
www.wildrockies.org/nrepa/

www.friendsoftheclearwater.org/node/280


The bill can be found at

thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.R.1975.IH:

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Leading Fire Ecologist Says More and Hotter Forest Fires Due to Golbal Warming 10.18.07

60 Minutes

October 18, 2007

LEADING FIRE ECOLOGIST SAYS MORE AND HOTTER FOREST FIRES DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING COULD CAUSE THE LOSS OF HALF THE FORESTS IN THE WEST – “60 MINUTES”

Global warming will result in more than rising oceans and melting icecaps. According to one of the world’s leading fire ecologists, the warming trend is also increasing the intensity and number of forest fires so much that the American West could lose half its forests by the end of the century. Scott Pelley speaks to Tom Swetnam, a fire ecologist at the University of Arizona, for a report on mega-fires to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, Oct. 21 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

“As fires continue to burn -- these mega-fires continue to burn -- we may see, ultimately, maybe more than half the forest land converting to other types of ecosystems,” says Tom Swetnam. “[It will happen] within some decades, to a century, as warming continues and we continue to get large-scale fires,” he tells Pelley.

Last year was the worst fire season in recorded history and this season is already second, with eight million acres burned. Average temperatures are up a degree, causing earlier springs and longer fire seasons and quadruple the number of fires. “The fire season in the last 15 years has increased more than two months over the whole Western U. S.,” says Swetnam. “So actually 78 days of average longer fire season in the last 15 years compared to the previous 15 or 20.”

Tom Boatner, chief of fire operations for the federal government, says he’s seen the results up close on the fire line and in the statistics. “We got records going back to 1960 of the acres burned in America. So, that’s 47 fire seasons. Seven of the 10 busiest fire seasons have been since 1999,” he tells Pelley. The fires are bigger and more frequent. “Ten years ago, if you had a 100,000-acre fire, you were talking about a huge fire....Now we talk about 200,000-acre fires like it’s just another day at the office,” says Boatner, who says he and his firefighters have battled two fires this year that were over 500,000 acres.

Part of the blame for the fires is a strategic mistake made by the forest service. Throughout most of the 20th century, all forest fires sighted, big and small, were extinguished. This vigilance led to an increase in the amount of fuel in forests. “So now, when the fires get going, there’s a lot more to burn than historically you would have seen,” Boatner tells Pelley.

With more to burn, the fires are more intense and all consuming, leaving very little to grow back and scant soil from which it can take nourishment. On a fire-ravished landscape, Swetnam points to the ground. “We used to have forest soil here that might have been this deep,” he says, indicating about a foot of depth, “but now we’re just down to rock…sort of armored soil and that is not a good habitat for trees to re-establish,” he tells Pelley.

* * *

Press Contact: Kevin Tedesco 212 975-2329 kev@cbsnews.com

Press Release: Fish and Wildlife Service ignores Congress, scientists on Northern Spotted Owl 10.25.07

News Release: Senator Feinstein Introduces Sweeping Legislation to Reduce Wildfire Risk to Communities, Boost Federal Disaster Aid 11.16.07

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, November 16, 2007

-Bills introduced in wake of devastating Southern California wildfires-

Washington, DC – U. S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today introduced a series of bills to encourage state and local governments to improve fire-prevention efforts in areas prone to wildfires, to increase federal recovery aid to victims of major disasters, and to require states to create data bases to keep track of criminal arsonists.

“The risk of catastrophic wildfire for California is not going away. We are a tinder-dry state, we have extended droughts, and global warming is only making the risks greater. Wildfires are more frequent, and they burn hotter and with more intensity. So we must plan in advance to protect homes and communities from these massive fires. We must also do more to help victims of wildfires and other disasters. This legislative package is not a panacea. But it is a significant first step in improving fire safety and recovery aid,” Senator Feinstein said.

The legislative package introduced today by Senator Feinstein includes four bills:

* Fire Safe Community Act: Establishes incentives for communities at risk of wildfires to adopt a new model Fire Safe ordinance that will set national standards in building codes, creation of “defensible space” around homes, and reduction of hazardous fuels. It also includes new federal grants to local communities, and increases federal reimbursement of firefighting costs to participating communities;

* Mortgage and Rental Disaster Relief Act: Re-institutes a previously discontinued FEMA program to help qualified individuals displaced by major disasters make their mortgage payments;

* Disaster Rebuilding Assistance Act: Boosts the maximum amount FEMA may provide to qualifying households to pay for temporary housing and home rebuilding costs. FEMA currently provides roughly $28,000 in this assistance. This bill would increase this to $50,000; and

* Matching Arson Through Criminal History (MATCH) Act: Creates a national arson registry, requiring convicted arsonists to report where they live, work, and go to school. (Companion bill to H. R. 1759, introduced by Representatives Mary Bono, R-Palm Springs, and Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena.)

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is co-sponsor of the Mortgage and Rental Disaster Relief Act, the Disaster Rebuilding Assistance Act, and the MATCH Act.

The bills introduced today are the latest in a series of actions taken by Senator Feinstein in the wake of the recent wildfires:

* Senator Feinstein, along with Representatives Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands) and Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), was instrumental in securing $500 million for emergency fire suppression, risk reduction, and recovery needs required by this year’s catastrophic fire season.

* Senator Feinstein was also joined by Senator Boxer and several California members of the House of Representatives to ask top federal officials to streamline the process for replacing passports and other important immigration documents lost in the Southern California wildfires.

The recent wildfires, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, swept through seven Southern California counties, leaving them disaster areas. The wildfires – which at one point spanned from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border – killed 10 people, injured 130, destroyed more than 2,000 homes, and inflicted damage estimated to exceed $2 billion.

The 2007 wildfires came four years after similar wildfires devastated Southern California, a region with strong population growth into the “wildland-urban interface.” The risk of massive losses in the future is high, with an estimated 5 million California homes now in areas known to be prone to wildfires, according to the California Department of Forestry.

“The damage caused by these wildfires is deep and lasting. We can never eliminate the risk of these fires. But I am committed to doing everything within my power to ensure that all available means are employed to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, to fight them more effectively when they do break out, and to speed recovery to the victims, so that they might get back on their feet as quickly as possible,” Senator Feinstein said.

Following is a summary of the bills introduced by Senator Feinstein:

Fire Safe Community Act

Would establish new incentives for communities at risk of wildfire to improve fire-prevention efforts. Key components include:

* Creating a model ordinance for communities at risk of fire located within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). Bill will direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create a model ordinance, in partnership with the U. S. Fire Administration, the U. S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. The purpose of this model ordinance is to provide a baseline for communities to become “fire safe,” including suggested water supply, construction materials and techniques, defensible space, vegetation management, and infrastructure standards;

* Developing a new $25 million grant program to assist local communities in implementing the activities and policies of the NIST model ordinance. To qualify for this grant program, communities must be located in a fire hazard area and take steps toward the implementation of the model ordinance. These grants, administered by FEMA, can be used to enforce local ordinances and codes, develop incentive programs to improve code compliance, educate local planners on fire resistant planning, zoning and home construction, as well as train local fire departments on emerging technologies such as GIS fire mapping;

* Providing grants to States on a 50/50 cost share basis to create or update fire hazard maps. Authorizes $15 million annually for States to develop or update statewide fire hazard maps which identify communities at risk of wildfire;

* Establishing incentives for communities that decide to become more fire safe by changing the federal share of firefighting and emergency expenses reimbursed under FEMA’s Fire Management Assistance Grants. Currently states and local communities can have 75 percent of their firefighting and emergency service expenses reimbursed by the federal government, if FEMA determines that a fire threatened a significant number of homes and structures. Under this bill, communities in fire hazard areas that adopt the new model ordinance would be eligible to have 90 percent of their firefighting and emergency service expenses reimbursed under the Fire Management Assistance Grants program;

* Authorizing the US Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to offer grants to local communities for fire safe practices. The bill makes revisions to the authorization of the U. S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to allow them to administer grants to local communities for model ordinance compliance and for responsible zoning and fire protection strategies. The U. S. Forest Service would administer $35 million in fire-safe grants. The Department of the Interior would administer $15 million in these grants.

