MORE STEALTH ATTACKS on ALASKA’S RAINFOREST!! CALLS NEEDED TO U.S. REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS TODAY! Urge them to OPPOSE ALL EFFORTS THAT THREATEN AMERICA’S RAINFOREST. THEY SHOULD SAY: * NO to EXEMPTING THE TONGASS AND CHUGACH FROM THE ROADLESS RULE * NO to TONGASS ANTI-WILDERNESS LANGUAGE * NO to PROPPING UP THE TIMBER INDUSTRY IN THE TONGASS Calls can be made to your Representatives and Senators through the U.S. Capitol switchboard (202-224-3121). You may also call your Senator’s and Representative’s state and congressional district offices. Local office numbers found at end of message. Here’s what’s happening: In a flurry of weekend activity the legislative attacks on Alaska’s rainforest have gone from bad to worse. As the sweeping Omnibus Appropriations bill is negotiated in House and Senate conference committee, attempts are being made to add new anti-environmental riders that threaten the Tongass and Chugach National Forest. As we reported in previous alerts – the Senate passed the bill with Tongass anti-wilderness language which provides that a nine million acre wilderness review underway for the Tongass may NOT be subject to further Forest Service public appeal process or any judicial review by any court in the United States. House conference committee members have been working to see that the language is removed, but to date it remains in the bill. Now – behind closed doors – environmental foes are seeking to add two new disastrous riders to the bill that would: 1. Exempt the Tongass and Chugach National Forests from the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.Overwhelmingly popular with the American public, the Roadless Rule protects the remaining large, unlogged portions of the nation's forests. Over 55 million acres are affected nationally. Approximately one-quarter of this area is within the Tongass and the Chugach, the nation's first and second largest National Forests and the most intact, remaining coastal temperate rainforest on earth. Close to 50 timber projects in Tongass roadless areas are on the Forest Service schedule and ready to go in roadless areas if this protection is removed. The Tongass and Chugach represent one-quarter of the wild forest land protected by the landmark conservation policy. 2. The second new rider would rewrite the law governing the Tongass National Forest and prop-up the timber industry in Alaska.The Tongass Timber Reform Act, to require that the Forest Service offer timber sales to meet market demand, regardless of affects on habitat and other forest resources. The heavily subsidized Tongass timber program had a checkered history of being the biggest money loser of taxpayer dollars within the Forest Service, losing millions and millions annually, while destroying valuable habitat which supports some of the world's last great populations of grizzly bears, wolves, eagles, and wild salmon. Reinstatement of this policy will return taxpayers to subsidizing widespread habitat destruction. CALLS TO THE FOLLOWING LIST OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEE APPOINTEES WOULD BE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL! HOUSE REPUBLICANS Bill Young (R-10-FL) Ralph Regula (R-16-OH) Harold Rogers (R-5-KY) Frank Wolf (R-10-VA) Jim Kolbe (R-8-AZ) Charles Taylor (R-11-NC) David Hobson (R-7-OH) Ernest Istook (R-5-OK) Henry Bonilla (R-23-TX) Joe Knollenberg (R-9-MI) Jack Kingston (R-1-GA) HOUSE DEMOCRATS John Murtha (D-12-PA) Norm Dicks (D-6-WA) Martin Sabo (D-5-MN) District phone 612-664-8000 Alan Mollohan (D-1-WV) Marcy Kaptur (D-9-OH) Peter Visclosky (D-1-IN) Nita Lowey (D-18-NY) Jose Serrano (D-16-NY) Jim Moran (D-8-VA) SENATE REPUBLICANS Thad Cochran (R-MS) Arlen Specter (R-PA) Pete Domenici (R-NM) Christopher Bond (R-MO) Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Conrad Burns (R-MT) Richard Shelby (R-AL) Judd Gregg (R-NH) Robert Bennett (R-UT) Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) Larry Craig (R-ID) Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) Mike DeWine (R-OH) Sam Brownback (R-KS) SENATE DEMOCRATS Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) Daniel Inouye (D-HI) Ernest Hollings (D-SC) Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Tom Harkin (D-IA) District offices: Sioux City 712-252-1550 Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) Cedar Rapids 319-365-4504 Harry Reid (D-NV) Dubuque 563-582-2130 Herb Kohl (D-WI) Davenport 563-322-1338 Patty Murray (D-WA) Des Moines 515-284-4574 Byron Dorgan (D-ND) Toll-Free ND phone 800-666-4482 Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Richard Durbin (D-IL) Tim Johnson (D-SD) Toll-Free SD phone 800-537-0025 Mary Landrieu (D-LA) OTHER REGIONAL LAWMAKERS Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) District phone 515-284-4890 Rep. Jim Nussle (R-1-IA) District phone 563-927-5141 Rep. Jim Leach (R-2-IA) District phone 319-363-4773 Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-3-IA) District phone 515-282-1909 Rep. Tom Latham (R-4-IA) District phone 515-232-2885 Rep. Steve King (R-5-IA) District phone 712-732-4197 THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP! For more information contact: Laurie Cooper, Alaska Coalition, Forest Issues Director (<A HREF="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</A>). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp