To: Chapter Conservation Chairs
From: The Wild Forest Campaign Team
RE: A request for your help to generate hand-written letters
supporting wild forest protection.
As you know, the Forest Service is currently holding a public
comment
period on their plan to protect up to 60 million acres of roadless
areas in our national forests. Thanks to all of you who are working
hard to turn people out to hearings, draw media attention, and
generate postcard signatures in support of our efforts.
During the Forest Service's scoping period in November and December
we
dominated by a huge margin on overall comments thanks to the
postcards
we generated. There were 471,830 postcards in support of protecting
roadless areas and 69,293 against protection. We had many of
hand-written responses too, but not quite as much as the
opposition,
who generated 14,000 letters compared to approximately 10,000 from
us.
This time, we want to win on all fronts -- and with a little more
effort, we will!
The Sierra Club is the only group that can generate massive numbers
of
hand-written letters. Sierra Club members are so great at
expressing
why their local wild forests are important and we have the
strongest
grassroots network.
We are asking you to do two things:
1. Take some time at the beginning or the end of your next chapter
or
group meeting to show our 17-minute video, "End of the Road" and
ask
participants to write letters to the forest service. (You should
have
a copy of the video, but if you do not or if you need more copies,
please contact Julie Hudson at [log in to unmask] or
202-675-6276.
2. Forward this message to the group conservation chairs or
appropriate leaders within your chapter so that all the groups can
participate as well.
We have enclosed some background material on the Wild Forest
campaign
to distribute to participants at the meeting. We ask that
volunteers
write original letters, not just a copy of what is on our
postcards,
because the Forest Service is categorizing them seperately. If you
need us to pay for stamps and envelopes, please send the receipt to
the Sierra Club's Washington DC office, 408 C St, NE Washington, DC
2002
Please address the letters to:
USDA Forest Service - CAET
Attn: Roadless
P.O. Box 221090
Salt Lake City, UT 84122
Thanks for all the amazing work you're doing! The Forest Service
will
soon be overwhelmed by the response, and they will not be able to
ignore the fact that the majority of Americans want full protection
for our wild forests!
Sincerely,
The Wild Forests Team
Background on Wild Forests
As Americans, we treasure our National Forest heritage. But over
half
of our National Forests have been scarred by logging, mining, and
oil
and gas drilling. And industry is eager to finish the job. Now we
have
a historic opportunity - the best in generations - to protect the
last
unspoiled wildlands in our National Forests.
The President has proposed a plan that could protect 60 million
acres
of our National Forests from road building, logging and other
destructive activities.
This bold initiative can stop industry from using taxpayer dollars
to
damage our public lands for private profit. The Wild Forest
Protection
Plan can protect water quality and wildlife habitat, and guarantee
our
grandchildren have special places to camp, hike, fish and hunt --
places we all need "to play in and pray in," as Sierra Club founder
John Muir noted over one hundred years ago.
But the well-financed forces of industry are determined to defeat
the
president's initiative. That's why we need your help.
Americans have been making conservation history for more than one
hundred years. After the plunder of our forests and the slaughter
of
our bison and bird populations, President Theodore Roosevelt
pioneered
the establishment of a National Forest system to protect wildlands,
wildlife and sources of clean water. Today most people assume that
designation of these special places as "National Forests" protects
them. Unfortunately, that's not true.
The truth is, more than half of our National Forests have been
hammered by mining, oil and gas drilling and logging. The more than
380,000 miles of roads that scar our National Forests - roads built
for the logging industry and paid for by our tax dollars - have
destroyed wildlife habitat, caused mudslides and polluted our
water.
And the explosion in off-road vehicle (ORV) use in remote areas
means
we're losing more fragile land faster.
That's why we need bold action now.
The president's Wild Forest Protection Plan can slow the loss of
our
wildlands, protect mountain forests, tallgrass prairies, and other
unspoiled, uniquely American landscapes in 38 states. The plan can
ensure that our forests will continue to provide clean water,
wildlife
habitat and quiet, family recreation for the future. Unless we stop
the destruction of our public lands by private industry and
irresponsible ORV use, we will lose our wildlands and access to
special places "to play in and pray in."
The American people want their wildlands protected. Surveys show
that
80 percent of us believe more should be done to protect wilderness.
Three out of every four Americans, and an even higher percentage of
hunters and anglers, approve of the president's plan to protect
wild
forests.
The Wild Forest Protection Plan:
-Can protect 60 million acres of unspoiled wildlands inside our
National Forests in 38 states.
-Does not add one acre to the existing National Forest system.
-Does not affect the 380,000 miles of existing Forest Service
roads.
-Can prevent additional commercial road building and other
industrial
development.
-Can guarantee future access to wildlands for campers, hikers,
hunters
and anglers and protect these areas from noisy destructive off-road
vehicles.
-Can protect wildlands in our National Forests most Americans want
and already believe are protected.
The Tongass National Forest in Alaska -- home to grizzlies, salmon
and
wolves -- is the largest remaining temperate rainforest on earth.
But
700 square miles of the Tongass have already been clearcut, and
logging continues to threaten the remaining wildlands. The Forest
Service may decide to exclude the Tongass from the final plan, but
your comments can help ensure that these irreplaceable wildlands
are
protected for future generations.
Background on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Roadless
Areas Released May 9
The Forest Service has released their draft alternatives on the
Wild
Forest Protection Plan--the historic initiative that could protect
60
million acres of our last pristine wild forests. The release kicks
off
a second 60-day comment period with nearly 400 public meetings
scheduled nationwide!
Unfortunately, the Forest Service's draft plan does not recommend
full protection for our last wild forests. The preferred
alternative
does not end logging in unspoiled forest areas, but only prevents
roadbuilding. Additionally, the plan does not protect the Tongass
National Forest in Alaska. The Tongass is the America's largest
national forest and the largest temperate rainforest remaining on
earth.
The good news is the Forest Service has recommended ending road
building and has included policy options that could -- if added
together -- protect the wild areas of our National Forests. That is
why it is so important that Sierra Club members comment on the plan
and call for full protection of wild forests. The Sierra Club is
organizing a massive effort to turn people out at the public
hearings
and collect written comment calling for the protection of ALL
roadless
areas over 1,000 acres - including Alaska's Tongass National Forest
--
from logging and all damaging activities.
Please join our efforts by participating in the public comment
period.
Please write a letter to the Forest Service. Your personal letter
will
count towards the final decision. Letters and e-mails should be
sent
to the address below. Thank You.
__________________________________________________________
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