Apologies for the length of this forwarded post, but I thought some Idaho
Tweets might be interested, if they don't already know all about it.

Anna B. Coles
Seattle, Washington State, U.S.A.
<acoles at zebu.serv.net>

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 1996 06:57:00 -0800 (PST)
From: Western Ancient Forest Campaign <wafcdc at igc.apc.org>
To: Recipients of conference <mlist.wafcdc at conf.igc.apc.org>
Subject: Thunderbolt Salvage Sale - Idaho

THUNDERBOLT SALVAGE SALE -- Idaho



* The National Marine Fisheries Service concluded that
this sale is "likely to jeopardize the continued existence of Snake
River spring/summer chinook salmon."

* The EPA advised the Forest Service not to proceed with
the sale due to "potential environmental impacts [that] are of
sufficient magnitude and risk .."

* The Fish and Wildlife Service concluded that the sale
"is likely to have detrimental impacts to fish and wildlife
resources."

* The sale violates President Clinton's promise that the
Forest Service would follow the nation's environmental
laws.

* Independent analysis by retired Congressional Research
Service accountant Robert Wolf predicts the sale will lose
$2.8 million.


Location:

This sale would log 13 mmbf in two roadless areas along the South
Fork of the Salmon River and its major tributary, in the Payette and
Boise NF 30 miles east of McCall, ID.


Background:

Because of extensive past logging, and the propensity of this
geologically unstahlbe area to massive landslides, the Forest Service
has maintained a moratorium on land-disturbing activities in this
watershed for 30 years. Now, the agency has sold the 13 mmbf
Thunderbolt sale affecting 3200 acres, over the opposition of four
government agencies including the Idaho Department of Fish and
Game, with the rationale that the receipts from the sale will be
used to fund restoration work in the watershed. The sale,
however, will not produce enough revenue to reforest the site, let
alone undertake restoration work. After no bids were received at
the public auction on the sale November 9, Boise-Cascade bought
the sale by offering the minimum in a non-public bid less than two
weeks later.


Status:

A suit challenging the sale based on the opposition of the EPA,
NFMS, the FWS, and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game was
unsuccessful in the court of Judge Edward Lodge (ruling 12/11/95)
because of the "logging without laws" rider. An appeal to the
Ninth Circuit Court may be filed.



Quotes:


"Our interpretation of the Science Panel Review, shared by
NMFS and EPA is that the Panel found the analysis seriously
flawed and that the analysis did not support the conclusion that
the Thunderbolt action would benefit the watershed." U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service

"In the unanimous opinion of these agencies, the environmental
risks posed by using salvage logging to finance restoration projects
were too great to render the Project acceptable." Judge
Edward Lodge

"The Judge agreed with the Forest Service that it can ignore
environmental laws and environmental agencies, because of the
salvage rider." Craig Gehrke, The Wilderness Society

"President Clinton told the Forest Service to follow the law even
under the salvage rider. Instead they ignore science and law
[with this sale]." Kristen Boyles, Sierra Club Legal Defense
Fund

"Despite Sen. Craig's statements to the contrary, the bottom line
on Thunderbolt is that it's going to cost the taxpayers some big
money . . . At the very least, stop selling us voters short, stop
treating us like idiots, and stop trying to convince us Thunderbolt
is a good deal for the taxpayers." Mike Stewart, publisher,
the Long Valley Advocate, Cascade ID



For more information:

John McCarthy, Idaho Conservation League (208)345-6933
Craig Gehrke, The Wilderness Society (208)343-8153
Kristen Boyles, Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund (206)343-7340