Environmentalists Blast Bush Forest Plan

[GreenPartyVoter]

BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Environmentalists are blasting a Bush administration proposal to lift a ban on logging in remote areas of national forests, saying the move ignores popular support for protecting forests.

The plan announced Monday would allow logging by permitting roads to be constructed in national forests. Governors would have to petition the federal government to block road building.

"When the Forest Service originally proposed protecting these special places to hunt, fish and camp, the millions of public comments received were overwhelmingly supportive," Idaho Conservation League spokesman John Robinson said. "There's no reason to drag out this fight."

The rule would replace one adopted by the Clinton administration and still under challenge in federal court. It covers about 58 million of the 191 million acres of national forest nationwide.

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20040713/D83PQHJO1.html

[adriennel]

1. "healthy forests" is a misnomer

should be called "happy timber companies" instead

this initiative has every intent on opening national forests to logging--it's not about thinning the forests to reduce wildfire risk, as is oft repeated by the Bush Adminstration

they better keep their hands off MI forests

[Redneck Socialist]

4. "Healthy Forests" = leave no tree behind. n/t

[underpants]

2. The timber industry strategy when Clinton signed this into law

This article mentions the process a bit but from memory the story was:

The Clinton administration had extensive local meetings, invited e-mails, and had online town meetings. Millions of opinions on their proposals were entered and the vast majority (from outdoorsmen and environmentalists of all stripes) supported the law and offered some changes that were adopted.

The lumber/timber industries knew this was the likely reponse so they didn't show up to the meetings or muck up the water with massive e-mails, they just waited until it was signed and then whined that this was a last minute DECISION by Clinton and that they had been hoodwinked. Complete and total BS.

The lumber lobbyists went running to the Repubs crying like babies.

IT'S NOT WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT!

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. We have got to get people educated that hemp is not Mary Jane.

[TexasSissy]

5. "healthy forests initiative" - Orwellian speak. It's disgusting.

[lanparty]

6. You know what REALLY sucks ....

Selective harvesting of these areas would make them more healthy. But the timber companies want no part in selective harvestation. They want to clear-cut almost exclusively.