Mortgage and Rental Disaster Relief Act

Would address an important reality facing many disaster victims: Although they have lost their homes, in most cases they must still make mortgage or lease payments – on top of paying for temporary lodging. Key components include:

* Making mortgage and rental assistance available to qualified individuals. Assistance would administered by FEMA, available for up to 18 months, in communities designated by the President as disaster areas;

* Establishing qualification standards. Disaster victims must show they have suffered significant financial hardship, and are at imminent risk of foreclosure or eviction;

* Setting income limits to ensure aid goes to those most in need. In high-cost states such as California, households with annual adjusted gross incomes of $100,000 or less could qualify. Households in lower-cost states could be eligible if their annual adjusted gross incomes do not exceed $75,000.

Disaster Rebuilding Assistance Act

Would provide assistance to disaster victims whose insurance policies do not provide enough money to cover rebuilding costs. California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner estimates that as many as 25 percent of California’s wildfire victims may be underinsured. Key component:

* Increasing the amount of federal aid available for rebuilding and for temporary housing. It would specifically boost the assistance FEMA provides to qualified households to $50,000, up from roughly $28,000 today.

Managing Arson Through Criminal History (MATCH) Act

Would provide an important tool to law-enforcement and fire-safety officials by enabling them to effectively track arsonists. Key components include:

* Requiring each state to create a statewide registry. Criminal arsonists are required to register and to keep registration up to date. Failure to do so is accompanied by a mandatory state penalty. Arsonists are required to annually verify their registration at least once a year.

* Requiring criminal arsonists to provide their name, Social Security number, any applicable address, and pertinent vehicle information. The jurisdiction is required to provide the text of the law violated, as well as a physical description, criminal history, photograph, photocopied I. D., and fingerprints of the arsonist.

* Establishing length of time on registry based on number of offenses. Five years for one offense, ten years for two offenses, and lifetime for three or more offenses.

* Requiring each jurisdiction to make information about the arsonist available on the Internet, readily accessible to approved law-enforcement agencies; Attorney General responsible for creating and maintaining National Arsonist Registry. The Attorney General is also responsible for developing and providing the software necessary for jurisdictions to comply with the law.

* Creating Criminal Arsonist Management Assistance Program, to be established and implemented by Attorney General. This program will allow the Attorney General to provide grants to jurisdictions to offset the costs of establishing and complying with these programs. Grant applications must be submitted by the jurisdiction on an annual basis. Jurisdictions are also eligible for bonus payments. The Attorney General will distribute such sums as necessary, authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year from 2008-2014.

Press Release: Forest Protection and Restoration must be goal of Senate Subcommittee hearing

Press Release: Statement from Heritage Forests Campaign on the Bush Administration’s Plan to Remove Protections for Idaho’s Roadless Areas 12.20.07

For Immediate Release

December 20, 2007

Contacts:

Dave Bard, National Environmental Trust, 202.486.4426

Jonathan Oppenheimer, Idaho Conservation League, 208.345.6942 x26

Caitlin Love Hills, American Lands Alliance, 202.547.9105

Tim Preso, Earthjustice, 406.586.9699, x24

Craig Noble, NRDC, 415.601.8235

Chris Lancette, The Wilderness Society, 202.429.2692



Statement from the Heritage Forests Campaign on the Bush Administration’s Plan to Remove Protections for Idaho’s Roadless Areas



WASHINGTON – The Bush administration today released documents announcing its
intention to remove protections for more than six million acres of roadless
areas in the national forests of Idaho. Idaho’s roadless backcountry areas some of the nation’s last intact national forests and this proposal would open the door to their development by corporate special interests.

“Protection of our nation’s pristine forests is critical to the preservation
of our natural heritage. These wild areas contain watersheds that provide
clean drinking water, wildlife habitat and outstanding outdoor recreational
opportunities that should be kept safe for generations to come.

“Last year, a federal judge struck down the Bush administration's attempt to remove protections for our nation’s wild forests. Today 50 million acres of roadless national forests, in all states except Alaska, are protected from road construction and logging. Now, under the cover of the hectic holiday season, the administration is trying to open the door to new development in the roadless backcountry of Idaho’s national forests.



“America’s conservation organizations are united to defend our last wild
forests in Idaho and throughout the nation. We strongly oppose the Bush
administration’s last ditch efforts to sell out to the timber, oil and gas,
and mining industries. If the administration gets its way, our country will
lose some of the most peaceful and pristine places within our national
forests. For example, releases of highly toxic selenium as a result of the proposed Smoky Canyon mine expansion into the Sage Creek roadless area in southeast Idaho threaten to decimate trout populations in those wild forests.



“Last year, the former governor of Idaho, James Risch, made a commitment to protect all but 500,000 acres of roadless forests in Idaho, which was widely hailed as a step in the right direction. Now, it seems as if the Bush administration has taken two steps backward. We should never allow these last intact forests to fall victim to corporate development.



###



BACKGROUND

According to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) released by the
U. S. Forest Service, under the proposal, only one-third (3.2 million acres) of Idaho’s 9.3 million acres will be managed in a manner that retains “natural processes and roadless characteristics.” (DEIS 2.5 p. 72) Current law protects all 9.3 million acres of Idaho’s roadless backcountry. Six million acres, is an area roughly equivalent to the size of the state of Massachusetts.



The Draft Rule and DEIS, due out in the Federal Register this Friday,
December 21, will start a public comment period that will last at least 90 days. During this time, the Forest Service will also begin a series of
public meetings and hearings around Idaho and in Washington, D. C. To learn
more, go to ourforests.org/press/pr07-05-02.html and
roadless.fs.fed.us/.



To find out more about the proposed Smoky Canyon mine expansion into Idaho’s Sage Creek roadless area, see
www.earthjustice.org/library/references/smoky-canyon-fact-sheet.pdf



Also expected is the imminent release of a similar proposal regarding the
management of roadless areas in the state of Colorado, coupled with the
upcoming release of a revised land management plan for the Tongass National
Forest.

Conservation Science Group Announces Winners of Annual Conservation Awards 02.28.08

National Center for Conservation Science and Policy

P. O. Box 729
84 4th Street
Ashland, OR 97520
(541) 482-4459
(541) 482-7282 (fax)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Thursday, February 28, 2008 Dominick DellaSala (541-482-4459 ext 302)


CONSERVATION SCIENCE GROUP ANNOUNCES WINNERS
OF ANNUAL CONSERVATION AWARDS

Five exemplary individuals and organizations that led the way in 2007 in protecting life on earth were honored recently by the National Center for Conservation Science & Policy. “The world is a measurably better place because of the efforts of our most recent Conservation Award winners,” said Matthew McMcKinnon, Vice President the Board of Directors of the National Center.

