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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

Salvage Logging Report Finds US Forest Service Ignoring Environmental Laws

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Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises

7/25/96

OVERVIEW & SOURCE by EE

A new report provides the "first comprehensive assessment of salvage

logging" in the United States. Salvage logging is the controversial

practice of logging dead and dying trees on public lands, essentially with

waivers which exempt such logging from usual environmental laws. Written by

The Wilderness Society and National Audubon Society and entitled "Salvage

Logging in the National Forests: an Ecological, Economic, and Legal

Assessment," the report found that salvage logging "is doing great,

possibly irreparable, damage to America's treasured natural resources, at

great expense to taxpayers." The salvage logging plan was pushed by the

timber industry as a measure to reduce fire hazard. "But the timber

industry is playing off the public's fear of fire in order to cut healthy,

live trees in remote areas where homes and property are not at risk." It

is critical that Congress and the US President put their own forestry

policy in order, prior to condemning poor developing countries efforts to

utilize forests for basic human needs.

g.b.

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/** en.alerts: 113.0 **/

** Topic: Comprhnsve Salvage Logging Report **

** Written 6:29 AM Jul 23, 1996 by tws in cdp:en.alerts **

Contact: Jerry Greenberg 202-429-2608

July 23, 1996

REPORT FINDS FOREST SERVICE IGNORING

ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS PROTECTING AMERICA'S FORESTS

- Report issued on eve of first anniversary of "salvage" rider -

Washington, DC--Even as the Senate prepares to vote on a bill that would

substantially weaken protections for America's national forests, a new

study concludes that the U. S. Forest Service is already betraying the

public trust by ignoring existing environmental laws that safeguard public

forests.

Produced jointly by The Wilderness Society and National Audubon Society,

Salvage Logging in the National Forests: an Ecological, Economic, and

Legal As sessment concludes that salvage logging (the removal of dead and

dying trees) as currently practiced "is doing great, possibly irreparable,

damage to America's treasured natural resources, at great expense to

taxpayers." The report, the first comprehensive assessment of salvage

logging, lays much of the blame at the feet of the clearcut rider.

Enacted into law July 27 of last year, the rider suspends environmental

laws through the end of this year and prohibits citizens from contesting

illegal salvage sales in national forests. The Senate is considering a

forest bill (S. 391), sponsored by Senator Larry Craig (R-ID), that would

make permanent some of the rider's most objectionable provisions.

"Old-growth forests, wildlife habitat, and forest streams throughout

America are threatened by irresponsible salvage logging," said Julie Gorte,

vice president of The Wilderness Society's Ecology and Economics Research

Department. "At a time when demand for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor

recreation is sky rocketing, the Forest Service has decided to target some

of the nation's most popular recreation areas."

Contrary to the claims made by proponents, the report finds that salvage

logging will not necessarily reduce the risk of fire in national forests.

"Because it is a commercial operation, [salvage] logging tends to remove

large trees and leave behind [debris] that can exacerbate fire danger."

"There are management tools that can be used to reduce fire hazard, such

as prescribed burning," explained Greg Aplet, forest ecologist for The

Society. "But the timber industry is playing off the public's fear of fire

in order to cut healthy, live trees in remote areas where homes and

property are not at risk."

The report documents abuses by the Forest Service across the country,

including reclassifying healthy, live trees as dead timber and logging in

remote, roadless forests containing critical wildlife habitat. In an

apparent response to mounting evidence of such abuse, Secretary of

Agriculture Dan Glickman recently issued a directive ordering the agency to

salvage log only in true emergency areas and to stay out of pristine

forests.

Despite this directive, Americans have no way to stop abuses that continue.

Federal courts rejected all five cases challenging logging under the rider

because of the measure's blanket exemption from such laws as the Clean

Water Act, National Forest Management Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

"You don't have to be a lawyer to understand that Americans have been

stripped of the tools we use to safeguard our forests from irresponsible

logging," said Michael Anderson, senior resource analyst with The

Wilderness Society.

Salvage proponents claim that laws had to be suspended to stem a flood of

frivolous appeals and lawsuits. Yet, the report finds no evidence to

support this claim.

"Only 20 percent of all timber sales (salvage and green) throughout the

entire national forest system were appealed in 1995," explained Anderson.

"If appeals are such a problem, why has salvage logging increased by 39

percent nationwide over the last 10 years."

According to the report, taxpayers could get hit with a $234 million tab

for all the logging. "Demand for salvage timber has been weak. In some

cases, salvage sale offerings have received no bids, forcing the Forest

Service to reduce its asking prices," the report states. Meanwhile, the

agency has failed to transfer money from the Salvage Sale Fund to the

Treasury as required by law. Instead, the off-budget fund -- used to pay

for building roads and other salvage sale costs -- has ballooned to $210

million over the last 17 years.

The report also found that the rider poses an economic threat to

communities dependent upon a robust and growing recreation industry.

"National forest recreation contributes 30 times as much as logging to the

nation's economy, and the demand for recreation opportunities shows no sign

of slowing down," the report states.

In addition, the report debunks the misconception that more logging leads

to more jobs. While timber harvest increased nationwide by 64 percent from

1951 to 1994, the number of jobs in wood and paper industries rose a scant

two percent.

Among the report's recommendations:

Congress should immediately repeal the salvage rider and reject S. 391, the

so-called forest health bill.

Abolish the Salvage Sale Fund and end the incentives in current laws that

encourage the Forest Service to conduct destructive salvage sales.

The definition of salvage sale should be tightened to limit its application

strictly to removal of dead and dying trees.

Forest plans should protect roadless areas.

Salvage logging should not be promoted as a tool for restoring forest

ecosystem health or reducing risk of wildfires. Restoration efforts should

instead focus on other management activities, such as prescribed burning

and biomass removal.

Salvage sales should not be conducted unless they are economically viable.

For a full copy of the report, either by e-mail or regular mail, contact

Jerry Greenberg at 202-429-2608 or jerry_greenberg@tws.org.

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