Today's Topics:
Corporate Welfare Commission proposed
Salvage Rider
save america'a forest
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Date: Thu, 30 Jan 97 02:55:30 PST
From: jennie.alvernaz@sfsierra.sierraclub.org
Subject: Corporate Welfare Commission proposed
Senators Propose Corporate Welfare Commission on Tax and Other Subsidies
Senators John McCain (R-Ariz) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass) were among nine
Senators, four Republicans and five Democrats, who introduced a bill 1/28
to create a nine-person Corporate Subsidy Reform Commission to
"comprehensively review, reform, and terminate inequitable federal
subsidies to profit-making industries." "Inequitable" subsidies are
defined by the bill as subsidies whose costs to taxpayers outweigh their
public benefits. The commission's work would include review of tax based
subsidies that provide special tax breaks and loopholes. Washington Post
1/29/97, A19; DTR 1/29/97, G-3 .
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Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 22:24:05 -0500 (EST)
From: EcoMarty@aol.com
Subject: Salvage Rider
The Salvage Rider has been one of the largest defeats of the environmentalal
movement in the 1990's.
To: All Forest Activists
From: Ryan Henson, California Wilderness Coalition
Paul Spitler, Western Ancient Forest Campaign
Date: January 28, 1997
RE: The last three California rider sales
The rider just won't go away. We need your help one last time to defend
California's forests from this egregious law.
As many of you know, we sued the Forest Service in December to hold up the
last three rider sales in California (Bullshead and Treasure on the Tahoe
National Forest, and Outside on the Klamath National Forest). Our suit has
just been dismissed by a federal judge who ruled that the rider suspended
all environmental laws and, therefore, suits challenging the legality of
rider sales are meritless.
In other words, though we are able to prove quite conclusively that the
Forest Service is violating the Clean Water Act and other environmental
laws in its implementation of these sales, it doesn't matter because the
rider suspended our laws.
So, that's where you come in. New Forest Service Chief Michael Dombeck
needs to be called and faxed as often as possible between now and January
31 and asked to withdraw the Outside salvage sale on the Klamath National
Forest and the Bullshead and Treasure (AKA Pearl) timber sales on the Tahoe
National Forest. Let him know that these three sales will seriously
degrade water quality in the Truckee and Klamath river watersheds and will
threaten sensitive fish species.
Both of these watersheds have shown signs of accelerate erosion and
flooding during our most recent storms. Irresponsible logging practices
can no longer be tolerated in these areas if we are to maintain healthy
ecosystems. You might want to mention that our opposition to these sales
will not end once they are sold. Let the new Chief know that protests are
already being planned.
You can reach Chief Dombeck at 202-205-1055/fax 202-205-1765. Calls and
faxes to Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Jim Lyons would also be helpful
at 202-720-3076/fax 202-720-4732. Please urge as many people as possible
to fax and call these officials.
As always, thanks for your help.
###########################################
# #
# California Wilderness Coalition #
# 2655 Portage Bay East, Suite 5 #
# Davis, California 95616 #
# (916) 758-0380 #
# (916) 758-0382 (fax) #
# cwc@wheel.dcn.davis.ca.us #
# #
###########################################
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Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 20:12:54 -0500 (EST)
From: EcoMarty@aol.com
Subject: save america'a forest
This message is to all of those interested in protecting our natural
resources.
Save America's Forests
4 Library Court SE
Washington, DC 20003
202-544-9219
URGENT ACTION ALERT Winter '96-'97
HISTORIC NEW BILL INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS !!!
The "Act to Save America's Forests"
The Act Will:
Protect America's Last Wild Forests and Restore Large Scale Natural Forest
Ecosystems Throughout Our National Forests
End Logging and Road Building In Core Areas of Forest Biodiversity:
-All Northwest Ancient Forests
-All Roadless Forests
-Designated "Special" Forests Throughout America
End Clearcutting and Allow Sustainable Logging Only Outside of Protected Core
Areas
Introduced in September 1996 at the end of the 104th Congress, the "Act to
Save America's Forests" gained 43 House cosponsors in only one week! The
purpose of this alert is to build support for the reintroduction of the Act
in the new 105th Congress which begins in January 1997.
What YOU Can Do to Help
WRITE, PHONE, FAX, OR PERSONALLY VISIT YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. TELL THEM
TO COSPONSOR THE "ACT TO SAVE AMERICA'S FORESTS"! (In your letter or fax,
include points from the information page accompanying this alert.)
IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF A GROUP OR BUSINESS, PLEASE WRITE AN OFFICIAL LETTER
OF SUPPORT ON YOUR GROUP'S LETTERHEAD. SEND A COPY OF YOUR LETTER TO SAVE
AMERICA'S FORESTS. (Please call or write Save America's Forests for
information about writing a letter.)
Call: Congressional switchboard: 202-225-3121 Ask to be switched to your
own Senator or Representative
Write:
-Senator _________, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510
-Representative_________, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington,
DC 20515
If you do not know who your Representative and two Senators are, call Save
America's Forest's at 202-544-9219 or your post office or library to find
out.
INFORMATION PAGE on The Act to Save America's Forests
Protection for the Entire National Forest System
The Act to Save America's Forests sets a new standard of protection for over
90 million acres of Forest Service, BLM, and other federal forestlands.
Passing this bill is the first step to reverse America's deforestation
crisis.
Ends logging in "core" areas of forest biodiversity:
Northwest Ancient Forests--Logging is destroying the most important and
delicate Ancient Forest groves in the Pacific Northwest. Contrary to the
Administration's assertions, President Clinton's "Option 9" spotted owl plan
is not a forest protection plan, it is actually a logging plan which will
lead to the destruction of the Ancient Forests! The timber salvage rider
forced even more logging of centuries old Ancient Forests. Old growth
dependent species including salmon, marbled urrelet, and the spotted owl are
being pushed towards extinction under current policies.
Out of 10 proposed plans for managing the Northwest Ancient Forests, the
Forest Service's own scientists determined that "Option 1", not "Option 9",
would provide the best chance for survival and recovery of the Northwest
Ancient Forests. THE ACT TO SAVE AMERICA'S FORESTS IS NOT OPTION 1-IT IS FAR
STRONGER. The Act would END LOGGING and road building in the riparian
reserves, key watersheds, and late-successional reserves identified by
"Option 1", as well as in additional isolated stands of Ancient Forests.
Roadless Areas--The bill prohibits logging and new road building in all
roadless forests over 5,000 acres in the West and over 1500 acres in the
East, as well as many smaller roadless areas. Roadless areas are crucial
core reserves of biological diversity. Their protection from logging is
vital to the full restoration of natural forest ecosystems.
"Special Areas"--Many regions of the country have outstanding forest areas
which are not roadless or Ancient Forests, yet have high values of
recreation, watershed, old-growth forests, and endangered species habitat.
The bill prohibits logging and road building in over 60 of these "special
areas" throughout America.
Allows sustainable levels of selection logging only in "non-core" areas:
Prohibition on clearcutting, "even age" logging, and artificial tree farms on
all federal lands--The bill would finally end all forms of clearcutting on
our National Forests forever. Only sustainable amounts of trees could be
logged in "non-core" forest areas using "selection cutting" methods.
The entire National Forest system, from coast to coast, would be filled with
vibrant natural forests--no artificial industrial "tree farms," NO MORE
CLEARCUTS!
Protects and restores native biological diversity--The Act compels the Forest
Service to protect or restore all the native plants and animals that
originally existed on our forests before human intervention, either by active
restoration projects or by letting natural succession take its course.
Strong citizen enforcement--Federal agencies constantly break environmental
laws in order to clearcut our National Forests. The Act contains provisions
which enable average citizens to stop federal agencies from breaking the law.
BACKGROUND
Of America's original 1 billion acres of wild forests, more than 95% have
been cut down. The last 5%, found primarily on federal lands, is the prime
target of the timber industry and the U.S. Forest Service as they continue to
convert America's last natural forests into sterile tree farms or barren
wastelands.
The survival of native species of plants, mammals, birds, fish, amphibians,
and reptiles are threatened as these last native forests are logged. If the
current pace of logging planned by the U.S. Forest Service continues, nearly
all of America's Ancient and roadless wild forests will soon be lost forever.
Satellite photos show that America's deforestation crisis is every bit as
urgent as the crisis that faces the world's rainforests.
Passage of the Act to Save America's Forests would prevent another disastrous
"timber salvage rider" and permanently protect our National Forests. This
would be the first step to ending and reversing the U.S. deforestation
crisis.
America's forest policy would become a world model for forest protection.
Have a great day.
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End of GreenYes Digest V97 #15
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