Senator Ron Wyden, for his work on endangered species, and State Representative Peter Buckley, for his 100% Oregon League of Conservation Voters record, were recognized with the National Center’s 2007 Conservation Integrity Award. The Seattle Office of Earthjustice, for their success in protecting salmon, steelhead and old-growth forests, and Randi Spivak, for her work with grassroots coalitions in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the nation, received 2007 Conservation Leadership Awards. The Williams Creek Watershed Council was recognized with the 2007 Headwaters Heritage Award to honor their efforts to restore local streams to support returning salmon and steelhead.

“It takes extraordinary commitment from Washington, D. C., to our own backyards to make sure our children and grandchildren are going to be able to enjoy a healthy planet,” said Cindy Deacon Williams, Senior Scientist with the National Center. “This year’s honorees have demonstrated outstanding leadership, determination and integrity in their efforts to secure the opportunity for future generations to enjoy Oregon’s natural treasures.

Contact Information for 2007 Conservation Award Winner’s:

Molly McCarthy-Skundrick, Field Rep, Senator Wyden’s Medford Field Office, (541) 858-5122
State Representative Peter Buckley (D-Ashland), (541) 488-9180
Todd True, Managing Attorney, Earthjustice – Seattle, (206) 343-7340 ext. 30
Randi Spivak, Executive Director, American Lands Alliance, (202) 547-9400
Arthur Sherman, Williams Creek Watershed Council, (541) 846-9175


###
2007 NCCSP CONSERVATION AWARDS

The National Center for Conservation Science & Policy is a non-profit conservation science & policy organization with a mission of creating science-based solutions to protect and restore the life processes and ecological vitality that sustain all lands, waters and communities. With our Conservation Awards, the National Center recognizes exemplary individuals, organizations, and institutions that have taken bold steps in protecting our natural heritage.

Conservation Integrity Award (Given to a government official from any of the three branches of government who reached or negotiated an important natural resource decision that reflected a clear understanding of the implications of the relevant science on resource policy)

• Senator Ron Wyden, D-Oregon

Senator Ron Wyden was honored for his exemplary leadership during 2007 in protecting the nation's endangered species. Of particular note are Senator Wyden’s actions last year to place a hold on the Lavity nomination, his request that the Interior Inspector General look into allegations that the administration tampered with 14 additional endangered species decisions beyond those addressed by Interior Secretary Kempthorne, and his efforts to ensure congressional oversight hearings on Department of Interior reforms.

Senator Wyden’s work on endangered species, particularly the controversy over political interference in the spotted owl recovery plan, demonstrated commendable leadership.

• State Representative Peter Buckley, D-Ashland (District 5)

State Representative Peter Buckley was recognized for his extraordinary legislative work on behalf of Oregon’s natural resources. Last year, State Representative Buckley not only was present for all the critical votes on issues related to air and water quality, fish and wildlife, land use, recycling, special places, energy and climate change, in casting those votes he improved his Oregon League of Conservation Voters record to 100%.

2007 Conservation Leadership Award (Given to an individual or organization who’s extraordinary efforts used credible science to make a real difference in protecting and restoring the life processes and ecological vitality that sustain all lands, waters and communities)

• Seattle office of Earth Justice (12 person staff: Patti Goldman, Todd True, Kristen Boyles, Shaun Goho, Jan Hasselman, Steve Mashuda, Joshua Osborne-Klein, Catherine Hamborg, Cheryl McEvoy, Lisa Lange, Sandy Wagner and John McManus)

The Seattle office of Earth Justice was honored for their use of credible science to secure landmark legal victories during 2007 that measurably improved or restored protections for Pacific salmon and steelhead and old growth ecosystems. Their most important legal victories last year were achieved in cases involving the Aquatic Conservation Strategy of the Northwest Forest Plan, Endangered Species Act status for Pacific salmon, salmon hatchery policy, Bureau of Reclamation operations in the Klamath Basin, and logging in Southern Oregon.

• Randi Spivak, American Lands Alliance

Randi Spivak was honored for her exemplary leadership in working with grassroots coalitions in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the nation to protect the nation’s federal forest lands. Particularly noteworthy have been her efforts over the past seven years to uphold the protective elements of the Northwest Forest Plan, including helping to expose short-comings in the spotted owl recovery plan and murrelet critical habitat determination; injecting old-growth protections into the Healthy Forest Restoration Act in 2003; helping to stop the salvage bill in 2006; and introducing conservation principles into thinning legislation in 2007.

2007 Headwaters Heritage Award (Given to an individual or community organization from anywhere in the world whose on-the-ground work made a real difference in the protection and restoration of the ecological vitality of the place where they live)

• Williams Creek Watershed Council

The Williams Creek Watershed Council was honored for their exemplary efforts to restore and protect fish habitat in the Williams Creek Watershed. The Council has effectively bridged landowner and water right holder concerns, developed and creatively funded an ambitious slate of habitat restoration projects, and worked diligently to improve river conditions.

Selection Criteria

Nominees are judged based on the degree to which they promote or enhance scientifically credible public policies, management decisions, and societal conservation ethics that maintain and improve ecosystem integrity. Specifically, nominees display most or all of the following values:

• Solution oriented: promote science-based solutions to the important natural resource issues of our time; work with unlikely allies and search in non-traditional places to find those solutions.

• Science-based: develop and/or rely upon rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific information

• People Matter: demonstrate a care for ecosystems and people, putting credible science forward in a way that is accessible to non-scientists and creating solutions that address ecological, economic and social aspects of resource conflicts

• Results Driven: focus on being effective and efficient in achieving resource protection and restoration

• Honest and Accountable: exhibit responsibility in ensuring positions are scientifically credible, and transparency in communicating their ethical foundation

• Collaborative: embrace a “we” perspective (no “us” or “them”); work with all people of goodwill to resolve natural resource conflicts

Press Release: Senate Hearing Highlights Values of Protecting and Restoring Old Growth Forests 03.13.08

American Lands Alliance * Conservation Northwest * KS Wild * Oregon Wild * Siskiyou Project

PRESS RELEASE March 13, 2008

Contact:
Jonathan Jelen, Oregon Wild 503.283.6343 x224
Randi Spivak, American Lands Alliance 202-547-9029, 310-779-4894
Jasmine Minbashian, Conservation Northwest, 360.671.9950 ext. 29
Joseph Vaile, KS Wild, 541-621-7808
Shane Jimerfield, Siskiyou Project, 541-592-4459

Federal Protection On The Way For Northwest Old Growth?
Senate Hearing Highlights Values of Protecting and Restoring Old Growth Forests

Washington, D. C.—Some of the nation’s biggest and oldest trees were the topic of a Senate hearing today as Congress begins to explore how to permanently protect the old-growth forests on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest. The Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests heard testimony from expert scientists, conservationists and others on the benefits old-growth forests provide to the region and the country. Subcommittee chair, Ron Wyden (D-OR) has been gathering information to inform legislation aimed at moving federal forest policy toward a sustainable future.

“When we talk about old growth protection, we are talking about passing on our natural heritage to our children,” said Randi Spivak, American Lands Alliance Executive Director, who testified at the hearing. “Mature and old-growth forests once blanketed two-thirds of the Pacific Northwest, today, after decades of logging, less than 20% remains on the landscape.”

David A. Perry, a professor emeritus in the Department of Forest Science at Oregon State University
and member of the National Commission on the Science of Sustainable Forestry also provided testimony. “Saving all remaining old-growth forests greatly enhances the probability of late-successional-dependent species persisting through this period of extreme habitat bottleneck, reduces the chance of flooding, and lowers the risk of mega-fires,” Perry explained. “Saving mature forests that are on a trajectory toward old-growth contributes significantly to these goals in the short run, and will be essential in the long run.”

