🚀 go-pugleaf

-------------- Enclosure number 1 ----------------

To:       Forest Activists
From:     Jim Jontz and Steve Holmer
Date:     September 20, 1996

Subject:  BUDGET TALKS WILL DECIDE FOREST
FATE

     The headline story in today's Congress Daily reports that
White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta is "pleased" with
progress in negotiations over the FY 97 omnibus appropriations
package.  Panetta reports that Hill Republicans are "far more
willing to cooperate" in reaching agreement than last year because
"they're anxious to get out of town."  September 27, one week
from today, remains the target adjournment date for Congress,
with Congressional leaders hoping to reach agreement with the
White House and bring the omnibus appropriations bill to the
floor next week. 

     This omnibus bill will consist of the unfinished FY 97
appropriations bills, including the Interior Bill that funds the
Forest Service.  A PROVISION IN THIS BILL TO END THE
LOGGING RIDER AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR (9/30/96)
IS OUR GOAL.  Negotiations over this bill -- specifically,
whether the White House asks for Rider repeal and then puts it
on their "short list" of must-have items -- will determine whether
the Rider is repealed in the 104th Congress.    

     Some good news is that the same issue of Congress Daily
identifies the Rider as one of several issues that may be brought
to the negotiations.  "One trouble spot that may arise involves
the logging issue," Congress Daily reports, citing the letter sent
by Rep. Elizabeth Furse to the White House yesterday with
signatures of 105 House Members including four Republican
committee chairs.
    
     Yesterday, we met together with a group of forest activists
in town for our "lobby week" at the White House with
representatives of the White House Office of Political Affairs, the
CEQ, and OMB.  The White House has officially asked the
Senate to include Rider repeal in the legislation that funds the
Forest Service.  But I must say, based on our conversations
yesterday, that we have some heavy lifting to do to get the
White House to make Rider repeal a "deal breaker."  The issue is
on their screen.  They know they have a problem.  They didn't
try to tell us that sale cancellations would solve all of our
problems.

     This is the time to pull out all the stops to convince the
White House that they must insist on ending the Rider in the FY
97 spending bill.

     Please activate your phone trees to call the White House
comment lines, (202)456-1111 and (202)456-6797   The second
number is Leon Panetta's comment line, the fax is 202/456-2883
and the email is president@whitehouse.gov  Please ask your
Congressional friends to call Leon Panetta or otherwise ask the
White House to include Rider repeal.  Please utilize whatever
other means you have to get key people to contact Panetta and
others in the White House.        

     Time is short, but we are very close.  An intensive effort
over this next few days can make the difference in ending the
worse environmental law of the 104th Congress, and saving some
of the "last and best" of our Great Forests.