And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >X-Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 13:54:36 -0700 >To: "Wild Rockies Alerts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >From: Wild Rockies InfoNet <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Cove-Mallard Alert: Dixie Fuel Break Project >Sender: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >From: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Dixie Fuel Break Project > >Dear friend of Cove/Mallard, > >The Forest Service is trying another means for logging in the Cove roadless >area and this time it is called the "DIXIE FUEL BREAK PROJECT." Your >letter is needed to show overwhelming opposition to the destruction of the >Cove roadless area. > >The Road Moratorium which recently came out prevents the Nez Perce National >Forest from logging the remaining six Cove/Mallard sales for up to 18 >months. This will make the Cove and Mallard EIS's 10 years out of date and >hopefully require them to do a supplemental or completely new EIS. > >The Dixie Fuel Break Project gets around the moratorium since it does not >propose to construct any new roads. However, there will be a 400-500 acre >unit covering the first unit of the Rhett sale and heading south about 3 >miles! This is nothing but a crazy plot to destroy the Cove roadless area >and protect the timber values in the Rhett and Rabbit sales. > >If you have time, write your own letter. If not just cut and paste this >one. We need to flood the Elk City Ranger District with comments. In >order to overwhelm them with paperwork, everyone should request an >Environmental Assessment (EA) in their comments . COMMENTS MUST BE >POSTMARKED BY MARCH 5. Also, call Gene DeLimata, the "Project Leader," at >(208) 842-2245. > >Here's the letter: >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ><DATE> > ><YOUR NAME> ><YOUR ADDRESS> > >Kevin Martin >Elk City Ranger Station >P.O. Box 2 >Elk City, Idaho 83525-0416 > >Dear Ranger Martin, > >The following are my scoping comments concerning the Dixie Fuel Break >Project. > >The stated purpose of this project is "to establish fuel breaks in the >Crooked and Rhett Creek drainages near Dixie ... [to] reduce the potential >for severe fire behavior and create safe areas where federal, state, and >local volunteer firefighters may make defensible stands to protect private >property and forest resources." > >First of all, with the big fires that you are talking about, fire breaks >will not be able to stop the fire anyway. The best thing to do to protect >the homes in Dixie from fire is to cut a fire break directly around the >structures and the existing roads. The fire can be fought from this >vantage point if necessary. > >Second, the "treatment areas" to the east of Dixie in the Cove roadless >area will do nothing to protect Dixie from a fire. The prevailing winds >blow from the southwest throughout the potential fire season, thus a fire >would not come from the Cove roadless area to the east/ northeast. In >addition, fire does not move down hill well which it would have to do to >come from the Cove roadless area and go into Dixie. Crooked Creek runs >through Dixie making it a wet area in many places increasing the difficulty >for fire to move from the Cove roadless area. The only protection that the >fuel break in the Cove roadless area could provide is to the timber values >contained in the Rhett and Rabbit sales of the Cove/Mallard timber sales. >This fire could be started in Dixie for instance. > >The fuel break destroys more of the Cove roadless area. The proposed >treatment area in the Cove roadless area looks to be 400-500 acres with the >fire break extending about 3 miles. The entire first unit of the Rhett >timber sale is include in the massive area of treatment in section 23, T26N >R8E. The Rhett timber sale among other sales of the Cove/Mallard timber >sales will likely have to undergo a Supplemental EIS if not a completely >new EIS due to their extremely dated EIS. This fire project permits >logging - 1.7 million board feet - within the Cove roadless area without >doing a full EIS. > >The Dixie Fuel Break Project violates the spirit of the proposed Road >Moratorium, by logging in roadless areas that are to be protected by it. >Despite the fact that you say no road building will occur, the 3 mile >clearcut / firebreak will destroy fish and wildlife habitat as if it were a >road. Firebreaks channel sediment and fragment wildlife habitat. > >This project is not based on science or fire protection for Dixie, but on >the desire of the Nez Perce National Forest to log in the Cove roadless >area. An EIS needs to be done, but what you should really do is can the >whole project! > >Sincerely, <or For the Wild; Save Cove/Mallard!; Think Habitat! or whatever> > ><YOUR SIGNATURE> ><YOUR NAME> > >************************************************************************ >List-Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >News Submissions or Problems: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >This list is a public service provided by WIN: http://www.wildrockies.org > &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
