Bush Administration Rejects Democratic Forest Bills

WASHINGTON (Reuters)

The Bush administration on Tuesday criticized Senate Democrats' legislation that would direct most forest thinning to be conducted near communities at risk of wildfires rather than giving local foresters the flexibility determine where such work should be carried out.

Democrats have complained that a Republican measure passed in the House in May stripped out environmental safeguards and public participation.

They countered with two bills, including one by Democrats Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, that would direct 70 percent of funding to fire-prone areas near communities and where water supplies could be threatened. ---

A major hurdle for the Senate passing their forest bill could be judicial review, Democrats and Republicans admit.

Federal courts would need to balance the environmental consequences of thinning with those of inaction, and have to renew preliminary injunctions against thinning projects every 45 days under the Republican measure.

Democrats would require judges to defer to the Forest Service and other government agencies before they determine that failing to thin would have a more significant long-term impact on forest health than not thinning.

Ride Don’t Drive It’s Global Cool

NOT!

Well, ok. Puns aside, the Bingaman bill is an excellent environmental approach to getting the forests back in shape. It's got heavy support here in fire-prone, environmentally-conscious New Mexico.

The issue is, given limited money, do the forests get "thinned" by timber companies where they prefer, or do they get "thinned" where the health of the forests and the fire hazards matter.

evident.

We don't have the money for this and he doesn't either.

Every time there's a new president, there's a new plan and our forests are a mess. The President's proposal would waive the National Environmental Policy Act -- the very foundation of environmental protections developed to curb the damage caused by the ever changing federal policies.

The Western Governors' Association (all members including The National Association of Counties ) in colaboration with federal agencies, timber industry, cattlemen and conservation and community leaders, worked together over the last year to formulate a consensus plan that would reduce wildfire risk to communities and the environment. In May of this year, this process resulted in a specific implementation plan to address wildland fire and hazardous fuels risks as well as the need for habitat restoration in a truly collaborative effort that involved citizens and governments at all levels. Significantly, all parties agreed that these goals could be achieved without any change to existing law.

Bush's Secretary of Interior Gale Norton was in full compliance with The Western Governors' Association on the 10-year strategy until bush came along for a photo-op.

I am very good friends with a number of trees in the Willamette Forest and they told me to tell him to go sit on a sharp stick.

that's one of the reasons that gail norton resigned from her position. is it just me, or has EVERYTHING that the dems supported been vetoed by the smirking chimp??

claims to be a bi-partisan compromising moderate.

He's got two "bi-partisans."