New threats to our forests come from the Bush administration. The Roadless Protection Initiative has been put on hold and more public comments requested. How will this affect us? We have more than 40 roadless areas on the Eastside including those in the White Mountains, the Inyo Mountains, Glass Creek Meadow, San Joaquin Ridge, Eagle Peak, and the bighorn sheep habitat west of Mono Lake. The Roadless Protection Initiative, if implemented, would protect these special places from new road building.
Apparently 1.6 million comments, the most every received on a proposal, just aren't enough for this administration. The first new comment period for the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking has ended. Public comments are again asked on two Interim Directives, which reserve to Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth, with some exceptions, authority to approve timber harvest and road construction and reconstruction in roadless areas. The Regional Foresters are assigned the responsibility to review and determine if proposed road construction, road reconstruction, or timber harvest projects in inventoried roadless areas should be recommended and forwarded to Chief Bosworth for approval.
The Sierra Nevada Framework, a comprehensive forest management plan for the 11 national forests in the Sierra Nevada, is currently under appeal and the Bush administration is considering action that could compromise or overturn it. The plan is a balanced, scientifically based plan and is needed to protect old growth forest, (only 13% of the original old growth remains), reduce the threat of wildfire, and help conserve aquatic and riparian habitat. The Framework is not perfect; it has a loophole that would allow more logging in certain areas. It does not adequately address grazing and off-road vehicle use impacts on threatened and at-risk aquatic species. Thus protection offered by the Endangered Species Act is still needed for imperiled species. It does offer more protection than previous management plans. Tremendous public support for the Framework will help keep it as the management plan. Write to Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 14th St. & Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20240 stating your support for the Sierra Nevada Framework, a balanced, scientifically based plan that was developed during an 8-year public process. For more information about the Sierra Nevada Framework, call Barbara Boyle, Sierra Club (916 557-1100 extension 105).
P.O. Box 1973, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
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Page Last Updated
July 12, 2007