Tweeters,

The net brings more bad news for birds and birders each day. I apologize
for being the bearer of more of it, but hope that some letters to the
"powers that be" might actually do some good (I'm not holding my breath).

This was gleaned from BirdChat, with further apologies to those who are
seeing this for the second time....

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, WA
anderjda at dfw.wa.gov

16. Threat to the Tongass

From: Sharron
Date: Mon, 7 Aug 1995 16:39:44 -0800

Chatters:
As an Alaskan, I am often embarrassed by the shortsighted "vision"
of ournational legislators. The Alaska Delegation on July 21 introduced
the Southeast Alaska Jobs and Communities Protection Act of 1995. It
comes up for hearing this week. This is a very bad thing: it would gut
the Tongass Timber Reform Act of 1990, as well as important
conservation laws that have been passed since 1990. This bill (S. 1054)
would require the Forest Service to commence timber sales in areas previously
designated or managed as Habitat Conservation Areas within 30 days of
passage of the bill, and it would kill the Forest Service's five-year
effort to institute a forest-wide plan to protect wildlife from logging.

Please contact your senators right away, urging them to oppose S.
1054.

Another good contact is Senator Bennett Johnston (Louisiana), the
architect of the Tongass Timber Reform Act compromise (which should
be protected):
Senator Bennett Johnston
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202)224-5924
Fax: (202)224-2952

Here is an incomplete summary of S. 1054:
--Opens permanently protected and heavily used legislated LUD II
roadless areas up to logging;
--Gives the timber industry a priority use of Tongass resources
over commercial fishermen, tourism businesses, hunters, subsistence users,
and other Tongass users (such as the NORTHERN GOSHAWK!);
--Replaces the pre-Tongass Reform Act's mandated cut level with a
mandated jobs level;
--Radically shrinks the timber industry's and Forest Service's
responsibility to protect deer, bear and salmon habitat; and
--Effectively mandates a timber supply for the Ketchikan Pulp Mill,
a new medium density fiberboard plant in Sitka, the Wrangell sawmill, and
an 80 million board foot Small Business Administration timber program.
This mandate would likely increase logging by 100 million board feet
over the average cut during the last decade.

The above information is from a summary sheet provided by the
Southeast Alaska Conservation Council. For more details contact:

Southeast Conservation Council
419 Sixth Street, Suite 328
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907)586-6942
Fax: (907)463-3312

Thanks from me and the many critters and birds of the Tongass.

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