Witnesses at today’s hearing described the many community and ecosystem benefits that old-growth forests provide including clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities and global warming mitigation. Portland, Eugene, Salem, Corvallis, Ashland, Eureka, Arcata, and many other municipalities across the region rely on old-growth forests on federal lands to protect the quality of the rivers and streams that provide their clean drinking water. Older and mature forests provide ideal habitat for rare and iconic Northwest species like elk, fisher, murrelets, owls, and salmon.

“The science is clear,” added Mitch Friedman, Executive Director of Conservation Northwest who attended the hearing. “We should be protecting forests older than McCain and restoring forests younger than Obama.”

Some of the reasons to protect old growth have been well known for generations. Old-growth forests are an integral part of the way of life in the Pacific Northwest where clean water, salmon, fishing and hunting, and scenic landscapes are cherished. The region’s recreation and outdoor economy has boomed in the past decade, with people traveling to enjoy the pristine forests of Oregon’s Rogue Valley and Washington’s Mt.Bak r Snoqualmie National Forest. Quality of life, provided in part by mature and old-growth forests, is recognized as an important engine that drives economic development in the Pacific Northwest.

Other ecosystem benefits provided by old-growth forests are just coming into full view. A growing body of research is showing the important role that Northwest forests can play in mitigating global warming. The region’s old-growth forests store carbon pollution more efficiently than any other forest type in the world. In Oregon alone, forest growth sequesters nearly 50% of the state’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.

“As the potential adverse impacts of global warming continue to pile up, the protection of old growth forests becomes even more important,” said Jonathan Jelen, Old Growth Campaign Coordinator with Oregon Wild. “These forests store huge amounts of carbon at a very low cost and are vital to our future efforts in combating climate change.”

Today’s discussion of old-growth protection comes at a time when Northwest forests face increasing threats in the final months of the Bush administration. Recent bureaucratic decisions have attempted to chip away at the limited protections the region’s forests have under the Northwest Forest Plan. In the past year alone, the administration has attempted to weaken habitat protections for the Northern Spotted Owl by developing a draft recovery plan that ignored the body of scientific knowledge demonstrating that the survival of the owl depends on old-growth forests. In another attack on the region’s old-growth, an out of court settlement between the Bush administration and the logging industry led to last year’s proposed Western Oregon Plan Revisions. This Bureau of Land Management plan would increase old growth logging by 700 percent on the 2.6 million acres of forested land the agency manages in Oregon.

Perspectives from around the region:
“If we have learned anything from the Bush administration, it is that our natural treasures are not safe,” concluded Steve Pedery, Conservation Director of Oregon Wild. “It is time to protect these ancient forests once and for all so that regardless of which way the political winds are blowing, old-growth forests will be standing tall in the breeze.”

“Most Forest Service managers are now focused on thinning small trees in overgrown tree plantations,” said Joseph Vaile, Campaign Director of the Ashland-based Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center. “Unfortunately, the Bureau of Land Management in Western Oregon continues to plan old-growth timber sales and is in the process of rewriting plans to increase logging in some of our last, ancient forests on public land.”

“It was once thought that only ivory from elephant tusks would do for piano keys and billiard balls or whale oil for lighting. Killing whales or elephants to make products that can be made from other materials is no longer socially acceptable. The same is true for logging mature and old-growth forests.”
-Randi Spivak, Executive Director, American Lands Alliance

“Protecting old growth is an important way to protect the watersheds of our many Wild and Scenic Rivers, and thus protect our wild salmon. The Rogue and Illinois rivers are in need of such long-term protection.” – Shane Jimerfield, Executive Director, Siskiyou Project.

Press Release: DeFazio Lambasts BLM for Sitting on Latest Scientific Review of WOPR 03.27.08

PRESS RELEASE: DEFAZIO LAMBASTS BLM FOR SITTING ON LATEST SCIENTIFIC REVIEW OF WOPR

NEWS
FROM U. S. REPRESENTATIVE
PETER DeFAZIO

Fourth Congressional District, Oregon
Contact: Molly Simmons—(202) 225-6416
March 27, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DEFAZIO LAMBASTS BLM FOR SITTING ON LATEST SCIENTIFIC REVIEW OF WOPR
Scientific Team Fails To Support Findings In WOPR

WASHINGTON (DC)—Today, Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Springfield) was surprised to learn that the long-awaited seven agency scientific review of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Western Oregon Plan Revision (WOPR), which failed to pass scientific review, has been buried on BLM’s website for several weeks.

The BLM convened the Science Team in September 2005, to advise the agency on scientific issues. In its review of WOPR the Science Team concluded that WOPR suffered from several critical errors: overestimating the amount of available habitat for key species, underestimating the environmental effects of the revision, using models without verifying accuracy, failing to incorporate social and scientific uncertainty into its assumptions, and failing to utilize the best available science in its analysis. The Review examined all resources affected by WOPR, including wildlife, socioeconomics, water, and timber.

“I am shocked that the BLM appears to have quietly sat on the findings from its own Science Team,” Congressman DeFazio said. “This doesn’t pass any credible attempt to fully disseminate this report and make the public aware that the Team’s findings were even available. Given the Science Team took issue with much of the findings in the WOPR, the BLM leaves the impression that it didn’t want this report to be widely known anytime soon.”

The Team includes federal and state scientists with experience in a variety of natural and social sciences. Team members are scientists from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, United States Geological Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Oregon Department of Forestry, Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, and the BLM.

In response to a sweetheart settlement agreement with the timber industry, the BLM is considering revising the six western Oregon resource management plans that dictate management on 2.1 million acres of public land in southwest Oregon. This plan is commonly known as the Western Oregon Planning Revision, or WOPR. The agency released the draft environmental impact statement for its proposal in August 2007, which called for a 700% increase in logging on these lands. The BLM is expected to make a decision on the revisions sometime in the next several months.

“The WOPR is based on the fatally flawed 2007 draft spotted owl recovery plan, which itself has already failed three different scientific peer reviews. I have told the BLM and proponents of WOPR that continued reliance on this plan revision process to meet unrealistic timber harvest levels is ludicrous. It now appears that even the BLM’s own science team agrees.”

DeFazio also said, “If WOPR cannot stand under its own weight, it is time for Congress to step in and provide clear direction for these forests.”

The Science Team’s review is available on the BLM’s WOPR website: www.blm.gov/or/plans/wopr/files/Science_Team_Review_DEIS.pdf.

News Release: Bush Administration Strips Protections from America's Largest Forest; 01.25.08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
American Lands Alliance, Caitlin Hills, 202-547-9105
Defenders of Wildlife, Mary Beth Beetham, 202-772-0231
Earthjustice, Tom Waldo, 907-586-2751
Environment America, Christy Goldfuss, 202-683-1250
Friends of the Earth, Erich Pica, 202 222-0739
Larry Edwards, Greenpeace, 907-747-7557
League of Conservation Voters, Tiernan Sittenfeld, 202-454-4582
Natural Resources Defense Council, Julia Bovey, 202-270-0768
Sierra Club, Trish Rolfe, 907-276-4044
Tongass Conservation Society, Gregory Vickrey, 907-617-4033

Pristine Areas Targeted for Logging

Juneau, AK (January 25, 2008) -- Today, the Bush administration took its third swipe in recent weeks at opening protected areas in America's national forests to logging before it leaves office. A Bush plan announced today puts a "for sale" sign on trees in vast swaths of the nation's largest national forest - the Tongass rainforest in Alaska.

