Thanks, Jerry -- here is some additional information from American Lands.

CALL OUR SENATORS:
TAKE ACTION:
1. Please call our Senators MONDAY and educate them as to why the deal is
not acceptable (detailed talking points below).   You can reach your
Senators by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.

Or directly:
Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA),
staff James Rice; Phone: 202-224-3744;
FAX: 202-224-6020

2.  Please call Minority leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) at 202-224-3244.  Please
educate Senator Daschle on why this deal is not acceptable and ask him why
he is handing President Bush one of his top anti-environmental victories by
accepting a deal that will fully implement the so-called "Healthy Forests
Initiative"?

Background:
During the first week of October several Senators negotiated a substitute
"deal" to the so-called Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HR 1904),
which implements President Bush's so-called Healthy Forests Initiative.  The
Senators involved in the deal include: Senator Wyden (D-OR), Senator
Feinstein (D-CA), Senator Lincoln (D-AR), Senator Bacus (D-MT), Senator
Craig (R-ID), Senator Kyl (R-AZ), Senator McCain (R-AZ), Senator Domenici
(R-NM), Senator Crapo (R-ID), and Senator Cochran (R-MI).

Last week Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), and Senator Johnson
(D-SD) also endorsed the deal.

**Due to the fact that Senator Daschle decided to support the deal, many
other moderate Republicans and pro-environment Senate Democrats believe that
the deal is good.  The problem is that the deal is not much of an
improvement over HR 1904 and will still fully implement President Bush's top
anti-environmental initiative -- the so-called "Healthy Forests Initiative."

The so-called compromise deal will:
1.  Not protect currently healthy forests such as mature and old growth
forests and roadless areas
2.  Cut citizens out of decisions affecting their public lands
3.  Significantly weaken the National Environmental Policy Act
4.  Interfere with the independence of the federal judiciary
5.  Not ensure increased protection for communities from wildfire

It is now up to us to educate members of the Senate that this "deal" is
still incredibly problematic and should not pass into law.  We need to call
our Senators and educate them about the problems with the deal; and to let
them know that the environmental community does not support the deal.


IMPACT ON OUR INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY:
H.R. 1904, as passed by the House, undermines a fundamental, century-old
legal principle -- the right of Americans to seek fair and equitable redress
in the courts for grievances involving the federal government.  The Senate
substitute also interferes with how judges manage their courtrooms by
ordering courts to lift preliminary injunctions and stays after 60 days,
unless they are affirmatively renewed by the court.  Moreover, the bill
could provide agencies a new tool to slam the courthouse door on citizens by
requiring all legal issues to be raised during the administrative review
process.

PUBLIC INPUT:
The Senate substitute seeks to replace the current statutorily-established
appeals process with a new process that does not allow appeals
of final agency decisions, making it more difficult for Americans to
challenge damaging projects and have a meaningful say in public land
management.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION:
The Senate substitute seeks to weaken the most important part of NEPA - the
requirement that agencies consider a full range of alternatives to agency
proposals with environmental impacts such as logging and road building.  The
amendment invites gamesmanship by agencies that would effectively nullify
the alternatives requirement, which the courts have called the very "heart
of NEPA."  In addition, Title IV eliminates environmental review for a
category of logging projects up to 1,000 acres in size - an area the size of
1,000 football fields -- which would exclude all public review, comment and
participation.

COMMUNITY PROTECTION:
The Senate bill does not ensure any increased protections for homes at risk
of wildfire and does not ensure any funding for work on local, state or
tribal lands for methods proven by the Forest Service Fire Research Lab to
protect homes.  Furthermore, it is not consistent with the Western Governors
Association's Ten-Year Strategy for reducing wildland fire risks.
Communities need and deserve real protection, which requires fuel reduction
focused close to homes and communities.

OLD GROWTH and ROADLESS FORESTS:
The Senate bill attempts to safeguard our old growth forests, but the
language offers an open invitation to abuse. Furthermore, the amendment
fails to protect roadless areas.

The Bush Administration's "Healthy Forests Initiative" fails to deliver on
community protection.
Please oppose the Senate version of H.R. 1904: uphold our independent
judiciary and our environmental protections.

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