ATTN: WA, OR Activists. Gifford Pinchot Needs You!

You are cordially invited to:

WALUPT WEEKEND

A FAMILY CAMPOUT IN THE GIFFORD PINCHOT NATIONAL FOREST

DATE: Saturday, August 17-Sunday, August 18

WHERE: Walupt Lake campground, Gifford Pinchot National Forest

WHY: TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN HELP SAVE THE GIFFORD PINCHOT FROM DESTRUCTION

CONTACT: Brian Vincent, Northwest Ecosystem Alliance

Phone: 360/671-9950 x 11. E-mail: bvincent@pacificrim.net

(See attached for schedule details, directions to campsite, and list of what to bring)

With the stroke of a pen last year, President Clinton signed the nation's

most environmentally destructive law, the so-called "salvage timber rider."

More aptly called the "Clearcut Timber" rider, it has opened the door to

uncontrolled clearcutting of our ancient forests, put healthy salmon runs at

risk, and pushed imperiled species closer to extinction. Washington state

has already had a bitter taste of the rider: the Thunder Mountain, Rocky,

Caraco Cat, Boundary Butte, and Copper Butte timber sales. But the worst is

yet to come. The rider is about to hit the Gifford Pinchot National Forest

in southwestern Washington like a convoy of run-away logging trucks. Few

people know about the fate of this cherished place.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE HOPING YOU'LL JOIN NWEA SATURDAY, AUGUST 17-SUNDAY, AUGUST

18 IN THE GIFFORD PINCHOT FOR WALUPT WEEKEND. This family campout, which

will include guided nature hikes, birdwatching, owl calling, education and

organizing workshops, music, storytelling, and overflights of the sales,

promises to be fun, informative, and inspiring.

Over 4,000 acres and nearly 73 million board feet of westside ancient

forests on the Gifford Pinchot are to be sold within the next month or two.

The twenty-one sales, such as the Walupt, Jammin', and Little White Demo

timber sales, will allow clearcutting of habitat critical to imperiled

species like northern spotted owls, wolves, goshawk, peregrine falcons, and

salmon. The Walupt sale area, for example, contains some of the last

classic old growth along the Cispus River. Located outside the Goat Rocks

Wilderness, the area's diverse array of wetlands, rock outcrops, talus

slopes, and ancient forests provides habitat for nearly 300 species,

including 18 listed under the Endangered Species Act.

Don't miss this chance to celebrate the majesty of the Gifford Pinchot, see

first-hand what's at stake, and learn how you can help stop the destruction...

BEFORE ITS TOO LATE.

Space is limited so contact Brian at NWEA to make a reservation to this

special family event.

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WALUPT WEEKEND Schedule

Saturday, August 17

1:00 P.M. -- Arrive at Walupt Lake campground. Set up camp

1:30-3:30 P.M. -- Guided nature hikes and overflights of forest.

(Due to space limitations, a lottery system will be used to select

passengers for the flights. Pilots, planes provided by Lighthawk.)

3:30-5:00 P.M. -- Workshops and activities:

*Clearcut Timber rider and forest health legislative update

*Nuts and Bolts of the President's Northwest Forest Plan

*Citizen monitoring of timber sales

*Tools for protecting forests: building coalitions and

empowering grassroots

*Owl Calling

5:00-8:00 P.M. -- Dinner, socializing, and free-time

8:00-9:30 P.M. -- Music, storytelling

Sunday, August 18

9:00-11:30 A.M.-- Guided tours of proposed timber sales

Noon-1:00 P.M. -- Lunch

1:00-3:00 P.M. -- Organizing session. Outline strategies to stop

proposed sales

3:00 P.M. -- Go home recharged and ready to fight!

WHAT TO BRING: Tent, sleeping bag, dinner, breakfast, and lunch food,

water, eating utensils, stove, flashlight, bug repellent (non-toxic please),

good hiking shoes, rain gear, first aid kit, binoculars, camera. Parking

fee is $5.00 per day. Campground has water and toilets.

HOW TO GET THERE: The Walupt Lake campground is located in the Randle

Ranger District about 70 miles from Portland. To get there, take I-5 to

exit 68 (Rt. 12 -- White Pass Highway). Travel east to Randle, then south

on Forest Service Rd. 25 for one mile. Turn onto FS Rd. 23 and continue for

25 miles. Turn onto FS Rd. 21. Drive 10-12 miles, come to 2160 spur to

Walupt Lake. Lake is five miles down 2160.

IF YOU CAN'T MAKE WALUPT WEEKEND BUT STILL WANT TO HELP, HERE'S WHAT ELSE

YOU CAN DO

Contact President Clinton and your representatives in Congress TODAY. Tell

them you are outraged that because of the Clearcut Timber rider, the Gifford

Pinchot National Forest is being handed over to the timber industry. Urge

them to REPEAL the timber rider and to cancel all rider sale contracts

including those on the Gifford Pinchot.

U.S. Capitol Switchboard: 202/224-3121

The Honorable ______________ The Honorable ________________

U.S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States, The

White House, Washington, D.C. 20500

FAX: 202-456-2883; PHONE: 202-456-1414; Public Comment Line:

202-456-1111. Email: president@whitehouse.gov