Oppose the Walden Logging Bill! Nat'l Call-in day is Tues, May 16....

The Walden Logging Bill is scheduled for a vote on the House floor late next week. American Lands Alliance has scheduled a national call in day on Tuesday, May 16th, hoping to flood the switchboards. It is critical that Members of Congress hear loud and clear that the Walden Logging Bill is bad for forests, wildlife, clean water, and can also increase fire risk.

The deceptively titled "Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act" (HR4200), introduced by Representative Greg Walden (R-OR) is a threat to national forests in every state. It promotes aggressive logging and eliminates or undercuts key environmental safeguards for forests, clean water, fish and wildlife and would transform natural landscapes into industrial forests for the logging industry.

The bill attempts to portray natural disturbance events such as fire, rain, insects, snow and ice storms as "catastrophic events" and claims that fast track logging is needed to recover and restore forests after natural disturbance events. But a large body of scientific studies concludes just the opposite: logging in forests after fire and other natural disturbances can be extremely damaging and sets back natural recovery processes.

Please call your Representative and ask them to oppose the Walden Logging Bill, HR 4200, "The Forests Emergency Research and Recovery Act."

Talking Points for Calls:

My name is _____ and I'm calling to urge Representative ______ to oppose the Walden Logging Bill, HR 4200. I am very concerned about the bill because:

* By fast-tracking logging in areas following fire or other natural
disturbances, the Walden bill puts forests, clean water, fish and wildlife at risk.

* The last thing a forest needs after a fire or other natural events is the help of bulldozers and chainsaws.

* Forest management decisions should be based on science; not the
demands of special interests. The Walden bill would mandate increased
logging under the guise of "restoration," even as more and more
scientific research says forests recover better when left alone.

More Talking Points and resources....

* The Walden Logging Bill undermines protections for forests, fish, water and wildlife in order to rush logging after natural disturbance events, such as wildfires and rainstorms on national forests.

* The most basic protections are missing: There are no protections in the bill for old growth forests, roadless areas, streams or riparian areas, critical wildlife habitat, fragile soils, or other essential natural resources.

* The Walden Logging Bill sacrifices accountability and transparency in federal decision making by casting aside the most important law the public has to provide meaningful and informed input
on federal projects - the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). All projects authorized under the bill would be exempt from NEPA, which requires that federal projects undergo a "look before they leap" review that takes into account sound science, a reasonable range of alternatives, and lets the public know about a project and its environmental impacts before moving forward.

* The best available science shows that logging in forests after natural disturbances can be extremely damaging and can actually increase fire risk by leaving piles of limbs and branches on the ground. Letting trees regenerate naturally works better than logging and replanting.
Bulldozers destroy naturally regenerating fragile seedlings. Logs left in place following fires or other disturbances are crucial building blocks, providing nutrients for the reemerging forest. In a recent letter, 169 scientists including some of the most prominent forest ecologists in
the nation wrote to warn Congress that HR 4200 "...is misguided because it distorts or ignores recent scientific advances."

* Community protection priorities will be misplaced. The bill creates incentives to divert scarce agency resources away from projects intended to protect communities before wildfires may occur, and towarddestructive logging projects that can delay recovery and increase fire
danger.

* Logging after fires loses taxpayer money. According to a new
report by scientists, a former Forest Service employee, and
conservation groups, the Forest Service most often loses taxpayer money on post fire
logging. It is estimated that as of 2006 it cost taxpayers approximately $14 million dollars logging in the Southern Oregon Biscuit fire that burned in 2002.

http://www.newwest.net/index.php/city/article/5151/C426/L426

http://www.safc.org/campaigns/walden_bill.php

http://www.times-standard.com/opinion/ci_3793158


Thank you for taking the time to help protect America's forests!

Regenerating clearcuts are NUKED in fires, while even slightly older uneven-aged forests still have living trees and other plants after a fire.