This move by Bush officials to reverse roadless area protections joins two others made recently in the national forests located in Idaho and Colorado.

"The few remaining roadless areas of our national forests are some of the only safe harbors for America's wildlife. As global warming threatens to change dramatically the landscape we must have the foresight to preserve these last remaining pristine forests for future generations," said Mary Beth Beetham at Defenders of Wildlife. "It's folly for the Bush administration, in its last few months, to work to destroy these areas."

The Bush administration's just-released management plan for the Tongass National Forest in Alaska puts millions of pristine acres in this ancient rainforest on the auction block to the timber industry, yet will raise no revenue for the U. S. government, as the U. S. taxpayers themselves will have to pay to build the roads the timber companies need to access the forest. The Tongass is the largest national forest in the country.

"With so much of our forest heritage already lost, every roadless acre counts. The spectacular roadless areas in Alaska deserve as much protection as those in every other state," said Larry Edwards with Greenpeace in Sitka, Alaska.

Today's decision is part of the Bush administration's rapidly materializing last-ditch assault on public lands in general and roadless areas in particular. Having failed so far in their attempt to do away with the popular Roadless Rule nationwide, Bush appointees now are pursuing a piecemeal attack. Already in Colorado and Idaho, Bush administration plans are near completion to roll back the Roadless Rule and open protected areas to development. The Roadless Rule protects undeveloped backcountry areas in the national forests from most logging and new road construction.

"The Roadless Rule and the courts have sheltered many of the last, best places in our national forests, even during an administration hostile to forest protection. Now, with one foot out the door, Bush officials are looking for whatever way they can to give away the family silver," said Franz Matzner at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

Tongass logging fell dramatically in the 1990s, and for years now has existed at levels that don't require slicing roads and clearcuts into virgin old-growth forests, as the Forest Service itself has acknowledged.

"Today," said Caitlin Hills with American Lands Alliance, "the federal government, in defiance of the facts and the strongly expressed sentiments of the American people to protect all roadless areas, has answered 'fire up the chainsaws.'"

"The Tongass is the crown jewel of our nation's roadless wildlands," said Trish Rolfe at Alaska Sierra Club. "Wild salmon, bears, eagles, and wolves thrive there among moss-draped ancient trees, along crystalline fjords and untamed rivers. It has nine million acres of roadless areas that lack permanent protection. The Bush administration has just put some of the best of them on the chopping block."

In 2003, the Bush administration began to exempt the Tongass from the Roadless Rule, but was unable to proceed with new timber sales in roadless areas due to critical defects in the forest plan. Today's plan was supposed to correct those defects, but still reopens pristine areas to logging and road construction. Because other state-specific exemptions are as yet only plans, the Tongass is the only national forest where such logging would even arguably be allowed.

"All over the Tongass there are roadless wildlands that local people and visitors hold dear, jeopardized by this new plan," said Gregory Vickrey with Tongass Conservation Society. "These are special places critical to the region's incredible fish, deer and other wildlife, world-famous recreational opportunities, cherished subsistence practices, and the businesses and jobs that depend on the region's natural treasures. These are the very things that make Southeast Alaskans most want to live here."

The land management plan released today was ordered more than two years ago by a federal court which concluded that the old plan justifying opening Tongass wildlands for development was invalid due to several factors, including a gross overestimation of demand for Tongass logs Congress has also expressed concern with Tongass wilderness logging. The House of Representative has voted three times to stop taxpayer dollars from funding new logging roads there.

"This plan simply ignores economic realities. Logging these pristine areas makes no sense. The evidence is clear, there is no demand for Tongass timber and the federal government is simply throwing good money after bad building expensive roads in remote areas to sell timber the global economy can't absorb," said Christy Goldfuss with Environment America.

More than half of the lands within the national forest system -- public lands owned by all Americans -- have already been subjected to development and road building at great expense to the taxpayer. In fact, the Forest Service cannot even maintain the 400,000 miles of roads that already crisscross the national forest system. It has accumulated a $6 billion maintenance backlog for its crumbling current road system.

"The Forest Service is losing money hand over fist on roads that Americans don't even want," Ms. Goldfuss concluded.

"You may hear the Bush administration pay lip service to roadless area protection in connection with this plan, but make no mistake, millions of acres are at risk," said Tom Waldo at Earthjustice. "The feds are just saying if they don't rob us today, they'll rob us tomorrow."

# # #

News Release: Rahall, Grijalva, and Dicks Introduce FLAME Act to Help Fight Catastrophic Wildfires 03.06.08

News from the Committee on Natural Resources
Rep. Nick J. Rahall, II - Chairman

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 6, 2008

CONTACT:

Allyson Groff, 202-226-9019 (Natural Resources)
Natalie Luna, 520-622-6788 (Grijalva)
George Behan, 202-226-1175 (Dicks)


Washington, D. C. – Faced with increasing numbers of catastrophic, emergency wildland fires and diminishing resources with which to fight them, U. S. Reps. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), and Norm Dicks (D-WA) today introduced legislation to establish a new federal fund to cover the growing costs associated with fighting the devastating blazes.

“Increasingly, tragic fire seasons across the country have threatened lives and taken a toll on our treasured public lands. As a result, the dramatic rise in federal costs to fight these fires has eroded critical funding for non-fire programs and severely altered the core mission of our Federal land management agencies. The Administration’s budget request continues this sad trend – turning the Forest Service into the Fire Service. This legislation aims to turn this situation around by ensuring that America has the necessary tools to combat wildland fires,” said Rahall, Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.

“Our nation will be facing longer and more intense fire seasons due to factors such as climate change and drought. This bill will help public land managers finally get ahead of the curve by having regular funding available for prevention and protection without having these accounts gutted every year by the expense of fighting catastrophic fires. Without the ability to be proactive, programs that work to protect our communities will go unfunded, leaving our citizens at grave risk,” said Grijalva, Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.

House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Dicks is also a supporter of the FLAME Act. He said he believes the bill represents “a very constructive response to the problem of escalating fire costs, which are threatening the ability of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to carry out their core functions as land management agencies.”

The Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act (FLAME Act) (H.R. 5541) will establish a federal fund designated solely for catastrophic, emergency wildland fire suppression activities.

Federal fire suppression spending has increased substantially over the past 10 years, with 48 percent of the Forest Service budget accounting for these activities today. Much to the detriment of other programs under the auspices of federal land management agencies, the Forest Service and the Interior Department have been forced to borrow funds from other agency accounts to cover these escalating costs. In the case of the Forest Service, two percent of fires today account for 80 percent of the costs the agency incurs.

The FLAME fund established by this legislation will be separate from budgeted and appropriated agency wildland fire suppression funding for the Forest Service and the Interior Department, and is to be used only for the suppression of catastrophic, emergency wildland fires. The annual agency budgets will continue to fund anticipated and predicted wildland fire suppressions activities. Monies for the fund will be appropriated based on the average costs incurred by these agencies to suppress catastrophic, emergency wildland fires over the preceding five fiscal years.

In light of recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) and USDA Inspector General (IG) reports that found these agencies lack sufficient systems and strategies to plan for and prevent wildland fires – the FLAME Act requires the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to submit a report to Congress one year after enactment. That plan will lay out a cohesive wildland fire management strategy that implements the GAO and IG recommendations.


