🚀 go-pugleaf

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CALIFORNIA FIGHTS RIDER TIME BOMB

     The anniversary of the rider was noted in California by the release of
WAFC's report, "California Forests at Risk."  The report describes the 28
worst timber sales planned for California national forests under the rider. 
Most of the sales will log old growth forests, and many will degrade the
spawning streams of imperiled steelhead and coho salmon.  Fortunately, none
of the sales listed in the report have been cut yet, but over 250 rider sales have
been proposed for California's National Forests.

     The report was distributed to California elected officials, forest activists
and the media. Overall media response was very positive with several print
and broadcast media doing lengthy stories on the report and the growing
discontent in California over the logging rider.  On one call-in show aired in
Los Angeles, the Director of the White House Council on Environmental
Quality, Kathleen McGinty, chastised pro-timber congressman Wally Herger
for his advocacy of clearcutting and cut and run forestry.  Another highlight
was the San Francisco Chronicle's July 23 editorial which called the rider "one
of the worst environmental acts of the 104th Congress" and urged President
Clinton to work harder for rider repeal.

     To comply with the recent policy directive on rider implementation
issued by Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, the Forest Service
delayed 7 of the 28 sales described in the California Forest at Risk report. 
Delaying a mere quarter of the worst rider sales was hardly the impact we
were hoping for from an administration that has called the salvage rider
its worst environmental mistake.  Worse yet, one California national
forest, the Six Rivers, has already filed for an exemption to the Glickman
directive so that it can log 11 million board feet of trees from the pristine
old growth forests of the Orleans Mountain Roadless Area.  Citizens are
working hard to assure that the Six Rivers' request is denied and that
environmental laws are obeyed in all California national forests.

Paul Spitler, WAFC California Organizer, 916/758-0380,
cwc@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us