Forwarded by Jane Clark at [log in to unmask]

    SIERRA CLUB ACTION DAILY
    VOL. II, # 142
    Oct. 11, 1999

    *** TAKE ACTION *** TAKE ACTION *** TAKE ACTION *** TAKE ACTION ***

    URGE CONGRESS TO DELINK EDUCATION FUNDING FROM LOGGING

    Should Our Children's Education Depend On Cutting Down Our National
    Forests?

    A 1908 law, known as the "25% Fund" or "Payments to States," requires
the
    Forest Service to turn over 25% of logging revenues to counties for use
in
    funding schools and roads. Given that logging revenues, and,
subsequently,
    payments to counties, have declined steadily in recent years the
Clinton
    Administration has proposed a responsible policy of de-linking county
    payments from timber revenue.  This will provide increased, stable
annual
    payments to rural counties while allowing Forest Service managers to
focus
    their efforts on natural resource needs.

    Sadly, huge logging companies are hiding behind the argument of "more
    money for education" to push for an increased and unsustainable logging
    program on federal public lands.  Under their plan, if the 25% of
logging
    revenues are less than the annual payment, the Forest Service must pay
the
    difference out of their other programs.  This simply means that if the
    Forest Service doesn't log as much as some rural counties want, then
the
    Forest Service will have to take funds from vital conservation programs
    such as wilderness management, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation
and
    restoration to give to counties to augment their annual budgets.

    To that end, Reps. Nathan Deal (R-GA) and Allen Boyd (D-FL) have
    introduced the "County Schools Funding Revitalization Act of 1999," HR
    2389. This short-sighted legislation would create an even greater
    incentive for the Forest Service to log or lose non-timber funding, and
    puts corporate logging interests at the helm of managing America's
    National Forests.  The timber companies win increased logging contracts
of
    subsidized federal timber and America's schoolchildren inherit a legacy
of
    clearcuts and degraded watersheds.

    Also, in the Senate, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has teamed up with
all-pro
    logging champion Larry Craig (R-ID) to produce S. 1608.  This bill
    increases incentives for logging, increases funding for timber sales,
and
    allows local control of the National Forests.  All in the name of
    providing money for schools.  This bill is such a bad idea we've dubbed
it
    "Clearcuts for Kids."

    Education funding should not be held hostage to debates over the
    appropriate uses of National Forests.  There is a better way.  The 1908
    law needs to be changed to permanently decouple education and road
    payments from yearly logging levels.  This will ensure stable,
predictable
    payments for the future of education while allowing National Forest
    management activities to be decided by sound scientific and economic
data
    and public desires.  To that end, Representative Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
has
    introduced HR 2868.  This progressive proposal is supported by the
Clinton
    Administration and presents a sound solution.

    Mike Dombeck, Chief of the Forest Service, said it best: "Why should
the
    education of rural schoolchildren be funded off the back of a
    controversial timber program?"

    **CALL your Member of Congress through the Capitol Hill switchboard at
    (202) 224-3121 and urge them to OPPOSE HR 2389 and SUPPORT HR 2868 the
    responsible proposal to de-link rural education funding from National
    Forest logging levels.**

    **CALL your SENATOR at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to OPPOSE S. 1608,
the
    Wyden/Craig "Clearcuts for Kids" bill.**

    For more information contact Sean Cosgrove, Sierra Club National Forest
    Policy Specialist at (202) 547-1141.

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