🚀 go-pugleaf

TO:       All Forest Activists
FROM:     Steve Holmer
DATE:     June 27, 1996
 
SUBJECT:  No Action From the Clinton Administration on Rider
 
 
     The Clinton Administration continues to ponder what to do
about the rider, but thus far has not taken any decisive actions to
support rider repeal and to cancel destructive sales.  
 
     Despite the request by a large delegation of activists June 13
(a week before the vote) to support Rep. Furse's amendment to
defund the rider, the Administration didn't do anything until after it
was too late.  The Administration reportedly attempted to draft a
letter of support the morning of the vote, but was not able to
complete and distribute it before the vote was held.
 
     We have yet to hear a response to our list of sales to cancel,
so we feel a reminder of our unified resolve is now necessary. 
Enclosed for your review is a sign-on letter to President Clinton that
will be sent Wednesday, July 3.  To sign-on, please send your
name, organization, city and state ASAP to Steve Holmer at
202/789-2844 ext. 291, or Sean Cosgrove at ext. 294, or email
wafcdc@igc.apc.org by Wednesday morning, July 3.
 
 
Senate Negotiations Continue
     Senate staff report that "forest health" negotiations remain
gridlocked on the same three key issues, the Section 2001(k) sales,
roadless areas and the definition of salvage.  Sen. Larry Craig's bill,
S.391 passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
last Wednesday and if no agreement is reached with the Democrats,
will be considered by the full Senate in mid-July.  If a "deal" is cut,
it will be substituted for Craig's bill on the Senate floor.
 
     Please contact the following Senators and urge them to
oppose the forest health compromise offered by Sen. Craig and to
support full rider repeal and the cancellation of destructive sales
under the rider:
 
Ron Wyden (D-OR) 202/228-2717 224-5244  Josh Schenkman
Patty Murray (D-WA) 202/224-0238   224-2621  Marla Marvin
Max Baucus (D-MT) 202/228-3687     224-2651  Curt Rich
Bill Bradley (D-NJ) 202/224-8567   224-3224  Ruth Fleischer
Tom Daschle (D-SD) 202/224-2047    224-2321  Eric Washburn
Barbara Boxer (D-CA) 415/956-6701  224-3553  Linda Delgado
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)202/228-3954    224-3841   Kathy Lacey
Dale Bumpers (D-AR) 202/224-6435   224-4843  Kira Finckler
John Chafee (R-RI) No Fax Available     224-2921  Steve Shimberg
 
 
June 27, 1996
 
President William Jefferson Clinton
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
 
Dear President Clinton,
 
     On behalf of the undersigned forest activists and
organizations, we wish to express our disappointment with the lack
of Administration leadership to repeal the rider and to stop abuses
resulting from the Public Law 104-19.  A delegation of activists met
with Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman and representatives of
the Council on Environmental Quality, Office of Management &
Budget and the Office of Political Affairs on June 13 requesting your
support for repealing the logging rider and action to cancel specific
environmentally destructive sales.  
 
     We were very disappointed that the Administration did not
actively support the Furse/Porter amendment to halt funding for
sales under the rider in FY 1997.  The vote was very close at 209-
211, indicating a major shift in the House away from supporting the
logging rider.  All Democrats from the Northwest supported the
amendment; 35 out of 38 Western Democrats supported Furse. 
Regrettably, thirty-three non-Western Democrats voted against the
amendment.  The Administration's support could easily have
produced the votes needed for victory.
 
     We are also disappointed that we have received no response
to our request to cancel specific sales.  Your Administration has the
authority to cancel any sales that will cause environmental harm,
and yet to date, only two sales have been cancelled out of the
hundreds of environmental destructive sales that have been
documented.  
 
     The recent Ninth Circuit Court Ruling on the murrelet does
not solve the problems caused by the rider.  In fact, the problems
are only beginning if these sales are not cancelled.  Finding "like
kind" replacement volume will require logging other old growth
stands in areas that simply do not have the trees. Meeting this
requirement will undoubtedly undermine the Northwest Forest Plan
and lead to future court challenges.  Cancelling the sales is within
the Administration's authority, and because threatened species are
known to inhabit these sales, only actual costs need to be
reimbursed to the companies.
 
     Activists continue to discover new Rescissions Act rider sales
that undercut the Administration's commitment to protect the
environment.  We urge you to take immediate action to cancel these
sales and to endorse full repeal of Public Law 104-19.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
 
 
Jim Jontz
Western Ancient Forest Campaign