🚀 go-pugleaf

TO:       All Forest Activists
FROM:     Jim Jontz & Steve Holmer
DATE:     June 14, 1996
 
SUBJECT:  President Urged to Cancel Remaining Destructive Sales
 
         Rider Repeal Vote in House Possible This Week
 
Court Rules Against Timber Industry Grab for Ancient Forests
     The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals today rejected the timber
industry's claim that the Clearcut Logging Rider compels logging of
forests that are home to the threatened marbled murrelet.  This is a
substantial victory for conservationists, but there remain numerous
other sales under the logging rider that threaten the Pacific
Northwest's Ancient Forest ecosystem and National Forests around
the nation.  Repealing the rider and cancelling sales already under
contract are needed more than ever to stop the destructive impact
of lawless logging.
 
Rider Repeal Lobby Week a Success
     Activists converged on the Clinton Administration yesterday  
to press for the immediate cancellation of timber sales failing to
meet the President's directive that the sales must comply with all
environmental laws and the Northwest Forest Plan.  In separate
meetings with Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman and White
House staff, an emphatic message was relayed:  Support repeal of
the rider by endorsing H.R. 2745;  cancel the Section 318 and
Section 2001k sales;  cancel the Option 9 and salvage sales where
we have documented violations of environmental laws; and avoid
further embarrassment by restoring accountability to the land
management agencies that are flagrantly ignoring the President's
directives to follow the law.
 
     Our message was cordially received by the White House staff
who indicated that a significant change of forest policy would be
announced in the next several weeks.  This gives us several weeks
to ensure that the Administration is clear on what they need to do
to correct their admitted mistake of signing the rider.  Agriculture
Sec. Glickman also announced that he would be sending a fact-
finding team out to the Northwest and California this week to learn
first hand about reported abuses.
 
     Please contact the White House and Secretary Glickman, and
urge them to cancel the remaining Section 2001 (k) sales and salvage
and Option 9 sales that violate the law.  Remind them that we
continue to see and document new abusive sales that violate
environmental laws and the Northwest Forest Plan.  
 
President Bill Clinton   Secretary Dan Glickman
The White House          U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Washington, D.C. 20500   Washington, D.C. 20250
202/456-1111 (9-5 EST)   202/720-3631
fax: 456-2883 and        fax: 720-2166 or 720-5437
456-7929 and 456-2710
president@whitehouse.gov
 
Rep. McDermott Calls for Sale Cancellations
     In a letter to President Clinton released today, Rep. Jim
McDermott (D-WA) called for the immediate cancellation of all of
the Section 2001(k) sales under the logging rider.  McDermott said,
"The core of this issue is whether or not we have the fortitude to
stop the Republicans from successfully suspending the nation's hard-
fought environmental standards."  
 
     Efforts to Repeal the Rider in the House were given a
significant boost 
from the lobby week with four additional cosponsors to H.R. 2745. 
They are Reps. Flanagan (R-IL), Greenwood (R-PA), Cummings (D-
MD) and Oregon's newest House Member, Rep. Earl Blumenauer
(D-OR).  This brings the total to 147, over one-third of House of
Representatives. 
 
     Special thanks to everyone who travelled to Washington to
take part in the lobby week: Ryan Henson, California Wilderness
Coalition; Lori Saldana, San Diego Sierra Club; Paul Ketcham,
Portland Audubon Society; Tim Lillebo, Oregon Natural Resources
Council; Ron Carly, Portland Audubon Society, Dave Willis, Soda
Mountain Wilderness Coalition; Steve Marsden, Siskiyou Regional
Education Project; Tim Coleman, Kettle Range Conservation Group;
David Jennings, Black Hills Audubon Society; Barry Rosenberg,
Inland Empire Public Lands Council; Carol Murphy, Ketchum,
Idaho; Erik Anderson, Westchester, Pennsylvania.
 
     In the Senate, activists brought constant pressure to bear on
the Senate Democrats working on a compromise forest health bill. 
Ironically, the 9th Circuit's murrelet ruling could undermine the
proposed compromise, because many of the Section 318 and 2001k
sales being considered for buyback as part of the deal, are the
murrelet sales.  
 
Rider Repeal Vote Possible This Week
     The House of Representatives is expected to consider the 1997
Interior spending bill this week, with votes starting as early as
Wednesday, June 19.  Efforts are underway to have language similar
to H.R. 2745 offered as an amendment to the Interior
Appropriations bill.  If we succeed in getting a vote, there will be
very little time to mobilize phone trees and fax barrages, so we
need to start on Monday and keep calls coming all week.  
 
     Please call and fax your Rep. and as many other Members as
you possibly can, and urge them to vote in favor of repealing the
rider and if they haven't already, to cosponsor H.R. 2745.  You can
reach the switchboard by calling 202/225-3121 or use 800/962-3524 or
800/972-3524 for toll free calls.
 
     Rep. Sid Yates (D-IL) offered an amendment in full
Committee to prevent any funds from being spent to implement the
logging rider in fiscal year 1997.  This would cover salvage and
Option 9 sales from Oct. 1, 1996, until Dec. 31, 1996 when the rider
expires.  The amendment was defeated, but Rep. Yates may offer it
again on the House floor.  So if there is no vote on full repeal, we
may have an opportunity to cut the rider short.
 
Yet Another Rider
     During the Full Appropriations Committee Markup, Rep.
Frank Riggs (R-CA) offered an amendment which was approved to
prevent any funds from being used to continue or enforce the
designation of critical habitat for the marbled murrelet on private
property in California.  Interior Appropriations Subcommittee
Chairman Ralph Regula (R-OH) offered an addition to this
amendment to exclude the 3,000 acre Headwaters grove from this
latest anti-environmental rider from the 104th Congress.