🚀 go-pugleaf

LOGGING WITHOUT LAWS BULLETIN #41, from WAFC, the Western
Ancient Forest Campaign.  Call (202)789-2844x288 or email
WAFCDC@igc.apc.org
 
Monday, February 26, 1996, the 216th Day of Lawless Logging
 
CLINTON TACKLES RIDER: President Clinton pledged again to "fix"
the "logging without laws" rider during his visit to Seattle Saturday,
but did not announce a decision about whether to support total repeal
of the rider or not.  Coverage in the Washington Post yesterday said
that Clinton's announcement was an "election year turnabout" in a
state "crucial to his hopes to winning a second term."  Clinton and
his press spokesman Mike McCurry spoke clearly to his interest in
repealing the "green" portions of the rider affecting Section 318 and
Option 9 sales, but were vague about total repeal.  The White House
is believed to be following closely the lead of Sen. Patty Murray (D-
WA) who told a group of her constituents last week that she
supported repeal of the rider but also wanted a "salvage program"
which might expedite salvage sales passed in its place.  A group of
over 1000 forest supporters rallied in Westlake Park in downtown
Seattle during the President's visit, displaying a 35 foot inflated
chain saw and signs saying "Clinton Repeal the Clearcut Deal." 
 
RIDER REPEAL CALL IN TUESDAY:  The beginning of the eighth
month of clearcutting under the "forest health" rider will observed
by activists today, as they conduct a National Repeal the Rider Call-
In Day to flood the Congress with phone calls urging support for
rider repeal legislation.  The Congress is returning to Washington
today after a "district work period" which has kept them out of town
for most of the month.  Cosponsorship of the Furse bill to repeal the
rider, HR 2745, has climbed to 110 with the addition of Reps. Bill
Coyne (D-PA), Tom Campbell (R-CA), Peter Visclosky (D-IN), and
Martin Frost (D-TX).  It is anticipated that Sens. Bill Bradley (D-
NJ) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) will file their companion bill in the
Senate this week or next.
 
TIM REAM ON THE ROAD:  A road show featuring Eugene OR hunger
striker Tim Ream and his message about how citizens can get
involved to save our nation's Ancient Forests from industrial logging
and the Timber Clearcut Rider has completed stops in Salt Lake,
Boulder CO, and Denver and plays in Kansas City, MO, tonight. A
crowd of 150 at Boulder is his biggest so far.  Tim is using slides and
video to tell listeners about his 75 day hunger strike outside the
Eugene OR federal building against "logging without laws" and the
threat that the Rescissions Act timber rider poses to native forests. 
Future stops include St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Lexington
KY, Nashville TN, Atlanta, Columbia SC, Raleigh NC, and Richmond
VA.  For details call WAFC at (202)789-2844x291.
 
FOREST CONGRESS CLOSES:  The 1200 participants in the 7th
American Forest Congress finished their business Saturday and went
home, approving principles that endorsed the rule of law and rights
of citizens to appeal FS decisions, but rejecting the direct repeal of
the "logging without laws" rider.  "The raging debate over the
logging bill dominated much of the forest meeting, even though the
organizers had said from the outset that the issue should be off-
limits," wrote Jack Cushman of the New York Times.  Cushman said
that the Forest Congress was held "in the middle of a fierce fight
over a law that the U.S. Congress passed . . to encourage
accelerated logging on public lands."  The leadership of the Forest
Congress rejected the argument that the "participatory" ideals of
their meeting were contradicted by the reality of the logging rider.