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News Release: Committee Approves Rahall Bill to Create FLAME Fund 04.17.08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 17, 2008

Contact: Allyson Groff or Blake Androff, 202-226-9019

Dedicated fund will prevent agencies from ‘Robbing Peter to Pay Paul’

Washington, D. C. – Acting to prevent catastrophic, emergency wildland fires from crippling federal land management budgets, the House Natural Resources Committee today approved legislation authored by Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) that would create an emergency federal fund dedicated solely to fighting these devastating fires.

“When FEMA responds to an emergency it does not take housing funds away to pay for it. The same applies to our federal highway program, where we have an emergency account. Responding to emergencies is something American citizens expect their government to do. The FLAME Act’s dedicated fund will provide for more predictability and will allow the Forest Service and other land management agencies to continue to do what they do best – manage our nation’s unique and vast public lands,” said Rahall.

The Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act (FLAME Act) (H.R. 5541) was introduced by Chairman Rahall, Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), and Subcommittee on Interior Appropriations Chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA). The FLAME fund would be separate from budgeted and appropriated agency wildland fire suppression funding for the Forest Service and the Interior Department, and is to be used only for the suppression of catastrophic, emergency wildland fires. The annual agency budgets will continue to fund anticipated and predicted wildland fire suppressions activities. Monies for the fund will be appropriated based on the average costs incurred by these agencies to suppress catastrophic, emergency wildland fires over the preceding five fiscal years.

Federal fire suppression spending has increased substantially over the past 10 years, with nearly half of the Forest Service budget accounting for these activities today. Much to the detriment of other programs under the auspices of federal land management agencies, the Forest Service and the Interior Department have been forced to borrow funds from other agency accounts to cover these escalating costs. In the case of the Forest Service, two percent of fires today account for 80 percent of the costs the agency incurs.

“Agencies of the Interior Department and the Forest Service have been forced to ‘Rob Peter to Pay Paul’ by borrowing funds from other agency accounts to cover the escalating costs of fire suppression,” said Rahall. “This unnecessary and unfair diversion of funds has severely undermined the overall missions of the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and other agencies – including everything from trail maintenance to necessary construction actions.”

The Committee voted to adopt an amendment offered by Rahall that incorporated provisions from the Emergency Wildland Fire Response Act (H.R. 5648), legislation introduced by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) that would also establish a federal fund for emergency wildland fire suppression. Rahall’s amendment would require annual reports on the FLAME Fund be made available to the public and it calls on the Secretaries of the Interior Department and the Agriculture Department to conduct a review of wildland fire incidents that result in expenses greater than $10 million. It also requires the Secretaries to notify Congress whenever funding drops below a level estimated to cover two months worth of expenditures, and includes a provision to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildland fires to communities.

H. R. 5541 has received bipartisan support from nearly 50 Members of Congress, and the endorsement of five former Forest Service chiefs. The legislation is also backed by 37 organizations, including the National Association of Counties, National Association of State Foresters, National Association of Forest Service Retirees, National Federation of Federal Employees, and a number of environmental and community forestry groups.

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Press Release: Fish and Wildlife Service ignores Congress, scientists, and independent experts on Northern Spotted Owl 05.01.08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 1, 2008

Contact:
Caitlin Hills, American Lands Alliance, 202-547-9105, Caitlin@americanlands.org
Randi Spivak, American Lands Alliance, 202-547-9029, randispivak@americanlands.org

The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) refused direct requests made by both Chambers of Congress to allow for scientific peer review and public comment of the soon to be released Northern Spotted Owl recovery plan.

In early April, Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Patty Murray (D-WA) sent a letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne requesting that the FWS conduct a 45-day peer review of the latest version of the recovery plan for the owl. In the House, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) sent a letter to FWS requesting a 90-day public comment period. The FWS sent a letter to Representative DeFazio on April 18 refusing his request for a public comment period. The Department of Interior has not responded to the Pacific Northwest Senators' request.

This blatant disregard of Congress came on the heels of the release of a report by a panel of experts assembled by the Sustainable Ecosystems Institute (SEI) in Portland that found the draft spotted owl recovery plan underestimates the importance of protecting old-growth forest habitat, compared to the threat from a competing species, the barred owl. The review was commissioned by the US Fish and Wildlife Service after the draft owl recovery plan was flunked by three organizations who also conducted peer review on the plan, the Society of Conservation Biology, the American Ornithologists Union, and the Wildlife Society.

“By refusing a legitimate request for independent scientific review of the recovery plan, the Administration has once again demonstrated its disdain for relying on science to make decisions on threatened and endangered species," said Randi Spivak, Executive Director of American Lands Alliance. “Instead, they prefer to manipulate the science to suit their agenda.”

The Northern Spotted Owl was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1990, and critical habitat was designated in 1992. Recovery of the owl is about more than this one species. Like a canary in a coal mine, the owl is an indicator species of the health of the remaining old-growth forests, clean water, salmon, and habitat for many other species. In 1994, the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) became the cornerstone for conserving the Northern Spotted Owl on 24.4 million acres of federal forests in Oregon, Washington, and Northern California. The Bush administration has been trying to increase old-growth logging on these public lands for the past eight years by dismantling the Northwest Forest Plan. A weak owl recovery plan is needed by this Administration to meet timber industry demands to significantly increase old-growth logging on federal forests. Reducing old-growth forest protections for the spotted owl would also allow the Bureau of Land Management’s proposal for a 700% increase in old-growth logging in Southern Oregon to move forward.

In early 2006, the FWS assembled a Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Team to assist in the development of the recovery plan. The plan that they released, with heavy involvement from the high level “Washington Oversight” committee comprised of Administration officials, was roundly denounced by the leading scientific societies as not being based on the best available science and not designed to recover the species. This overwhelming critique, along with 80,000 comments from the public, forced the Fish and Wildlife Service to engage Sustainable Ecosystems Institute (SEI) as a private contractor to analyze the draft plan.

The SEI report found that the draft owl recovery plan did “not use scientific information appropriately. The method they used to design the amount of habitat to be preserved, the technique used was wrong, [and] was not based on good science,” the report stated.

“How many times does the Fish and Wildlife Service have to be told that their plan is not going to lead to the recovery of the spotted owl? How many more millions of taxpayer dollars will be used to push through a tainted plan?” asked Caitlin Hills, Forest Program Director at American Lands Alliance. “It seems to me that the Fish and Wildlife Service and this Administration are doing everything in their power to pave the way for clearcutting the mature and old-growth public forests in the Pacific Northwest.”

Press Release: Final “Recovery” Plan for Northern Spotted Owl - Fails to fully protect all habitat. 05.20.08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 20, 2008

American Lands Alliance Contacts:
Caitlin Hills, 202-547-9105, Caitlin@americanlands.org
Randi Spivak, 202-547-9029, randispivak@americanlands.org

The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) released today the final recovery plan for the threatened Northern Spotted Owl. However, the plan, fails to fully protect the mature and old-growth forest habitat upon which the Northern Spotted Owl depends.

“This Administration has a funny way of protecting endangered species,” said Caitlin Hills, Director of National Forest Program with American Lands Alliance. “They say ‘yes, protect the species, but don’t worry about protecting all the habitat.’ This week they struck a one-two punch against imperiled species. They say protect the polar bear, but continue to decimate its environment; they say protect the owl, but don’t protect all of the forest in which it nests. The fact is that animals need suitable habitat in which to survive. If you don’t protect the habitat, you will lose the species.”

