🚀 go-pugleaf

LOGGING WITHOUT LAWS BULLETIN #58 from WAFC, the
Western Ancient Forest Campaign.  Call (202)789-2844x291 or email
WAFCDC@igc.apc.org
 
Thursday, March 28, 1996, the 247th Day of Lawless Logging
 
KASICH COSPONSORS RIDER REPEAL:  The Chairman of the
House Budget Committee, Rep. John Kasich (R-OH), has become
the 135th cosponsor of the Furse/Morella bill, HR 2745, to repeal the
"logging without laws" rider.  Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) also
cosponsored the bill today.  Kasich's sponsorship is seen as a big
boost for rider repeal, as Kasich is a budget "hawk" who may
influence other Republicans to support rider repeal because of its
economic impacts.
 
OMB LETTER FAILS TO CALL FOR REPEAL:  A letter to
Congressional leaders from Alice Rivlin, director of the Office of
Management and the Budget outlining the objections of the White
House to the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, fails to call for repeal of
the Timber Clearcut Rider although it does relay "strong" opposition
to Sen. Hatfield's efforts to extend the rider.  "The House and
Senate versions of the bill contain a new timber provisions, which
pertains to the timber provisions of the FY 1995 Rescissions At that
have been drastically expanded by the courts . . to require the
cutting of old growth timber," the Rivlin letter says.  "The provision
would not provide the needed authority to allow the Forest Service
and the BLM to avoid proceeding with timber sales with significant
adverse impacts. . . It must be modified in a manner acceptable to
the Administration or dropped."  Reports persist that, although it
looks increasingly less likely that an agreement will be reached
between the White House and Congress on a spending bill in time
for the April recess for Congress, discussions between the
Administration and Hatfield could produce a rider "fix" that falls far
short of the repeal of the rider that conservationists seek. 
 
YAKAMAS FOR REPEAL: A letter from Ross Sockzehigh, chairman
of the Yakama Indian Nation, urges President Clinton to support
efforts by Rep. Elizabeth Furse to repeal the Timber Clearcut Rider. 
"Under the guise of 'Forest health' and 'salvage' logging,
environmental laws have been suspended, further damages to
northwest salmon runs have occurred, and the glut of Forest
products resulting from mandated timber harvests have driven
market prices down dramatically; all of which have had negative
impacts to the interests of the Yakama Indian Nation," says the
letter.  
 
STAY OF EXECUTION?:  Activists will walk the Barkley Salvage
Sale site on the Lassen NF today to take "before" pictures of the
old-growth forests which will be clearcut in the Polk Springs
Roadless Area if the sale is sold April 3, as the agency plans.  "If
the sale cannot be stopped by April 3, blockades and other protests
are planned," says an alert on the sale.  Ryan Hensen of the
California Wilderness Coalition asks for calls to the White House at
(202)456-1414 to protect the sale, as well as calls to Rep. Vic Fazio at
(202)225-5716.  "Remind these officials that the sale will destroy
irreplaceable old-growth forest, degrade Deer Creek's water quality,
and will cause considerable protest and controversy aimed directly at
the Clinton Administration for failing to control the Forest Service." 
Activists had been told by the White House that the sale would not
proceed.
 
EARTH TO CONGRESS: Representatives who are undecided on
repeal of the timber rider today received a flier on the clearcutting
of 1000 year old trees on the Umpqua NF.  "Over 750 years old
when the Declaration of Independence was signed," the flier says
about trees that are in the sale First and Last sales.