>>Excerpted From Heartwood Action Update
>>Earth Week 1995
>>P.O.Box 402, Paoli, IN 47454-0402
>>
>>The `95 Rescissions Act (HR 1158) has passed the House and Senate. Both
>>versions of this bill contain dangerous "salvage logging riders" - the
>>Taylor Amendment in the House, and the Gorton Amendment in the Senate -
>>which could spell disaster for our forests. When Congress returns from
>>Easter recess at the end of April, a conference committee will meet to
>>hammer out the details of the final rescission bill. If the salvage
>>provisions survive this committee, only Clinton's pen stands between the
>>timber industry and billions of board feet of taxpayer-subsidized, public
>>forest timber. Your Senators, Representatives and Clinton MUST hear form
>>you now.
>>
>>This measure could mean complete elimination of any administrative and
>>legal restraints on timber cutting on the National Forests for at least two
>>years. Most Legislators have been convinced by the timber lobby that this
>>initiative is necessary to protect the forests of the West from further
>>devastation by forest fire. But this bill applies to ALL SPECIES on ALL
>>FORESTS, subject to all forces of natural demise, NOT JUST FIRE.
>>
>>Read on for more details. (long)
>>________________________________
>>
>>TAYLOR AND GORTON ATTEMPT TO DELIVER THE NATIONAL FORESTS TO THE TIMBER
>>INDUSTRY.
>>
>>As stated above and in the last update, amendments to the Constitutional
>>rescission bills contain broad, sweeping language that could allow
>>unrestricted logging on federal lands. These sales would be known as
>>"salvage sales" to be done in the name of "forest health." The Gorton
>>amendment defines a salvage timber sale as a sale "for which an important
>>reason for entry includes the removal of disease- or insect-infested trees,
>>dead, damaged, or downed trees. or trees affected by fire or imminently
>>susceptible to fires or insect attack, and INCLUDES THE REMOVAL OF
>>ASSOCIATED TREES,..." This allows for designation of almost any stand of
>>timber as potential salvage. Any forest administered by the Forest Service
>>(FS) or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) could be logged under this
>>definition of salvage.
>>
>>The agency administering these "salvage sales" would not be required to
>>comply with the standard administrative procedures for agency action (e.g.
>>the scoping and appeals process for Forest Service decisions), or with the
>>Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),
>>the Clean Water Act, or any other federal legislation.
>>
>>In regard to judicial review of these sales, the Gorton Amendment further
>>states, "No restraining order or preliminary injunction shall be issued by
>>any court of the United States with respect to a decision to prepare...any
>>timber sale offered under," the salvage provisions outlined above. A
>>permanent injunction is allowed only if " it has been determined that the
>>decision to prepare,...the sale was arbitrary, capricious, or otherwise not
>>in accordance with the law." With such a broad and arbitrary definition of
>>salvage, and a provision denying the applicability of any other federal
>>laws, this determination seems highly unlikely!
>>
>>In short, the authors of these amendments have opened up the National
>>Forests and BLM lands to unrestricted logging, and closed all avenues of
>>citizen oversight and participation in the decision making process. Though
>>the legislation is being touted by its sponsors as the solution to the
>>so-called "forest health crisis" that allegedly caused the huge Western
>>forest fires of last summer, there is nothing in these amendments which
>>restricts the use of this definition of salvage timber to Western forests.
>>The Taylor amendment MANDATES AN ADDITIONAL 6.2 billion board feet of
>>timber, be cut from FS and BLM-admisnstered lands over the next two years,
>>over and above the targets defined in individual forest use plans. That
>>amounts to about double the currently defined allowable cut. even the
>>Forest Service and the BLM have stated that this goal cannot possibly be
>>responsibly met! If passed, this bill (and others like it which are
>>currently in the works) could spell the end for forest health and native
>>biodiversity.
>>
>>ACT NOW! Please call, write, fax, E-mail, and/or knock on the doors of
>>your Senators and Representatives. Ask them how they voted on these
>>amendments and why. Explain to them that the "forest health crisis" is a
>>timber industry hoax for which they have fallen, but you have not. Cite
>>the substantial scientific data available that suggests that logging in
>>burned areas is the worst thing to do to achieve both forest health and
>>fire prevention goals. Point out that this type of unrestricted logging
>>can occur on any forest in the country, and that these sales will put a
>>significant drain on the federal budget (through below market priced sale
>>of this taxpayer supported timber). Urge them to work against final
>>approval of these amendments and to vote against future bills which contain
>>similar "sufficiency" language. Ask your legislators to contact President
>>Clinton in support of a Presidential veto of the salvage riders. Tell them
>>you will not allow federal agencies to be insulated from the law, while
>>giving your tax dollars and your forests to wealthy, multinational
>>corporations.
>>
>>MAKE NOISE in your local community. Write letters to the editor; call your
>>local talk radio shows; call a press conference. Let your neighbors know
>>that while the Republican leadership is talking of fiscal responsibility
>>and lessening the role of the Federal bureaucracy, it is passing a
>>"rescission" bill which gives millions of tax dollars to an industry the
>>registered record-breaking profits last year, and that insulates federal
>>bureaucrats from the law. Tell your friends that this initiative, attached
>>to a bill which is purported to save taxpayers money, could easily cost
>>taxpayers over $1 billion to implement.
>>
>>The Congressional Switchboard Number is (202) 225-3121
>>
>>CALL CLINTON! Tell him the time to act is now. The American people will
>>not sit idly by while Congress takes away their rights and devastates the
>>environment..DEMAND THAT HE VETO HR 1158 IF THE SALVAGE RIDERS REMAIN
>>ATTACHED. Remind him that the American people, in poll after poll, have
>>expressed their support for strong environmental protection.
>>
>>Call the White House at (202) 456-1111.
>>E-mail to <president at whitehouse.gov>
>>Send Cards and Letters to:
>> President Bill Clinton
>> 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
>> Washington, DC 20500
>> FAX (202) 456-2883

This sums up the Rescissions Act better than anything I've seen yet, so I'm
passing it on. Everyone concerned with forests should act on this one.
Sorry to forward so much distressing news.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416