Northwest Forest Plan Under Attack... Again

by Jim Scarborough
Tuesday, June 12, 2007



Now in its waning years, the Bush administration has limited time to shovel even more of the public's dwindling resources toward its campaign contributors, business associates, and assorted cronies. So it's redoubling its efforts on behalf of the timber industry in an attempt to sabotage the Northwest Forest Plan, which has guided the region's national forest management for the past 13 years.

Once again, the administration's political henchmen have overruled scientists and agency managers who know best, this time through a proposal that would strip protections from 1.5 million national forest acres in the Pacific Northwest that had previously been set aside for the threatened, northern spotted owl. This figure would include two big chunks of Olympic National Forest.

Read about this travesty in the Seattle P-I's "Bush administration wants to cut protected habitat for spotted owl" - written by Robert McClure.

But don't stop there. Send your comments by August 1 to Kemper McMaster, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, 2600 SE 98th Ave., Suite 100, Portland, OR 97266. By fax: 503-231-6195. Email: northernspottedowlCH@fws.gov, or go to the Federal "eRulemaking" Portal at www.regulations.gov.

Tell them the spotted owl must not lose any critical habitat whatsoever, and that to do otherwise is unscientific and an insult to the majority of citizens who want our old forests to exist in perpetuity.

Please consider sending a copy of your comments to us.

Thank you!