Senate Fire Logging Rider and House Legislation Introduced

August 1, 2002

For more info:
Steve Holmer, American Lands Alliance
(202) 547-9105,
wafcdc@americanlands.org

The Senate is not likely to consider the Interior Appropriations before the month-long summer recess, but it will be one of the first orders of business when they return in September. When the Interior bill does come before the Senate, we expect to see a rider offered by Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) and others that seeks to suspend environmental laws, ban citizen involvement and prohibit judicial review for logging projects on the National Forests under the guise of fire prevention.

We have not seen language of Sen. Craig's fire rider so it remains unclear how far the exemptions from law will go and what parts of the landscape would be at risk. But if several new House bills are any indication, this could be the worst logging rider ever.

Calls are urgently needed to alert your members of Congress to this threat: (202) 224-3121. The summer recess also offers activists an important opportunity to meet with their elected officials and discuss their concerns.

House Bills Introduced to Suspend All Laws for Logging

Last week, a fire logging bill, the National Forest Fire Prevention Act, H.R. 5214, was introduced in the House by Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-MT) that proposes to permanently suspend all laws for logging and bans citizen appeals and judicial review. This language is much broader than the infamous Salvage Logging Rider of 1995.

The bill's "not withstanding any other law provision" suspends the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Forest Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Wilderness Act of 1964 and all other laws. The bill applies to all "existing timber sale analysis areas." Depending on how far back that term applies, this bill could overturn forty years of conservation progress by allowing currently protected old growth, roadless areas and Wilderness Areas on the National Forests to be roaded and clearcut with no option of appeal.

H.R. 5214 now has 24 cosponsors including Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), chairman of the Forestry Subcommittee of the Agriculture Committee. Other Cosponsors who should by publicly criticized for supporting this outrageous anti-environmental bill include Reps. John Peterson (R-PA), Don Young (R-AK), Wally Herger (R-CA), Mike Simpson (R-ID), Butch Otter (R-ID), Chris Cannon (R-UT), Walter Jones (R-NC), John Doolittle (R-CA), John Duncan (R-TN), Jim Gibbons (R-NV), George Radanovich (R-CA), Tom Tancredo (R-CO), Billy Tauzin (R-LA), Gil Gutknecht (R-MN), Virgil Goode (I-VA), Jo Anne Emerson (R- MO), Bob Schaffer (R-CO), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Barbara Cubin (R-WY), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Elton Gallegly (R-CA), J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), and Doc Hastings (R-WA).

Another bad fire bill, the Wildfire Prevention and Forest Health Protection Act of 2002, H.R. 5309, introduced by Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) is somewhat more limited, but also proposes to suspend environmental laws and citizen involvement in any project that involves thinning or salvage logging. Cosponsors to this anti- environmental bill include Reps. James Hansen (R-UT) chairman of the Resources Committee, Scott McInnis (R-CO) who is chairman of the Forest Subcommittee of the Resources Committee, Flake, Schaeffer, Gibbons, Herger, Cubin, Jack Kingston (R-GA), Peter Hoekstra (R-MI), Doolittle, Joel Hefley (R-CO), Tancredo, Jim DeMint (R-SC), Ed Bryant (R-TN), Peterson, Hayworth and Cannon.

There is a very real danger one of these bills or some combination could pass through committee and be voted on by the full House in September. Please urge your Representative to oppose both of these harmful bills.

Stewardship Contracting Rider May Reappear

As if all this weren't bad enough, the Bush Administration has now indicated that they want permanent stewardship contracting authority to give away unlimited amounts of trees to pay for fire related projects. At a House hearing two weeks ago from all stakeholders including Chief Dale Bosworth that we need to learn more from the existing 84 pilot projects before permanently authorizing the program. Despite this, the administration testified at a hearing last week that they need this authority to carry additional restoration and fuel reduction projects. Permanent extension of stewardship contracting was defeated on the Farm bill earlier this year and needs to be stopped again.

With your help we can stop the lawless logging rider/legislation and stewardship contracting, which would provide the Forest Service with a blank check to pay for unlimited amounts of lawless timber sales. Please contact your Senators and your Representative this week at (202) 224-3121 and also over the summer recess at their district offices. Please ask:

1. Your Senators to oppose any riders that would suspend environmental laws or limit public involvement for forest management decisions. The last time this happened under the Salvage Logging Rider, the Forest Service abused their authority to cut green trees under the guise of salvage and to cut old growth forests in the name of forest health.
   
   
2. Your Representative to oppose H.R. 5214, H.R. 5309 and any other riders or bills that would suspend environmental laws or limit public involvement for forest management decisions.
   
   
3. Support directing fuel reduction projects to the immediate vicinity of homes and communities. Right now, only 31% of the acres treated by the Forest Service and BLM are close to homes and communities. This number should be increased to at least 90% of the acres treated. The latest scientific review indicates that a zone 60 meters from structures and up to 500 meters for firefighter safety are the maximum areas needed for legitimate fuel reduction treatments for community protection.
   
   
4. Oppose expanding stewardship contracting. Logging proponents want the Forest Service to be able to give away unlimited amounts of trees to pay for projects. This program has been very controversial and a large number of the projects are environmental failures. Until the existing 84 pilot projects can fully reviewed and monitored, no additional contracts or permanent authority should be approved.

We are one again witnessing corporate America doing its worst by proposing that greed trump the rule of law and for brazenly fanning peoples fears of wildland fire. Rather than concede to hysteria, we must fight for the truth and to the end, and leave these corrupt corporations and the politicians doing their bidding in the ash heap of history when we are through. Thanks for all your efforts.