From Jerry Neff, perhaps Iowa's most articulate spokesperson on forest
issues...

Letters to the Editor

By REGISTER READERS

September 5, 2004
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Putting timber cutters ahead of recreation

The Bush administration has announced plans to revoke the Roadless
Conservation Rule, a plan that protected wilderness areas from logging and
motorized use in our national forests, and replace it with a burdensome
process whereby governors must petition the federal government to protect
roadless wild forests in their states. Although Iowa is not home to any of
our national forests, these areas offer untold economic and recreation
benefits for the entire country.

Nationally, recreation, including hunting and fishing in national forests,
contributes at least $111 billion to the gross domestic product each year,
and generates 2.9 million jobs a year. These uses contribute 31 times more
value to the economy and generate 38 times more jobs than the U.S. Forest
Service's money-losing timber-sale program.

By eliminating the wildly popular roadless rule, the Bush administration is
putting the interests of the timber industry ahead of the American people
and their wild forests - the forests that provide wildlife habitat, clean
water and prevent flooding.

Gerald Neff
Sierra Club's National Forest
Protection Committee
Pleasant Valley IA


___________________________________________________

Lyle R. Krewson
Sierra Club Conservation Organizer
6403 Aurora Avenue #3
Des Moines, IA 50322-2862

515/276-8947
515/238-7113 - cel

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