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     Friends:

     Head's up.  Please feel free to do whatever you can to help advance
     these news releases.  Calls to reporters, etc. would be welcome, as
     would letters to the editor.

     Thanks,

     Zichella



     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                     CONTACT:
     October 26, 1999                          Allen Mattison, 202-675-7903

                SIERRA CLUB LAUNCHES RADIO ADS TO
        CHANNEL PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR PROTECTING NATIONAL FORESTS

     WASHINGTON -- The Sierra Club is launching radio ads in five s
     states to help Americans voice their support for protecting our
     National Forests.  The ads build on President Clinton's announcement
     earlier this month that he would begin the process to ban roadbuilding

     and logging in the remaining roadless areas of our National Forests,
     which would safeguard clean drinking water for rural communities,
     protect habitat for grizzly bears and other wildlife, and preserve
     recreation opportunities for families.

     "Americans want to protect the remaining undisturbed areas of our
     National Forests, and the Sierra Club's radio ads spread the word
     about how every person can help," said Melanie Griffin, Director of
     Sierra Club's Public Land Protection Program.  "By speaking up now, we

     can tell President Clinton we support his efforts to protect our
     forest heritage for future generations.  Over half of our National
     Forests have already been hammered by logging, roadbuilding, mining
     and oil and gas development.  Now Americans have a chance to say,
     `Enough is enough.   Stop the destruction and protect our National
     Forests for our families and for our future.'

     "When Americans want to get away with their families, they head to the

     unspoiled areas in our National Forests, where they can hike, hunt,
     fish and camp in peace," Griffin continued.  "We have one last chance
     to preserve these remaining wild areas before logging, mining and
     development ruins the recreation opportunities, destroys the wildlife
     habitat and pollutes the streams."

     On October 13, President Clinton announced a historic effort to
     protect roadless areas in our National Forests, asking the public to
     comment on whether to safeguard these areas.  Through December 20, the

     government will accept those comments, and the U.S. Forest Service
     will craft its policy with those comments in mind.

     Clinton's proposal could protect the 40 million acres of America's
     National Forests that remain roadless but open to logging and other
     destructive activities.  Of the 192 million acres in America's
     National Forests, more than half have been damaged by decades of
     timber cutting, oil and gas development, mining, and other industrial
     uses.  This land is crisscrossed with 383,000 miles of official roads
     -- enough to circle the Earth 15 times -- and another 60,000 miles of
     roadway worn by unofficial travel, temporary logging projects and old
     mining road usage.  Much of this road system has been built at
     taxpayers' expense.

     The ads will run in California, South Dakota, Iowa, Montana, and
     Oregon.  By calling 1-800-OUR-LAND, listeners can learn how they can
     urge the Forest Service to protect the roadless areas in our National
     Forests.

     In addition to working to permanently protect all National Forest
     roadless areas, Sierra Club supports ending commercial logging in our
     National Forests and restoring damaged forests.  By investing in
     forest restoration, America's public forests could begin to heal from
     generations of destruction and provide Americans with more recreation
     opportunities and help endangered wildlife to thrive.
                                        # # #


     Sierra Club
     Radio :60
     "Century"
     10/19/99

     SFX: birds, water, idyll.

     Narrator:

     A hundred years ago,
     two men who barely knew each other
     spent four days hiking meadows and tracking wildlife together.

     In the mountains,
     President Teddy Roosevelt and Sierra Club Founder John Muir
     forged a friendship -- and a pact to protect America's wilderness.

     Roosevelt took decisive action and established a lasting legacy of 5
     national parks, 50 wildlife reserves, and 99 million acres of forest
     reserves.

     Now another President at the start of a new century
     has taken bold and historic action to protect America's wilderness.

     We applaud President Clinton's plan to protect the last roadless areas

     in our National Forests -- wild places untouched by human hands but
     still threatened by logging, mining, oil drilling and destructive
     motorized vehicles.

     To overcome industry opposition and fulfill the promise of this bold
     plan, President Clinton needs our help

     To find out how you can be part of protecting America's forest legacy,

     call 1-800-OUR-LAND.

     Paid for by the Sierra Club.

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