The draft recovery plan for the Northern Spotted Owl was denounced by the leading scientific societies for not being based on the best available science and not designed to recover the species. This overwhelming critique, along with 80,000 comments from the public, forced the Fish and Wildlife Service to engage Sustainable Ecosystems Institute (SEI) as a private contractor to analyze the draft plan. SEI also gave the draft recovery plan a failing grade.

“In light of evidence of political interference with the recovery plan and failure to use the best available science, the final recovery plan must be independently peer reviewed,” said Randi Spivak, Executive Director of American Lands Alliance.

Members of Congress have requested that this new plan be subject to independent scientific peer review. But the Department of Interior and Fish and Wildlife Service have refused congressional requests for peer review and public comment of the final recovery plan.

In early April, Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Patty Murray (D-WA) sent a letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne requesting that the Fish and Wildlife Service conduct a 45-day peer review of the latest version of the recovery plan for the owl. In the House, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR) sent a letter to Fish and Wildlife Service requesting a 90-day public comment period.

“Given Fish and Wildlife Service’s refusal to peer review the plan, Congress should intervene and withhold tax-payer funds from being spent on implementing a plan that has not been proven to be based on the best available science,” said Spivak.

The draft recovery plan will be used to guide management across 24.4 million acres of publicly owned forests. Most troubling, a weak owl recovery plan would also allow the Bureau of Land Management’s proposal for a 700% increase in old-growth logging in Southern Oregon to move forward.

Press Release: Bush Administration Challenged Over Abandonment of Wildlife Protections 05.07.08

Media Newswire

May 7, 2008

San Francisco, CA -- A coalition of conservation groups represented by Earthjustice sued in federal court today to overturn the Bush administration's latest attempt to weaken rules governing management of America's 155 national forests and grasslands. The new rules, issued April 21, repeal key protections for national forests.

(Media-Newswire.com) - San Francisco, CA -- A coalition of conservation groups represented by Earthjustice sued in federal court today to overturn the Bush administration's latest attempt to weaken rules governing management of America's 155 national forests and grasslands. The new rules, issued April 21, repeal key protections for national forests.


The Bush administration rule being challenged mirrors one issued in 2005 which was thrown out by a federal court. Like the 2005 rule, the current one eliminates mandatory protections in place since the Reagan administration that require the national forests to be managed to guarantee viable wildlife populations, to preserve clean, healthy streams and lakes, and to protect diverse natural forests. The Bush rule also sharply reduces public participation in decisions about the management of our public forests.

Prior forms of the rule from 1982 and 2000 contained enforceable standards for forest plans that protected wildlife, water, and the forests. The earlier rules also provided opportunities for public involvement and required analysis of environmental impacts of forest plans on the national forests, impacts that result from plan decisions regarding logging levels and other extractive uses of forest resources.

Earthjustice attorney Trent Orr said, "This is the Bush administration's parting gift to the timber industry. These regulations remove vital checks and balances on logging while minimizing the role of science and the public's say in maintaining wildlife and other natural resources. We've returned to court to insure that the Forest Service protect these invaluable resources and allows full public review of and participation in its decisions about how our national forests will be managed."

The lawsuit points out that the Forest Service violated the National Environment Policy Act by approving the new regulations based on a faulty environmental impact statement that failed to analyze adequately the environmental impacts of the new regulations. Contrary to common sense, the EIS flatly asserts that the new rule, which governs the development of management plans for every national forest, will have no environmental effects on the 193 million acres of national forest lands.

The lawsuit is the second to be filed by conservation groups challenging the new rules.

The conservation groups filing today have also sent a 60-day notice letter under the Endangered Species Act regarding the Forest Service's failure to adequately consult with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service about the effects of the new regulations on protected species and will add those claims to the lawsuit after the 60 days expires.

"Our national forests and grasslands belong to all Americans, not industry special interests," said Bob Dreher, vice president for conservation law and general counsel of Defenders of Wildlife. "The American public has a right to be involved in planning for the management of their national forests, and to have forest plans that protect the wildlife and other natural resources of those forests for generations to come. The Bush rule fails on all these counts."

Earthjustice is representing Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, and Vermont Natural Resources Counsel.

BACKGROUND:

Congress passed the National Forest Management Act in 1976 to reform the Forest Service and to ensure that the agency give due consideration to non-timber resources, such as recreation, wildlife, and water. The NFMA regulations targeted by the Bush administration include the critical legal requirement that national forests be managed to maintain viable wildlife populations. This rule supports populations of popular game species such as elk, moose, and black bear, and helps keep sensitive and rare species off the endangered species list by identifying and correcting wildlife population declines before species become imperiled.

The Reagan administration adopted this wildlife viability protection in response to declines in the population and range of many species caused by the routine approval of logging and other development projects that did not take the need to conserve wildlife into account. The Bush administration's attempt to repeal the NFMA wildlife protections threatens a future in which rare species will once again dwindle and disappear from the national forests.

The National Forest Management Act also requires the Forest Service to allow citizens to participate fully in forest management decisions. The Bush rules invalidate the 1982 standards for national forest management instituted by Ronald Reagan that allow public review of the environmental impacts of proposed national forest plans governing timber harvest levels and natural resource protection.

The court's invalidation of the Bush administration's prior attempt to change these rules was a strong signal that full public involvement in decisions regarding their public forests must be restored.

Read the complaint ( PDF )


Contact:

Trent Orr, Earthjustice, ( 510 ) 550-6782
Tim Preso, Earthjustice, ( 406 ) 586-9699
Joe Vickless, Defenders of Wildlife, ( 202 ) 772-0237
Mike Anderson, The Wilderness Society, ( 206 ) 624-6430

Press Release: Proposed Rule Alters How NEPA Applies to Oceans; Would Create a Bad Precedent, Stifle Public Participation

For Immediate Release
July 31, 2008
Contact: Tony DeFalco, 503.234.3505

Proposed Rule Alters How the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Applies to Oceans; Would Create a Bad Precedent, Stifle Public Participation

Bush Administration Continues its Attacks on the Environment, No Relief in Sight

WASHINGTON – Conservationists today urged the Bush administration to withdraw its proposed procedures for complying with the National Environmental Policy Act when managing ocean fish and to craft a new rule that will protect valuable natural resources while allowing for greater public participation in the environmental review process.

NEPA, the nation’s preeminent conservation law, ensures that public officials make informed decisions about the environmental consequences of their actions by requiring thorough environmental assessments with public participation. This is the same law that helped to protect thousands of square miles of deep sea coral, reduced mortality of endangered sea turtles and began the process of rebuilding depleted fish populations while ensuring robust public participation in federal fisheries management. But the Bush administration’s proposal, published on May 14, 2008, is full of loopholes and exclusions that would do little to protect the environment.

This NEPA proposal could create a bad precedent affecting the application of NEPA to other aspects of the environment since it provides a roadmap for other federal agencies to modify their NEPA procedures.

“This proposal is a cynical attempt to shove the public out of its rightful role in protecting public resources,” said Andrea Treece, senior attorney in the Center for Biological Diversity’s oceans program. “Fishing affects virtually every ecosystem and species in the sea, from the fish we eat, to whales we thrill to watch, sea turtles we strive to protect and coral reefs that support local economies. Leaving the management of these national treasures to guesswork and backroom deals instead of sound science and public input is simply unacceptable.”

According to law, a NEPA review must include an analysis of a full suite of alternatives to the proposed action. This will help ensure that the broader impacts of a proposed action are examined and minimized. But, the Bush administration’s proposal not only undercuts and complicates the NEPA process, it also makes it even more difficult to conduct a proper and necessary environmental review.

