Thanks Washer for sending this post, never any apologies for cross post. We're
(well, I am) still on pins and needles here in Alaska (nobody zero-cut for
hundreds of miles) with everyman and their brother scrambling to find a way to
continue deforestation of the final remnants of temperate rain forest on the
planet. We'll hear US legislators screaming, the US western legislators are not
sleeping tonight, rest assured! Thanks again, and if ever the chance to shake a
hand of those on the line comes up, take a moment. So very many have worked
very hard for this, I can see their faces and hear their voices and read their
words and I extend my sincere gratitude at this moment to every one on the
front line, on the ground, in the trees, and in the boardroom, on the
legislative floor and in the classroom.
love /donna
Washer Zine wrote:
> fyi ... sorry about any cross-postings.
>
> -tasha walston
>
> >******************************
> >* WILD ALERT
> >* Wednesday, October 13, 1999
> >******************************
> >**This is a special update--a regular WildAlert will be sent tomorrow.**
> >
> >Dear WildAlert Subscriber,
> >
> >In a move hailed by conservationists, President Clinton today issued a
> >directive to the Secretary of Agriculture to protect more than 40 million
> >acres of roadless areas on National Forests. Speaking from the George
> >Washington National Forest in Virginia, the President issued a memorandum
> >instructing the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to issue regulations that would
> >protect roadless areas on National Forests. Read more information and
> send
> >a thank you to the President at
> >http://www.wilderness.org/standbylands/forests/roadless_act.htm
> >
> >"A TREASURED INHERITANCE"
> >Roadless areas "are a treasured inheritance, enduring remnants of an
> >untrammeled wilderness that once stretched from ocean to ocean," said
> >Clinton in his memorandum. "Accordingly," he continued, "I have determined
> >that it is in the best interest of our Nation, and of future generations,
> >to provide strong and lasting protection for these forests."
> >
> >Without protection, all remaining roadless areas -- equal to only 30% of
> >USFS lands -- could be lost to development, including road-building,
> >logging, mining, and oil and gas drilling.
> >
> >"By staking a claim of accountability for sound, long-term management of
> >our natural resources, the President is acting in the best interest of our
> >environment and the American people," said Bill Meadows, president of The
> >Wilderness Society. "This critical decision reflects strong public
> support
> >for President Clinton to increase protection of our remaining wild lands,
> >now and for future generations." A recent poll indicates that fully 70%
> of
> >Americans favor a ban on oil drilling, logging, and mining in national
> >forest roadless areas.
> >
> >A BROAD DIRECTIVE
> >President Clinton not only directed the Forest Service to protect
> >inventoried roadless areas, but also "to determine whether such protection
> >is warranted for any smaller "roadless" areas not yet inventoried."
> >
> >EFFECTS ON TIMBER INDUSTRY
> >In 1997, timber harvested from National Forests accounted for only 3.5% of
> >all timber cut in the U.S., according to the USFS. Only about 5% of that
> >figure would be affected by protecting roadless areas, according to a USFS
> >Environmental Assessment in January 1999.
> >
> >TAKE ACTION and MORE INFORMATION
> >Please take a minute to thank the President for this bold move. You can
> >send a message from
> >http://www.wilderness.org/standbylands/forests/roadless_act.htm, or:
> >
> >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >Phone: (202) 456-1414; Fax: (202) 456-2461
> >
> >You can also find more information at
> >http://www.wilderness.org/standbylands/forests/roadless_act.htm
> > - Full text of President's directive (also reprinted below)
> > - Examples of roadless areas that would be protected
> > - Chronology of National Forest policies
> > - Wilderness Society press statement
> > - Poll results showing public support for roadless area protection
> >
> >***************************************************************
> >FULL TEXT OF PRESIDENT CLINTON'S MEMORANDUM ON ROADLESS AREAS
> >____________________________________________________
> >THE WHITE HOUSE
> >Office of the Press Secretary
> >_____________________________________________________
> >
> >For Immediate Release
> >October 13, 1999
> >
> >MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
> >
> >SUBJECT: Protection of Forest "Roadless" Areas
> >
> >At the start of this century, President Theodore Roosevelt dedicated this
> >Nation to the conservation of natural resources -- our land, our water,
> our
> >wildlife, and all the other precious gifts nature had bestowed upon us.
> >One of America's great central tasks, he declared, is "leaving this land
> >even a better land for our descendants than it is for us."
> >
> >In pursuit of that goal, President Roosevelt established new protections
> >for millions upon millions of acres across America. His remarkable legacy
> >includes 5 national parks, 18 national monuments, and dozens of wildlife
> >refuges. Among his most notable conservation achievements were the
> >consolidation of 65 million acres of Federal forest reserves into the
> >National Forest System, and the creation of the United States Forest
> >Service to ensure wise stewardship of these lands for future generations.
> >In this effort, he was guided by Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the
> >Forest Service and a founder of America's conservation movement.
> >
> >Today, the National Forest System has grown to 192 million acres of
> forests
> >and grasslands in 46 States and territories. These lands provide a broad
> >array of benefits to the American people. They support rural industries,
> >sustain fish and wild-life, generate drinking water for 60 million
> >Americans, and provide important recreation opportunities to an
> >increasingly urban population.
> >
> >Over the years, unfortunately, our Nation has not always honored President
> >Roosevelt's vision. Too often, we have favored resource extraction over
> >conservation, degrading our forests and the critical natural values they
> >sustain. As the consequences of these actions have become more apparent,
> >the American people have expressed growing concern and have called on us
> to
> >restore balance to their forests.
> >
> >My Administration has made significant strides in improving the management
> >of our Federal forestlands. Beginning with the adoption of a
> >comprehensive, science-based forest plan for the Pacific Northwest, we
> have
> >sought to strengthen protections for wildlife, water quality, and other
> >vital ecological values, while ensuring a steady, sustainable supply of
> >timber and other commodities to support stable rural economies. The new
> >forest planning regulation proposed last month represents another major
> >step in that direction.
> >
> >It is time now, I believe, to address our next challenge -- the fate of
> >those lands within the National Forest System that remain largely
> untouched
> >by human intervention. A principal defining characteristic of these lands
> >is that they do not have, and in most cases never have had, roads across
> >them. We know from earlier inventories that there are more than 40
> million
> >acres of "roadless" area within the National Forest System, generally in
> >parcels of 5,000 acres or more. A temporary moratorium on road building
> in
> >most of these areas has allowed us time to assess their ecological,
> >economic, and social values and to evaluate long-term options for their
> >management.
> >
> >In weighing the future of these lands, we are presented with a unique
> >historic opportunity. From the Appalachian Mountains to the Sierra
> Nevada,
> >these are some of the last, best unpro-tected wildlands in America. They
> >are vital havens for wildlife -- indeed, some are absolutely critical to
> >the survival of endangered species. They are a source of clean, fresh
> water
> >for countless communities. They offer unparalleled opportunities for
> >hikers, campers, hunters, anglers, and others to experience unspoiled
> >nature. In short, these lands bestow upon us unique and irreplaceable
> >benefits. They are a treasured inheritance - enduring remnants of an
> >untrammeled wilderness that once stretched from ocean to ocean.
> >
> >Accordingly, I have determined that it is in the best interest of our
> >Nation, and of future generations, to provide strong and lasting
> protection
> >for these forests, and I am directing you to initiate administrative
> >proceedings to that end.
> >
> >Specifically, I direct the Forest Service to develop, and propose for
> >public comment, regulations to provide appro-priate long-term protection
> >for most or all of these currently inventoried "roadless" areas, and to
> >determine whether such protection is warranted for any smaller "roadless"
> >areas not yet inventoried. The public, and all interested parties, should
> >have the opportunity to review and comment on the proposed regulations.
> In
> >the final regulations, the nature and degree of protections afforded
> should
> >reflect the best available science and a careful consideration of the full
> >range of ecological, economic, and social values inherent in these lands.
> >
> >I commend you, along with the Undersecretary for Natural Resources and the
> >Environment, Jim Lyons, the Chief of the Forest Service, Michael Dombeck,
> >and the entire Forest Service for your leadership in strengthening and
> >modernizing the management of our Federal forests -- lands held by us in
> >trust for all Americans and for future generations. With the new effort
> we
> >launch today, we can feel confident that we have helped to fulfill and
> >extend the conservation legacy of Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot,
> >and to ensure that the 21st century is indeed a new century for America's
> >forests.
> >
> >WILLIAM J. CLINTON
> ># # #
> >
> >***************************************************************
> >For a full list of Action Items, visit
> >http://www.wilderness.org/whatcan/takeaction.htm
> >
> >***************************************************************
> >An archive of past WildAlerts can be found at
> >http://www.wilderness.org/wildalert/wildalerts.htm
> >
> >***************************************************************
> >WildAlert is an email action alert system brought to you by The Wilderness
> >Society to keep you apprised of threats to our wildlands -- in the field
> >and in Washington. WildAlert messages include updates along with clear,
> >concise actions you can take to protect America's last wild places. You
> >are welcome to forward WildAlerts to all those interested in saving
> >America's wildlands.
> >
> >FEEDBACK: Please send your comments to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. If you simply
> hit
> >"reply" to this message, please include your email address in the body of
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> >
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> >
> >Founded in 1935, The Wilderness Society works to protect America's
> >wilderness and to develop a nation-wide network of wild lands through
> >public education, scientific analysis and advocacy. Our goal is to ensure
> >that future generations will enjoy the clean air and water, wildlife,
> >beauty and opportunities for recreation and renewal that pristine forests,
> >rivers, deserts and mountains provide. To take action on behalf of
> >wildlands today, visit our website at http://www.wilderness.org
> >***************************************************************
> >
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>
> Dr. Barbara E. Kurtz
> Professor of Spanish
> Illinois State University
> Normal, IL 61790-4300
> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> http://lilt.ilstu.edu/bekurtz/
>
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