Take Action to Protect 4,000 Acres of Old-Growth Forests on the Bitterroot National Forest in Montana!

TAKE ACTION TODAY! WE NEED YOUR HELP sending a clear message to the Forest Service that industrial logging of old-growth forests on the Bitterroot National Forest in Montana is unacceptable. Official comments needed to be in by June 13, 2005. Over 10,000 people sent in comments. However, it's still important to let Bitterroot National Forest officials know how you feel about this project. So we are still encouraging people to send in comments throughout the summer. These comments can have still a positive impact.

CLICK HERE to send an official comment letter to the Bitterroot National Forest. Or use the background information and "Talking Points" below to compose your own letter.

BACKGROUND: On December 3, 2003 the so-called Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) into law. The first HFRA project on National Forest lands in the Northern Rockies is called the Middle East Fork Hazardous Fuel Reduction project, on the Bitterroot National Forest (BNF), along the East Fork of the Bitterroot River in Montana. According to BNF officials, the goal of this project is to protect the East Fork community from wildfire and "restore" the forests within the East Fork area.

While the Native Forest Network supports these goals the truth of the matter is that the BNF's preferred Alternative 2 would mix a small amount of bona-fide community protection work with industrial logging of 4,000 acres of unlogged, old-growth forests, home to elk, bighorn sheep, moose, bear, wolves, coyote, bull trout, cutthroat trout, goshawk, martin, pileated woodpecker and flammulated owl.

In response to the harmful parts of the Forest Service's proposal, local forest protection groups - together with foresters, firefighters, restoration practitioners, hunters and others - developed a superior community wildfire protection plan that truly protects and restores old-growth forests called the Community Protection and Local Economy Alternative (Alternative 3).

For more details on this project, including photos and videos, visit: http://www.nativeforest.org/middle_east_fork.htm

TALKING POINTS FOR YOUR LETTER

• Tell the Bitterroot National Forest that you are opposed to their preferred Alternative 2 in the Middle East Fork Hazardous Fuel Reduction project. Tell the BNF that it’s unacceptable to mix a small amount of bona-fide community protection work with industrial logging of unlogged, old-growth forests with trees up to four feet in diameter! These forests are home to elk, bighorn sheep, moose, black bear, wolves, coyote, bull trout, cutthroat trout, goshawk, martin, pileated woodpecker and flammulated owls.

• Tell the Bitterroot National Forest to select Alternative 3 developed by local forest protection groups, foresters, firefighters, restoration practitioners, hunters and others. Alternative 3 provides superior wildfire protection to the East Fork community by comprehensively treating the Community Protection Zone (CPZ) within 1/4 mile of homes. In addition, it treats another 1,000 acres through pre-commercial thinning in plantations and slashing small fuels around large, legacy trees. Alternative 3 will protect old-growth forests and critical wildlife habitat from industrial logging and would reflect the common ground of a wide variety of stakeholders, rather than more polarization.

• According to Bitterroot National Forest’s draft environmental impact statement (DEIS), Alternative 2 would cost the U.S. Taxpayers $1 million more than Alternative 3. The U.S. Forest Service is closing campgrounds around the country, and doesn’t have money to maintain our public trails and recreational facilities. Spending an additional $1 million subsidizing the logging industry doesn’t make sense.

• According to the DEIS, 8,500 acres, or 33%, of the project area has already been logged. An additional 4,000 acres of industrial logging up the East Fork will have many negative impacts, concerning many hunters and outdoor enthusiasts as well as scientists.

• The Bitterroot National Forest’s proposal has the potential to increase the spread of weeds and illegal ATV use, not to mention further degrade soils and harm water quality within the East Fork. In fact, according to the DEIS, 47% of the "treatment" units would take place in areas where soil damage is already above the Forest Service’s own standard.

• According to the DEIS, a majority of the logging units are located in important watersheds that are already in poor condition. More logging and log-truck traffic on roads along impaired streams, such as Guide, Tepee and Jennings Camp Creeks, will increase sedimentation, potentially harming bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout.

MAKE SURE TO SEND YOUR LETTER TO EACH OF THE FOLLOWING EMAILS:
Tracy M Hollingshead, Sula District Ranger: thollingshead@fs.fed.us
Dave Bull, Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor: dbull@fs.fed.us
Gail Kimbell, Northern Region Forester: akimbell@fs.fed.us
Official Middle East Fork Comments: comments-northern-bitterroot@fs.fed.us

Note: You must state "MEF - COMMENTS" in the email subject line. To send your comments via snail mail post to: MEF - Comments, Sula District Ranger, Bitterroot National Forest, 7338 Hwy. 93 South, Sula, MT 59871.