“Overfishing, pollution, bycatch and global warming are already putting a heavy strain on the habitats of several imperiled seabird species,” said Steve Kress, director of Audubon’s seabirds program. “More than ever, we need to make decisions based on good science. Instead, the federal government's weakening of environmental review protections will stack the odds in favor of industry and likely degrade habitat further.”
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As written, the Bush administration’s proposed rule would undermine NEPA by severely limiting the public’s right to participate in fishery management decisions and even shutting out the public from future participation, if they don’t weigh in during the initial round of public comments. It would also allow the regional fishery management councils to control environmental reviews. Many of these councils are dominated by fishing interests and have mismanaged our oceans for decades. Additionally, the proposal gives fishery managers the power to make fishing decisions without adequately considering the impacts on other components of ocean ecosystems such as sea turtles, seals, corals and other precious ocean life.

“The effectiveness of NEPA is due, in large part, to the fact that it provides a concrete method for concerned citizens to become involved in and to challenge government actions if they are not following the law,” said Caitlin Hills, National Forest Program Director for American Lands Alliance. “The government moves through the guidelines and procedures to implement the law and make decisions. This common sense ‘look before you leap’ requirement leads to better decisions and helps the government avoid making mistakes. This proposal weakens that process.”

The public can submit official comments on the proposal through August 12, 2008 by going to www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/MFCN/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24897.

###

For a recording of today’s press call on the NEPA proposal, please go to www.audubon.org or www.biologicaldiversity.org.

Conservation Organizations file lawsuit in federal court to protect spotted owls, old growth forests and other wildlife 10.4.04

For immediate release
October 4, 2007

Contact: Asante Riverwind, Oregon Chapter Sierra Club (Bend)
541.322.4065 (office), 541.306.7737 (cell)
asante.riverwind@sierraclub.org

Contact: Jay Lininger, Cascadia Wildlands Project (Eugene)
541.434.1463 (office), 541.922.8540 (cell)
jlininger@cascwild.org

Contact: Karen Coulter, League of Wilderness Defenders - Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project (Fossil) 541.468.2028 (office), 541.385.9167 (voice mail)

Conservation Organizations file lawsuit in federal court to protect spotted owls, old growth forests and other wildlife


EUGENE - Conservation organizations on Tuesday filed suit in U. S. District Court here to prevent logging in old growth forest reserves, including critical recovery habitat for northern spotted owl, near popular recreation grounds in the Cascade Lakes area of the Deschutes National Forest near Crescent.

The lawsuit challenging the U. S. Forest Service's Five Buttes Project, which includes logging of 4,235 acres, was filed by the League of Wilderness Defenders - Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project, Cascadia Wildlands Project, and the Sierra Club. The plaintiffs cited a failure to adequately protect wildlife and an increased risk of severe fires resulting from the project, among other issues.

The first of the Five Buttes timber sales, the Bass sale, sold last week to Interfor Pacific. Plaintiffs located numerous old growth ponderosa pine trees, some over three feet in diameter, marked to be cut in the Bass sale. "The logging of fire resistant old growth trees that survived more than a century of recurrent fires contradicts Forest Service claims to decrease fire hazard," said Asante Riverwind of the Oregon Chapter Sierra Club.

The timber sales also would log critical spotted owl recovery habitat, which the Forest Service confirms in its Environmental Assessment of the Five Buttes Project would not be useable by owls for 30 to 50 years after logging. "Harmful old growth logging runs counter to the goals of spotted owl recovery, further jeopardizing not only owls, but numerous other wildlife species dependent upon intact old growth forest ecosystems," said Karen Coulter, director of Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project.

The lawsuit came on the same day that the same parties settled another suit on the Black Crater post-fire timber sale, also in spotted owl critical habitat, in the Sisters Ranger District of the Deschutes Forest. In that settlement, the Forest Service withdrew seven of eight timber sale units, protecting the Black Crater area's naturally recovering forest habitat for spotted owls and other wildlife of concern.

"In the Five Buttes Project, the Forest Service says it has to log spotted owl habitat in order to save it from fire," said Jay Lininger, fire ecologist and executive director of Cascadia Wildlands Project. "But logging big trees creates slash and dries out the forest, making severe fires more likely. The way to reduce fire hazard is to burn the forest after careful thinning that leaves big trees and their canopies in place."

Conservationists observe that recent timber sales including Five Buttes, Black Crater and many others in Oregon signal a renewed attempt by the federal government to accelerate logging of old growth forests.

The Pacific Northwest Regional Office of the Forest Service recently tripled timber sale volume quotas for the Deschutes and other forests, with an emphasis on providing large sawlogs to regional mills.

Throughout its tenure, the Bush administration has pushed to increase logging in federal forests. It has done so by rolling back environmental protections contained in the landmark 1994 Northwest Forest Plan and other means.

The lawsuit also coincides with findings of independent scientists commissioned by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to review a draft recovery plan for the northern spotted owl. Scientists concluded the plan was "deeply flawed," and would harm spotted owls by relaxing logging restrictions in old growth forests.

Scientists suggested the draft recovery plan was "tampered with by high ranking officials in the administration," placing the political priorities of the Bush administration above the best available science on wildlife ecology.

Press Release: Congress demands re-do of Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Plan 10.01.07

Committee Votes to Restore Critical Funding for Rural Forest Communities and Schools 9.26.07

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2007

CONTACT:
Allyson Groff, 202-226-9019

Committee Votes to Restore Critical Funding for
Rural Forest Communities and Schools

Washington, D. C. – Legislation to restore much-needed payments to rural counties and schools in public lands communities received an unprecedented infusion of funding today, courtesy of a bill approved by the House Natural Resources Committee.

The Public Land Communities Transition Act of 2007 (H.R. 3058) will provide four years of payments to rural counties and schools by fully funding the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program and creating new “transition payments” to counties located on National Forest lands that received stable payments through the now expired Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act – commonly referred to as “county payments.” This bill mirrors a proposal that received overwhelming support in the U. S. Senate earlier this year.

“Never before has the Congress come so close to providing full funding for the PILT program,” said U. S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee and a sponsor of the legislation. “This legislation makes good on the long-running federal commitment to our Nation’s public lands communities, and is particularly well-timed given the Bush Administration’s funding cuts to programs that help rural areas.”

The legislation designates the forest transition payments as a new program within PILT, set to end in 2011. PILT, administered by the Department of the Interior, are federal payments to local governments that help to offset the cost of services and infrastructure incurred by local jurisdictions where federal lands are located. H. R. 3058 also includes a new county payment distribution formula that is based on the historical allocation of timber receipts, the concentration of public land within the county, and the current economic condition of the county.

A previous proposal from the Administration would have funded the county payments program through the sale of over 300,000 acres of National Forest System lands. That proposal was met with considerable skepticism and concern from Members of Congress and the public. During consideration of H. R. 3058, Committee Republicans offered a proposal to pay for the program with Arctic drilling revenues and salvage logging receipts.

“We must not ignore the hardworking residents and families in rural communities that are desperately in need of the resources to fund local schools and safe roads,” Rahall said. “The enactment of this legislation is a priority.”

Press Release: Forest Service Announces Regional Forester Leadership Changes 9.6.07

EWS RELEASE
USDA Forest Service
Washington, D. C.

USDA Forest Service badge
Release No. 0715

Contact:

Press Office
(202) 205-1134

FOREST SERVICE ANNOUNCES REGIONAL FORESTER LEADERSHIP CHANGES

WASHINGTON, September 6, 2007—U.S. Forest Service Chi