Nov. 2 - Tuesday - 6-9 p.m. - Olympic National Forest Headquarters - 1835 Black Lake Blvd., Olympia - Public meeting on proposed changes in planning rules - see following article
NEW REGULATIONS PROPOSED TO MODERNIZE FOREST MANAGEMENT
After two previous attempts to rewrite the regulations implementing the National Forest Management Act, the Forest Service published the current proposal on Oct. 5. The only Forest Service public meeting in western Washington to learn about these proposed national changes will occur on the date noted in the calendar item above.
The original regulation was developed in 1976, revised in 1982, and guided the development of land and resource management plans for the national forests and grasslands. Now that those plans are in place, the focus has shifted to developing a process to incorporate new information into those existing plans.
The Forest Service has "learned some innovative ways to make forest planning a process that more effectively incorporates science and engages people in defining what they want their forests to be like in the future." They want to "put this knowledge to work so that we can build on our successes and avoid mistakes."
"The proposed regulation would confirm ecological, social, and economic sustainability as the overall goal for management of National Forest System lands."
One of the proposed changes concerns species viability issues. "Whereas the current rule addresses viability solely from the perspective of maintaining habitat and populations, the proposed regulation requires that ecological conditions be provided such that there is a high likelihood of maintaining the viability of native and desired non-native species over time within the plan area."
Another part would replace the current process whereby the public can object to Forest Service decisions on forest plans. Instead of post-decision, there would be a pre-decision objection process, without a specific time limit for resolving objections. The current process for objecting to site-specific project decisions, i.e. specific timber sales, would not change.
Another change would address the confusion over "roadless" and "unroaded" areas. Also proposed is to move more management authority from the Regional level to national forest and grassland supervisors, thus giving them more authority for local decisions.
The public meeting will be a good opportunity to learn more about all the proposed changes. There is a public comment period, ending Jan. 4, 2000. The proposed rule and other summary documents are available at www.fs.fed.us/forum/nepa/rule. Comments may be sent to: CAET - USDA, Attn: Planning Rule, Forest Service, USDA, PO Box 7669, Missoula, MT 59807.
Even the format of the meeting is noted as a "departure" in style. The presenters will introduce the main themes, and then will want to break into small groups to talk with the public. This format can hinder information exchange among the audience at large, so we'll be interested to see if this process is indicative of the new rules. Will it engage public involvement, or will it just manage it?
PRESIDENT CLINTON ANNOUNCES ROADLESS AREA PLAN
As you all are probably aware, on Oct. 13, the president addressed "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."
He announced a plan to protect approximately 40 million acres of unroaded forests, including most roadless areas of 5,000 acres or more, from the destructive impact of new roads. Protection may be possible for smaller "roadless" areas not yet inventoried.
The process has actually been underway since November 1997, when the president directed the Forest Service to promulgate a science-based policy for national forest roadless area management. Since that time, there have been open houses in more than two dozen locations around the country. In February 1999, Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman held a public press conference to implement an 18-month moratorium on new roadbuilding in 33 million acres of national forest roadless areas.
In the 1990 Olympic National Forest Land Management Plan, there are nine "unroaded" areas larger than 5,000 acres listed in this forest. Though afforded protection under the additional Northwest Forest Plan, new regulations could ensure more permanent protection from extraction interests.
The American Lands Alliance reports that the Administration is considering a range of protection options. The weakest proposed option will protect the 40 million acres, but exclude the Tongass National Forest. The strongest option would protect all 60 million acres from logging and roadbuilding, including the Tongass, and provide management direction to limit other destructive activities, such as grazing and off-road vehicles.
A number of concerns remain unaddressed and have been left to the two-part public rulemaking process for resolution. If adopted, part one of the new rule would immediately restrict certain activities such as road construction and perhaps commercial logging in inventoried roadless areas. Part two would establish national direction for managing inventoried roadless areas, and for determining whether and to what extent protections should be extended to uninventoried roadless areas.
The official comment period on the proposed roadless area policy is now open until December 22. They can be sent to: USDA Forest Service-CAET, Attn: Roadless Areas NOI, PO Box 221090, Salt Lake City, UT 84122, or roadlessareasnoi/wo_caet@www.fs.fed.us.
Points to make include
A compromise county payments bill that will continue to link county payments to timber receipts, and create a new financial incentive to increase logging on National Forests is scheduled for a House vote on Wednesday. The bill is called the Deal/Boyd bill, H.R. 2389.
The bill is said to be similar to the Craig/Wyden Senate Bill 1608. That bill creates a new off-budget fund that would provide over $110 million annually to the counties to pay for logging projects. The Forest Service and the counties would split all proceeds from these projects 50/50, creating an even more powerful incentive to log the forest than exists under the current system. Local advisory committees would also be created to recommend ways to increase revenues from timber sales.
Please contact Rep. Norm Dicks, 2467 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515, (202)225-5916, fax (202)226-1176, or through his Tacoma office (800) 947-6676. Urge him to oppose the Deal/Boyd bill, H.R. 2389, and support instead the Forest Service proposal to decouple county payments, H.R. 2868.
The needs of the counties and education can be met without logging, or robbing from other needed Forest Service funds. We don't need Clearcuts for Kids.
SENATOR GORTON WINS DEAD SWAN AWARD
The Lands Council of Spokane, Washington has given its first annual Dead Swan Award to Sen. Slade Gorton for his work to allow the Crown Jewel Mine in eastern Washington to bypass restrictions on the amount of mining waste that can be put on federal land, wrote the Spokesman Review. The Lands Council will grant the award each year to the person who has contributed the most to the problem of mine waste in the upper Columbia River Basin. Contact John Osborne of The Lands Council for more information at
josborn@landscouncil.org or 509/838-4912.
NEW VIDEO ON NATIONAL FOREST PROTECTION FROM GREEN FIRE
To help build citizen support for National Forest protection, Green Fire Productions has released a new inspiring and motivational grass-roots organizing video, "Ancient Forests: the Power of Place". With stunning footage of the few remaining ancient forests, and compelling testimony from an historian, conservationists, Native Americans, community leaders and others, this half-hour program explores the values these forests offer.
The viewer is guided through landmark decisions in the history of our National Forests to an urgent call to action to protect the public forests which remain at risk of destruction.
Viewers are shown examples of how they can easily involve themselves in the ongoing effort to protect our National Forests - by writing letters to the editor, writing and calling their elected officials, getting involved in one of the many forest protection campaigns across the nation -- and also by sharing the video with friends, neighbors and community groups.
This program and the accompanying media b-roll is an independently funded project meant to provide critical communication and outreach materials to build support for the protection of our public lands, and is available for use by environmental groups across the nation in their forest protection campaigns.
Copies can be purchased for $10 each, including shipping (bulk pricing available) by contacting Green Fire at 503-736-1295;
info@greenmedia.org;
www.greenmedia.org; 3948 East Burnside, Portland, OR 97214.
CITIZENS' GUIDE TO FEDERAL LAND EXCHANGES NOW AVAILABLE ON-LINE
This guide, created by the Western Land Exchange Project, is intended to provide citizens with the knowledge and tools they need to understand and participate in the federal land trade process.
The guide provides historical background, an overview of policies and laws pertaining to land trades, a step-by-step guide to the public involvement process, and tips on how to evaluate the merits and environmental impacts of a land exchange. The guide also includes extensive notes and commentary to amplify the basic information provided.
The online version of the guide will be updated continually. A downloadable and printable version of the guide is currently posted on the web site, and an official print version will be available for order from WLXP sometime in November.
The Citizens' Guide will provide public lands activists with the support and information they need to monitor and evaluate federal land trades--and ultimately to ensure that these transactions serve public, not private, interests.
You can find the guide at www.westlx.org/guide.htm
QUAFCO News Fall 1999
Copyright © 1999, Quilcene Ancient Forest Coalition
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