ATTACK ON THE TONGASS - WE NEED YOUR HELP! A vote on the Tongass could happen as early as this week. Contact your Senators and urge them to VOTE TO REMOVE THE TONGASS ANTI-JUDICIAL REVIEW LANGUAGE FROM THE INTERIOR APPROPRIATIONS BILL. An amendment to remove the bad Tongass rider by Senator Stevens could be offered and voted on as early as Thursday, September 18! Let's call the offices (202-224-3121) and keep the fax machines busy in the U.S. Senate! (A sample message is included below.) You can find your Senators contact information at: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm Or send a fax directly from the Alaska Rainforest Campaign website: http://www.akrain.org/action/faxes/actionpage.asp BACKGROUND: The Tongass Anti-Judicial Review Rider (Section 333), inserted by Senator Ted Stevens deep in the pages of a the Interior Appropriations bill (S. 1391), cripples the public's due process and slams the courthouse door on citizens whose interests may be threatened by proposed logging projects in the Tongass National Forest?our nation's largest public forest. The rider makes it virtually impossible for citizens to challenge logging projects by limiting to 30 days the time available to file lawsuits on more than 73 Tongass logging projects. While more than a dozen of these sales are currently covered by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, the Bush administration, despite overwhelming public opposition, is expected to finalize an exemption of the Tongass National Forest from the Roadless Rule. The rider also interferes with the independence of the federal judiciary by limiting to 180 days the time the District Federal Court in Alaska has to review and render a final decision on lawsuits regarding logging projects on the Tongass National Forest. This is clear interference with the independence of the federal judiciary; the rider's time limits could force the court to consider challenges to federal timber sales before hearing other cases on its docket. ACTION: Ask Congress to make the Interior Appropriations Bill a clean bill without language that would cut the American public out of their right to speak out on behalf of America's rainforest! Here's a sample message for your calls and a letter you can personalize in an email or fax. SAMPLE PHONE MESSAGE: Hello, I'm a constituent from your state and I've just learned about a backdoor attempt which threatens America's Rainforest and seeks to silence the public's overwhelming support for the Tongass National Forest. I urge you to vote in favor of removing the Tongass Anti-Judicial Review language from the Interior Appropriations bill. SAMPLE EMAIL OR FAX MESSAGE: Dear Senator, I'm a constituent from your state and I've just learned about a backdoor attempt which threatens America's Rainforest and seeks to silence the public's overwhelming support for the Tongass National Forest. I urge you to vote in favor of removing the Tongass Anti-Judicial Review language from the FY2004 Interior Appropriations bill (S. 1391). The rider cripples the public's due process and slams the courthouse door on citizens whose interests may be threatened by proposed logging projects in the Tongass National Forest-our nation's largest public forest. The rider makes it virtually impossible for citizens to challenge logging projects by limiting to 30 days the time available to file lawsuits on more than 73 Tongass logging projects including over a dozen sales where all or portions of the sale area are currently covered by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. It also interferes with the independence of the federal judiciary by limiting to 180 days the time the District Federal Court in Alaska has to review and render a final decision on lawsuits regarding logging projects on the Tongass National Forest. The rider sets a terrible precedent for other riders and bills that would seek to limit judicial review for logging projects across the country. Even though relatively few lawsuits ever get filed, it is the ability of private citizens to do so in defense of their rights and interests that keeps the federal government and the timber industry accountable. I urge you to support of America's rainforest by voting to remove the Tongass anti-judicial review language from the Interior Appropriations bill. Thank you. Sincerely, NAME and full address *** For more information please contact Laurie Cooper, Alaska Coalition Forest Outreach Director ([log in to unmask]) or call (202) 544-0475. - - - - - Thanks for helping! WE CAN stop this rider--a classic, typical stealth attack of Sen. Stevens! Vicky Hoover Sierra Club Alaska Task Force 85 Second St., 2nd floor San Francisco, CA 94105-3441 415-977-5527 [log in to unmask] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]