LANDSCOPE, News and views from American Lands - January 7, 1999

Administration Considering Timber Increase

        In response to information that the Administration will propose more money
for the National Forest timber sale program, ten national conservation
organizations wrote to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) today to
"strongly oppose" more logging funds.  The Clinton Administration is now
making decisions on the FY 2000 Forest Service budget that may determine
how
much logging takes place on the National Forest next year.  The OMB has
proposed to increase the $196 million requested by the Forest Service for
timber sales management to $227 million, a $31 million boost.

... . . Something is wrong when the Clinton White House proposes even more
logging than the Forest Service.  The Administration is again missing an
opportunity to advocate a budget that supports the direction that Forest
Serivce Chief Michael Dombeck wants to take his agency: away from logging,
and toward fish and wildlife habitat protection and road decommissioning.
One key Administration official is Elwood Holstein, Assoc. Director of the
Office of Management & Budget; forest advocates can reach him at
202/395-4561 to explain why they support increasing, not cutting, the
subsidy for environmentally destructive logging programs.

VICTORIES: The Forest Service withdrew the "Galice Replacement Volume"
timber sale in response to an appeal by the Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands
Center.  The sale was slated to clearcut over 200 acres of old growth to
replace Logging Rider sales that were set aside due to the threatened
marbled murrelet.  For more information contact Spencer Lennard at mailto:
[log in to unmask]

Officials of the Dixie National Forest plan to close 210 miles of dirt
roads
because excessive roads have degraded wildlife habitat, reports the Salt
Lake Tribune.  Public comments on the plan are due Jan. 20. Contact Susan
Ash, Wild Utah Forest Campaign at mailto:[log in to unmask] or 801/539-1355.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed designation of 730,000 acres of
"critical habitat" for the endangered pygmy owl in southeast Arizona.  The
Southwest Center for Biological Diversity petitioned FWS to list the pygmy
owl in 1993 because of loss of riparian forests and native Sonoran Desert
vegetation.  Contact Kieran Suckling at mailto:ksuckling@sw- center.org for
more information.

THREATS: The Forest Service has begun implementing the Quincy Library Group
bill.  Comments are due by Jan. 19.  Please go to
http:/www.americanlands.org/forestweb/planalt.htm for a current action
alert
and more information from the Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign.

EVENTS: Defenders of Wildlife will be on hand Monday, Jan. 11 at the
American Farm Bureau Federation's annual convention in Albuquerque and in
four other cities to explain how the practices and policies of the Farm
Bureau are detrimental to working family farmers and ranchers in the U.S.
The Farm Bureau has been opposing endangered species reintroductions.
Contact Ken Goldman at 202/682-9400x221 for more information.

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Steve Holmer
Campaign Coordinator

American Lands
726 7th Street, SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
202/547-9105
202/547-9213 fax
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http://www.americanlands.org

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