🚀 go-pugleaf

^^^ E P I C   U P D A T E   A N D   A C T I O N   A L E R T ! ! ! ^^^

January 17, 2000

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CONTENTS:
1) BOARD OF FORESTRY: EMERGENCY? WHAT EMERGENCY?
2) MASSIVE ESA EXEMPTIONS ALLOW HARM TO SALMON
3) URGENT ACTION! FORESTRY BILLS FACE TOUGH VOTE IN CA LEGISLATURE
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^ BOARD REJECTS PETITION FOR RULES TO SAVE OLD GROWTH ^

Declaring that no threat to public health, safety or the general welfare 
exists in California's forests, the state Board of Forestry on January 
12 rejected a petition filed by EPIC and the Campaign for Old Growth 
that would have halted logging of old-growth trees.  Supporters of the 
petition gathered by the hundreds at a Board hearing in Sacramento last 
Wednesday to remind Governor Gray Davis of his campaign pledge to 
protect all of the state's ancient trees, a promise that Davis has 
ignored since his election.  The petition asked the Board to declare an 
emergency and adopt rules to protect old-growth.

Loopholes in state rules that exempt certain logging operations from 
environmental review were central to the discussion.  In 1996, Pacific 
Lumber Company made these exemptions famous by "salvage" logging fallen 
trees in several groves of Headwaters Forest.  Just last December, a 
landowner used one of these many exemptions to log a rare stand of 
ancient redwoods on the bank of the South Fork Eel River, home to two 
species of threatened salmon.  When outraged neighbors and agency 
scientists protested, the California Department of Forestry shut the 
operation down.  At the Board of Forestry hearing, speeches by various 
state and federal agency officials acknowledging problems with these 
exemptions pleasantly surprised conservationists.

At the end of the day, however, no immediate relief for California's 
old-growth forests materialized.  The Board, unwilling to take emergency 
action, instead convened a committee to assess the ancient forest issue 
and promised to explore closing loopholes that allow unsupervised 
old-growth logging.  Despite these small steps, the general feeling 
among those present was that Governor Davis, given a perfect opportunity 
to keep his campaign promise, once again backed away.

In another Board of Forestry development, the Governor's controversial 
package of changes to state logging rules regarding salmon and water 
quality protection was once again released for 45 days of public 
comment.  The rules, which were never strong enough to comply with 
federal laws prohibiting harm to salmon and degradation of water 
quality, have only become weaker since their introduction last July.  A 
public hearing will probably take place in early March, and the text of 
the rules will be available soon from the Board of Forestry web site: 
http://www.fire.ca.gov/bof/board/board_proposed_rule_packages.html

Public comment on this rules package will be extremely important in 
coming weeks.  We'll make a summary of the package available very soon 
and keep you posted on further developments!


^ FEDS PROPOSE BLANKET ESA EXEMPTIONS FOR STEELHEAD, SALMON ^

Just before the end of last year, the National Marine Fisheries Service 
(NMFS), in response to citizen lawsuits, finally extended basic 
Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection to several threatened 
populations of salmon and steelhead trout across four Pacific Northwest 
states.  The rules, known as "4(d) rules" after the section of the ESA 
that requires their adoption, nominally outlaw activities that kill or 
harm (in legalese, "take") the threatened fish.  Certain logging and 
agricultural practices, dams, water diversions and other projects that 
kill salmon theoretically could be restricted following finalization of 
the proposed rule.

These particular 4(d) rules, however, also provide massive exceptions 
from this so-called "take prohibition."  Among these are exemptions for 
urban development, fisheries management, and even logging on private 
lands in the state of Washington.  In order to qualify for these 
exemptions, state and local governments simply have to devise ordinances 
or regulations that comply with extremely vague criteria set forth in 
the 4(d) rule.

It remains unclear whether scientific and public input will influence 
NMFS' decisions to grant these exemptions.  Conservation and fisheries 
advocates who have reviewed the rules are calling on NMFS to protect 
salmon and steelhead by providing strong guidance and enforcement, not 
more creative loopholes for urban developers and big timber. Public 
comments on the 4(d) rules will be accepted until March 6, 2000, and 
public hearings are underway throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho and 
California. For more information, visit NMFS' web site: 
http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/1salmon/salmesa/4drules.htm
American Lands Alliance also has information on the 4(d) rules available 
at http://www.americanlands.org/forestweb/esainfo.htm


^ URGENT ACTION! FORESTRY BILLS FACE TOUGH VOTE THIS WEEK ^

The California Legislature is back at work, and two forestry reform 
bills will be among the measures considered in the state Assembly late 
this week.  Dominated by an influential bloc of conservative Democrats, 
the Assembly is considered the toughest house for environmental and 
other progressive measures to pass.

