The Columbus Institute of Contemporary Journalism (CICJ) has operated Freepress.org since 2000 and ColumbusFreepress.com was started initially as a separate project to highlight the print newspaper and local content.
ColumbusFreepress.com has been operating as a project of the CICJ for many years and so the sites are now being merged so all content on ColumbusFreepress.com now lives on Freepress.org
The Columbus Freepress is a non-profit funded by donations we need your support to help keep local journalism that isn't afraid to speak truth to power alive.
Environmental Groups Promise to Expose Truth Behind Bush's
Pro-Logging Agenda and Stop Projects that Don't Protect Communities
or Restore Forests
MISSOULA, MT - Today, at 8:40 am MST, President Bush signed into law
the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HR 1904). Like the
double-speak rhetoric offered by his "Clear Skies Initiative," which
relaxes pollution standards for air quality, this legislation leaves
homes and communities vulnerable to wildfire, severely limits public
participation and does not ensure protections for ancient, old-growth
forests or roadless wildlands.
"President Bush has ignored common sense home protection measures and
limited citizen participation in order to increase commercial logging
on 20 million acres of our National Forests, a stated goal of his
administration since day one. You can rest assured that we will do
everything in our power to stop projects that don't protect
communities or restore our public forests," promised Matthew Koehler
with the Native Forest Network in Missoula, Montana.
"In Montana, we have already witnessed the on-the-ground realities of
the 'healthy forests' initiative through the implementation of the
Bitterroot National Forest's burned area recovery plan, which we
consider to be a living example of the Healthy Forests Initiative,"
noted Koehler. "While the Forest Service and Bush Administration
promoted this project in terms of protecting Bitterroot communities
and restoring the forest, the truth is that the largest trees are
being cut down, the logging is taking place up to 10 miles from the
nearest community and the important watershed and road restoring work
simply isn't getting completed."
Jeanette Russell with Missoula's National Forest Protection Alliance
explained, "Under Bush and the leadership of former logging industry
lobbyist Mark Rey and former logging industry lawyer Rebecca Watson
we have already seen the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land
Management propose massive 'forest health' logging projects in
roadless wildlands and ancient, old-growth forests. Unfortunately,
this legislation, coupled with a slew of environmental rollbacks from
this administration, will make such logging easier than ever."
Russell also pointed out that "The National Forest Protection
Alliance's network of 130 member organizations from around the
country will be in the field documenting the reality of these
so-called 'healthy forests' projects. We stand by the fact that you
simply cannot restore a forest or protect homes from wildfire through
more commercial logging on our National Forests."
The Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HR 1904):
* Does NOT effectively protect homes from wildfire. According to a
Forest Service analysis, 92% of the land presenting a risk to
communities is non-federal land, yet HR 1904 ONLY focuses on federal
land. Furthermore, according to Forest Service experts the most
effective way to protect a home from wildfire is to focus on the home
and its immediate surroundings within 200 feet.
* Limits public participation. While the Bush Administration cries
"analysis paralysis," claiming that lawsuits from environmental
groups are preventing the Forest Service from reducing fuels, an
October 2003 report from the General Accounting Office - the
non-partisan, investigative arm of Congress - found that of 818
Forest Service fuel reduction projects, 97% proceeded without
litigation. This is the forth-consecutive GAO study to contain
similar findings.
* Does NOT ensure protections for ancient, old-growth forests and
provides no protections for roadless wildlands. The bill specifically
allows logging of ancient, old-growth forests in the case of of
"epidemics of disease or insects" and in cases of windthrow, blowdown
and ice storms. The bill also does not protect roadless wildlands
from commercial logging under the guise of "fuel reduction."
* Undermines the very "heart of NEPA". Under the compromise bill, the
Forest Service is not required to consider any alternative other than
the agency's proposed action if the project is located within 1 1/2
mile of a community. The courts have called this consideration of
alternatives the very "heart of NEPA."
For More Information:
Matthew Koehler, Native Forest Network: 406-542-7343
Jeanette Russell, National Forest Protection Alliance: 406-542-7343
