From: Western Ancient Forest Campaign <[wafc d c] at [igc.apc.org]>
Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead
Date: 02 Sep 93 07:23 PDT
Subject: Ancient Forest Comments Needed Now
The President has released his plan to protect the
Northwest's ancient forests. Chosen from 10 "options" developed
by scientists and others, the President's preferred plan, "Option
9," was designed to maximize the timber cut to the limits of the
law rather than protect the Northwest's ancient forests. Only one
option, "Option 1," offers the ancient forests any hope of
recovering from the past decades of unsustainable logging.
While Option 1 would save the last 10% of our ancient forests
in protected reserves, Option 9 leaves over one third of the
ancient forests in the timber base and allows logging in ancient
forest reserves. Under Option 9 over one hundred species face
probable extinction. Rather than end logging on our ancient
forests, the President's plan relies on extensive monitoring,
large scale restoration, and experimental forestry as the primary
basis for species protection. Its success depends on continued
funding from Congress and extensive management by federal
agencies. While the Administration has painted Option 9 as an
innovative protection plan, it represents risky management at its
worst.
Unless activists generate a loud and strong response, the
Administration will implement Option 9. The ancient forests of
the Northwest deserve better. Your input is critical! Make sure
your comments include these important points:
All Remaining Ancient Forests Must be Protected.
Under Option 9, over one third of the ancient forest will be
logged. Less than 10% of the original ancient forest remains, and
is too severely fragmented to withstand further logging. Even
small patches of old growth provide critical habitat for thousands
of small organisms and endemic species, and are key to maintaining
biodiversity across the landscape. Agency scientists admit that
species protection is correlated to the amount of ancient forest
protected in reserves. Because Option 9 fails to protect enough
ancient forest, over one hundred more species are expected to go
extinct. In order to protect the myriad of species who depend on
ancient forests, protection of all remaining old growth is
essential.
No Logging in Ancient Forest Reserves.
While scientists have consistently recommended inviolate
ancient forest reserves as part of a protection strategy, Option 9
allows logging in reserves. Salvage and thinning is allowed in
forest stands under 80 years old in reserves if "beneficial or
neutral" to the creation of old growth conditions. In reserves on
the eastern slope of the Cascades, the salvage is even less
controlled.
Agencies entrusted with the federal forests have consistently
used salvage timber sales as a means of logging healthy ancient
forest. The abuse of salvage logging is well documented, and
allowing agencies any discretion to log in old growth reserves
will be akin to letting the foxguard the hen house. Thinning and
salvage logging have not been proven to be "beneficial" to ancient
forests, and may adversely impact surrounding plants, animals, and
soils.
Perhaps most destructive are the roads that may be built to
carry out these salvage and thinning operations. Roads do immense
damage to ecosystems, causing severe erosion and siltation of
streams. Inviolate ancient forest reserves with no logging and no
roads, must be a key component of the Forest Plan.
Full Protection for Wild Salmon and Forest Streams.
In the past, agency scientists have made recommendations for
stream protection that were included in Option 1, but weakened in
Option 9. Option 9 cuts only provides half the recommended
protection for intermittent streams outside of riparian preserves.
These small streams are critical to the survival of many species,
including amphibians, mollusks, and fish. Because Option 1
protects these sensitive riparian areas, it provides significantly
higher viability ratings to hundreds of species than Option 9.
Under Option 9, many fish species, including salmon, trout,
and steelhead, are at severe risk of extinction. The Forest Plan
claims to give these fish about a 65% chance of survival over one
hundred years, but these ratings depend on massive watershed
restoration efforts, whose continued funding is uncertain. If the
restoration strategy is not fully funded, the viability ratings
for salmonids falls to 50-55 percent. Over 300 stocks of wild
salmon and fish are presently at risk, and their survival must not
be solely dependent on the whims of Congress. These species must
be given the best possible protection including full stream and
riparian habitat protection, and guaranteed restoration.
Protection for All Roadless Areas.
Roadless areas represent some of the last intact ecosystems
relatively free from human impact. But these keystones of
biological diversity are poorly protected under the Forest Plan.
Only "high profile" roadless areas have been included in the
forest reserves, while others remain in the "matrix" and open to
logging. All roadless areas should be permanently off limits to
logging.
No Local Control of Adaptive Management Areas (AMAs).
Option 9 is the only option that creates Adaptive Management
Areas, ranging from 78,000- 380,000 acres in size. These areas,
chosen for their proximity to traditionally timber dependent
communities, are to be managed for "intensive ecological
experimentation," and will allow for a large amount of involvement
by local citizens. AMAs include ancient forests, and will serve
as experimental playgrounds where "new forestry" and other
untested management techniques will be applied.
AMAs must be closely monitored to insure that AMAs are not
managed merely for timber. Poor management of the forest
ecosystems within these expansive areas will severely impact many
species inside and outside of AMAs. Adaptive Management requires
extensive monitoring to achieve its goals, and the Administration
has not fully developed monitoring guidelines for these areas.
Because AMAs will be partially funded by the timber logged from
them, the overriding goal may become timber receipts rather
ecosystem management. Ancient forests within AMAs should not be
subjected to logging or experimental forestry, and adequate
monitoring plans must be developed.
Species Diversity Must Be Protected.
The proposed Forest Plan fails to protect many groups of
species, including arthropods, fungi, lichens, and mollusks.
Thousands of these small organisms play critical roles in the
ancient forest ecosystem. Populations of many mammals will suffer
as well, including nearly all species of bats, American Martens,
fishers and others that serve as barometers of ecosystem health.
In addition, the Forest Plan fails to provide protection for many
threatened plant species, including Port Orford Cedar and Pacific
Yew.
The range of species associated with ancient forests
represent rich biological and genetic diversity. Failing to
manage for species diversity may mean the loss of yet unknown
cures for cancer and other valuable resources. Under Option 9,
the ancient forests will lose hundreds of species, severely
compromising the ancient forest ecosystem. Only Option 1 provides
enough insurance that a fully functioning ancient forest ecosystem
has a chance of survival across time.
Protection for Ancient Forests of the Eastside.
The Forest Plan passes over some of the most fragmented and
threatened forests found in the Northwest--the ponderosa pine
forests east of the Cascade Mountains. While the Administration
has recently announced a "plan" for the eastside forests in
response to a threatened lawsuit, the proposal offers too little
protection, too late. The plan calls for protection for riparian
areas, and to reduce logging of healthy forests by nearly a half.
Salvage logging, however, is allowed to continue. The Forest
Service has consistently abused the use of salvage on the
eastside, logging acres of healthy ponderosa pine under the guise
of salvage. All ancient forests east of the Cascades must be
permanently protected in reserves and riparian areas fully
protected. Salvage logging should be strictly monitored.
TO SEND COMMENTS:
Comments must be postmarked no later that October 28 and
mailed, not faxed, to Interagency SEIS Team, P.O. Box 3623,
Portland, OR 97208-3623. Send comments as early as possible.
To order copies of the Forest Plan, call the Interagency SEIS
Team at (503) 326-7883 and ask for the Draft Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) and Forest Ecosystem
Management Assessment Team Report (FEMAT).
For more information, contact the Western Ancient Forest Campaign
at (202) 939-3324.