AB 717 and 748 propose key reforms to California's logging laws.  AB 717 
sets standards for analysis of environmental impacts in forested 
watersheds and brings greater accountability to the multi-agency logging 
plan review process.  AB 748 would impose a modest fee for review and 
approval of private logging plans; this process is currently the only 
fully subsidized permit program in the state.  These bills are 
vehemently opposed by the timber industry, and need strong grassroots 
support to pass the Assembly!

CALIFORNIANS: PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER TODAY!

The following Assembly Members' votes will be especially critical:
Alquist, Elaine (Santa Clara) - ph (916) 319-2022 - fax (916) 319-2122
Calderon, Thomas (Montebello) -  (916) 319-2058 - fax (916) 319-2158
Cardenas, Tony (Sylmar) - ph (916) 319-2039 - fax (916) 319-2139
Cardoza, Dennis (Merced) - ph (916) 319-2026 - fax (916) 319-2126
Corbett, Ellen (San Leandro) - ph (916) 319-2018 - fax (916) 319-2118
Correa, Lou (Anaheim) - ph (916) 319-2069 - fax (916) 319-2169
Cunneen, Jim (Cupertino) - ph (916) 319-2024 - fax (916) 319-2124
Ducheny, Denise (San Diego) - ph (916) 319-2079 - fax (916) 319-2179
Dutra, John (Fremont) - ph (916) 319-2020 - fax (916) 319-2120
Firebaugh, Marco Antonio (Cudahy) - ph (916) 319-2050 - fax (916) 
319-2150
Florez, Dean (Bakersfield) - ph (916) 319-2030 - fax (916) 319-2130
Floyd, Richard (Carson) - ph (916) 319-2055 - fax (916) 319-2155
Havice, Sally (Cerritos) - ph (916) 319-2056 - fax (916) 319-2156
Hertzberg, Robert (Sherman Oaks) - ph (916) 319-2040 - fax (916) 
319-2140
Honda, Mike (San Jose) - ph (916) 319-2023 - fax (916) 319-2123
Machado, Mike (Stockton) - ph (916) 319-2017 - fax (916) 319-2117
Mazzoni, Kerry (Novato) - ph (916) 319-2006 - fax (916) 319-2106
Papan, Lou (Millbrae) - ph (916) 319-2019 - fax (916) 319-2119
Reyes, Sarah (Fresno) - ph (916) 319-2031 - fax (916) 319-2131
Soto, Nell (Ontario/Pomona) - Ph (916) 319-2061 - fax (916) 319-2161
Strom-Martin (North Coast) - ph (916) 319-2001 - fax (916) 319-2101
Thomson, Helen (Davis) - ph (916) 319-2008 - fax (916) 319-2108
Vincent, Edward (Inglewood) - ph (916) 319-2051 - fax (916) 319-2151
Washington, Carl (Compton/LA) - (916) 319-2052 - fax (916) 319-2152
Wesson, Herb (Culver City) - (916) 319-2047 - fax (916) 319-2147
Wiggins, Patricia (Santa Rosa) - ph (916) 319-2007 - fax (916) 319-2107
Wright, Roderick (LA) - ph (916) 319-2048 - fax (916) 319-2148

For all other Assembly Members, email contact information, or to find 
out which Assembly district you live in, visit the Assembly home page: 
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/

The following sample letter can be used in your faxes, emails and phone 
calls.  Thanks a lot for taking the time to support modest improvements 
to California's logging laws!


Date

Assembly Member (NAME)
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA  95814

RE: Support AB 717 and AB 748

Dear Honorable ___________,

I am writing to ask you to support AB 717 and AB 748 (Keeley).  These 
bills make a few important, reasonable, and needed changes to the Forest 
Practices Act.

AB 717 sets standards to ensure that watershed studies utilized in 
forest practices review are scientifically credible.  The bill also 
requires that in reviewing timber harvest plans, the Department of 
Forestry (CDF) give due consideration to the recommendations set forth 
by
agencies that possess greater environmental expertise. These provisions 
draw upon the recommendations made by agencies and panels such as the 
National Marine Fisheries Service, the EPA, the Regional Water Quality 
Control Boards, and the Scientific Review Panel appointed by the Wilson 
Administration and federal officials.

AB 748 would help end a long-standing taxpayer subsidy by requiring a 
modest filing fee to help cover state agencies' expenses in reviewing 
and approving logging plans.  The logging plan review process is 
currently the only fully subsidized permit process in the state, costing 
taxpayers more that $15 million annually.

I urge your AYE vote on AB 717 and AB 748 when they come to the floor of 
the Assembly.

Sincerely,

Name
Address

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Environmental Protection Information Center
PO Box 397, Garberville CA 95542
(707) 923-2931  fax (707) 923-4210
epic@wildcalifornia.org
www.wildcalifornia.org
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