News from the National Forest Campaign
Arkansas Chapter Sierra Club
March 2003

In the name of fire protection, the Bush Administration continues to erode the progress of decades of environmental laws and safeguards that are in place to protect National Forests. The misnamed "Healthy Forest Initiative" (HFI) not only threatens the forest with uncontrolled logging, but also severely restricts public participation in the forest planning process. This plan is supposed to protect communities from fire risk through "fuel reduction," yet in reality it is an open door for lawless logging of our National Forests and doesn't protect communities. As a matter of fact, scientists and environmentalists agree that logging increases forest fires because the largest, most fire-resistant trees are the ones that are cut. The HFI is being implemented administratively, through USFS draft planning regulations, and legislatively. Last year, fire bills H.R. 5319 and H.R. 5376 were introduced but didn't pass. They both sought to dismantle many aspects of the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The Future of our National Forests without these important environmental safeguards is rather grim. Our last wild roadless areas, which are officially protected at the moment due to the recent decision by the 9th circuit court, are still threatened. For example a logging project that is done under the pretense of fuel reduction can be categorically excluded from environmental impact statements (EIS), public comment, and the project can take place in inventoried roadless areas. The USFS calls this "streamlining" forestry management, i.e. removing the bureaucratic red tape which postpones logging projects. However, without scientific analysis of environmental consequences or public comment - mismanagement of our public land is inevitable.

Unfortunately, these bills will be reintroduced in some form this year in Congress. For example, the goods for services/ "Stewardship Contracting" issue has returned in this Congressional session as an anti-environmental rider to the Omnibus Appropriations bill. "Stewardship Contracting" means the Forest Service can trade goods for services. This program, as benign as it may seem, gives the USFS the ability to give away trees to pay for other activities, creating a powerful new incentive for logging commercially valuable forests.

However, there is no need for despair! There are plenty of ways to get involved and voice your desire for forest protection. As a matter of fact, the Sierra Club members in Northwest Arkansas believe that it is time to celebrate and energize the movement. We have decided to use dramatic street theatre performance in order to vent frustrations with the Bush Administration and to inform the public.

Over the holidays, the Sierra Club Eco-Caroling Collective re-wrote some traditional holiday songs to give them an environmental message. For example (to the tune 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town') "you better watch out, you better not cry, environmental laws are left to die," and (to the tune 'We Three Kings') "Big Tree Rings exposed to the stars..." The group of Eco-Carolers, along with Santa Claus himself, performed at the Fayetteville Square amongst Christmas lights and horse-drawn carriages for a wide array of interested pedestrians.

Also, over Valentine's Day, we performed a "Make Love Not Lumber" street theatre at the University of Arkansas campus. Actors dressed up like cupids, forest fairies, corporate devils, and trees. We attracted hundreds of students, the newspaper and NBC news! In both events our focus was to expose the misnamed "Healthy Forest Initiative" and to promote citizen opposition to this plan.

Please join thousands of activists all over the country in voicing their opposition to the dismantling of the NFMA. The official comment period has been extended, so there is still time to write, call, or fax the USFS and your Senators before April 7.

Honorable Senator Blanche Lincoln
DC: 202-224-4843
DC: Fax: 202-228-1371
LR: 501-375-2993
LR: Fax: 501-375-7064
Web: www.senate.gov/~lincoln
Dirkson Senate Office Building
Room 355
Washington DC 20510

Honorable Senator Mark Pryor
DC: 202-224-2353
DC: Fax: 202-228-0908
LR: 501-324-6336
LR: Fax: 501-324-5320
Email: mark_pryor@pryor.senate.gov
Web: pryor.senate.gov
Dirkson Senate Office Building
Room 825
Washington DC 20510

For more information please attend the March 18th Central Arkansas Group meeting where I will be doing a powerpoint presentation on Arkansas Forest Protection or contact:

Holly Ferguson
Sierra Club National Forest Campaign Conservation Organizer
Fax: 479-571-3316
Work: 479-571-3005

Deadline April 7 (Extended from March 6): Take Action Now!

The Forest Service is accepting public comments until April 7, 2003. Tell the administration not to rewrite and weaken the NFMA regulations and listen to the scientists not the timber industry.

Forest Service Chief Bosworth
USDA FS Planning Rule
Content Analysis Team
P.O. Box 8359
Missoula, MT 59807
CC: Your U.S. Senators/Representative

Or email to planning_rule@fs.fed.us; or by facsimile to planning Rule Comments at (406) 329-3556.

Dear Chief Bosworth,

I am submitting this letter as an official comment to your proposed rewrite of the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) regulations. I strongly oppose the proposed new rules that would eliminate or seriously weaken vital safeguards for all of our 155 national forests and allow reckless logging by timber-industry profiteers and the destruction of habitat for many species of wildlife.

I am particularly opposed to the attempt to change what historically has been mandatory and enforceable requirements for surveying and maintaining viable populations of wildlife in our national forests into optional considerations left to the complete discretion of forest planners. This flaw is contained in both of the alternative wildlife options presented in the December 6 proposal.

Similarly unacceptable is the proposal's indication that forest planning may be categorically excluded from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As our nation's bedrock environmental law, NEPA ensures both full consideration of potential environmental impacts of planning decisions and meaningful public participation. I am also troubled that the draft regulations seek to create a presumption that all national forest lands are open to logging, grazing, mining, off-road vehicles, and other commercial uses unless specifically prohibited, making other considerations like fish and wildlife of secondary importance.

In fact, I oppose the overall direction of the proposed regulations, which seek to give forest managers total discretion to manage public forests however they see fit while reducing scientific and public input. This proposal would eliminate balance, scientific credibility, and a public accountability in forest planning, the very foundations upon which the National Forest Management Act is based.

I urge you to abandon these proposed regulations in their entirety and return to the balanced and accountable forest planning envisioned by the NFMA.

Sincerely,