Join concerned citizens and
the Forest Service for a tour of the Beta Logging
Project on Tuesday, March 1, 2005
Tuesday, March 1st at 10 am
You MUST register with the Flathead National Forest
(406.387.3800) by Friday, February 25th.
The Native Forest Network will be arranging a carpool
leaving Bernice's Bakery (190 S 3rd W) at 7:30 am.
If you are interested in carpooling please contact
NFN ahead of time so we can arrange an adequate number
of seats. Contact Cameron Naficy at cameron@wildrockies.org
or at 542.7343.
Background:
"We're not granting special privileges
to anybody. We're giving priority to logging over
recreational uses or any other use."
- Hungry Horse District Ranger Jimmy DeHerrera explaining
the public closure of areas on the Flathead National
Forest due to industrial logging operations (Daily
Interlake, Feb. 12, 2005)
In early Feb. 2005,
industrial logging began on major
post-fire timber sales on the Flathead National
Forest, despite the fact that the citizen
appeal period hasn't even ended. These logging
projects are located in core grizzly bear habitat,
include industrial logging of old-growth forests
and industrial logging in riparian areas and
unroaded areas.
In a forest which is currently above road density
standards meant to protect the threatened grizzly
bear, the Flathead NF will build 15 miles of
new temporary roads to accomplish the logging.
|
|
| A logging truck
hauling trees past the road closure sign on the
Beta Sale of the Westside Reservoir project. |
Moreover, the Flathead NF is using
unproven - and largely untested - tree mortality guidelines
to facilitate the logging of green trees, using the
justification that they will probably die anyway.
To date, the Forest Service has been unwilling to
seriously address the public's concerns with negative
impacts to grizzy bears, old-growth forests, clean
water, wildlands and nature's natural recovery process.
Adding to citizen frustration is the fact that not
only is logging taking place before the "checks
and balances" provided by the citizen appeal
process, but the logging is taking place without public
oversight because the Flathead NF has placed a public
closure around the areas being logged, sighting safety
issues connected with industrial logging.
Following repeated requests by the Native Forest Network
to have access to the timber sales to monitor the
on-the-ground impacts of the logging, the Flathead
National Forest was forced to host the March 1st tour
of the Beta Logging Sale south of Hungry Horse Dam.
The Beta Logging Sale will cut down enough trees to
fill 3,000 log trucks lined up for 25 miles.
The Flathead National Forest has stated that the public
closure of these areas will last until April 1, 2005,
and because they have indicated that more public closures
are likely through the summer, this may be the public's
only chance for oversight of these massive industrial
logging projects.
Take Action:
Let the Forest Service know how you feel by contacting
the following officials:
Cathy Barbouletos, Flathead Supervisor: cbarbouletos@fs.fed.us
Joe Krueger, Environmental Coordinator, Flathead NF:
jkrueger@fs.fed.us
Gail Kimbell, USFS Regional Forester, Missoula: akimbell@fs.fed.us
Letter to Editor:
Express your opinion by writting a letter to the editor
about what is currently taking place on the Flathead
National Forest.
Missoulian: oped@missoulian.com
Daily Interlake: edit@dailyinterlake.com
Missoula Indy: btyer@missoulanews.com
Headwaters
News: editor@headwatersnews.org
For More Information:
Contact the Native Forest Network at 406.542.7343
or nfn@wildrockies.org
