Representative Jim Leach has authored the National Forest Protection and Restoration Act and will soon be introducing the bill in Congress. - The Sierra Club sponsored the National Forest Protection Week at the end of February. During that week the Iowa Representatives were contacted about co-sponsoring the bill. As a follow-up to those meetings, the Iowa Sierra Club members are being asked to contact your representatives and ask them to co-sponsor this act. For members in Rep. King's and Boswell's districts, please make an effort to contact them about this bill. - For Representative King, be sure to emphasize the restoration work (see below for more information). Representative King's aide showed some interest in the restoration work and indicated that she was going to talk to Representative Leach's office about the bill. - Representative Boswell's aide seemed very interested and also was going to talk to Representative's Leach's office about the bill. - Also contact Representative Leach to let him know that you support the National Forest Protection and Restoration Act. - Although the other Iowa representatives seemed less inclined to support this bill, it is still important to contact them. The following information can be used to write your letter: - Commercial logging is being subsidized by the taxpayer. From 1992 to 1997, the Forest Service lost 2 billion dollars on the commercial logging program. - Recreation in the national forests provides 38 times more income and 31 times more jobs than logging in the national forests. - Currently less than 2 percent of the wood products consumed in the United States originate in the National Forests. There are alternatives to using wood in the production of paper, including agricultural residue. Shipping pallets can be reused, instead of thrown after one use, thus reducing the need for wood. Light gauge steel can replace wooden 2X4's and costs only about ten percent more. - The act emphasizes restoration of the forests, such as replanting trees, rebuilding crumbling roads, removing extra logging roads, shoring up stream banks, removing non-native species, by removing slash piles. The people employed as loggers would be given opportunities to train for the restoration work. Some of this work would be done by hand or by heavy equipment. - National forests help keep drinking water pure. Trees stabilize hillsides and prevent erosion of soil which muddies streams. Trees also soak up water, helping to prevent floods. - National forests provide wildlife habitat. They are home to 230 endangered plants and animals, over 10,000 species of plants, and over 3,000 species of fish and wildlife. - National forests provide recreation, wildlife viewing, camping, canoeing, fishing and hunting, sight seeing. - Forest fires are intensified where there has been clear cutting. Piles of leftover branches are very flammable. Logging reduces shade, which creates drier conditions, leading to increased fire danger. - There is a lot of concern about the effect that having unlogged forests near towns will cause forest fires. In reality, logging enhances fires, since the debris that is left by loggers consists of small twigs and branches which burn more readily than a stand of timber. Research by the Forest Service Fire Research Lab shows that the best way to protect homes and communities from fire is to remove the brush from a one-quarter mile zone around the property, not massive clear-cutting for large distances around a community. Addresses Representative Steve King 1432 Longworth Building Washington, DC 20515 Representative Leonard Boswell 1039 Longworth Building Washington, DC 20515 Representative Jim Leach 2186 Rayburn Building Washington, DC 20515 Representative Tom Latham 440 Cannon Building Washington, DC 20515 Representative Jim Nussle 303 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Thanks for you help on this issue. Jerry Neff and Pam Mackey-Taylor - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]