Urgent Please Read No Later than Nov 20th

[Guest guest]

Hello My Loved Ones in Seattle,

I'm sorry for sending this notice out to you all so late in the game,

but my mom just sent it to me this morning:

 

Action deadline: November 20, 2002 (sorry for the short notice)

 

Dear concerned nature enthusiast,

 

Please help oppose a Bush administration plan to step up logging on

federal lands containing the last mature and old growth forests in

the Pacific Northwest. The administration proposes removing

protections for rare and vulnerable species--including uncommon

plants, salamanders found only in the

region, rare forest mammals and mushrooms--by doing away with a

requirement for detailed surveys of forest wildlife before logging is

allowed.

 

This approach would have disastrous consequences for the ancient

forests of the Pacific Northwest. The Northwest Forest Plan--a

federal plan to address the social, economic, and ecological problems

caused by past unsustainable logging in the region--identified more

than 1,000 species that need these older forests. The plan included

the " survey and manage " requirement as a means of protecting many of

these species.

 

Instead of eliminating the requirement, the administration should

provide sufficient funding to carry it out or, better yet, declare

additional logging of mature and old growth forests in the region off

limits.

 

Before the comment period closes on November 20, please follow the

simple step below to send free messages urging the administration not

to undermine protection of the old forests in the Pacific Northwest.

Please forward this alert to your friends and colleagues.

 

**************************TAKE ACTION NOW!

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Go to http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/ctt.asp?u=61146 & l=1003 to

take action

 

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BETTER YET, ADD YOUR OWN THOUGHTS AND GREATLY INCREASE YOUR IMPACT --

Log in to your Personal Action Center --

http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/ctt.asp?u=61146 & l=1004 -- with

your email address and your password. Once you are in your Personal

Action Center, click on " Protect Pacific Northwest's Old Forests " and

follow the instructions for adding your own thoughts to your message.

 

If you have any questions or problems with taking action, contact us

at

actionquestions for help.

 

***************************LETTER TEXT**************************

 

Dear Mr. Rey:

 

I write in response to the request for comments on the proposal to

eliminate the Northwest Forest Plan's " survey and manage " requirement

for rare or little-known species.

 

The survey and manage requirement is essential and should not be

eliminated. When the Northwest Forest Plan was developed and a

preferred alternative selected by the federal government, the survey

and manage requirement was included because it was considered the

minimum method for maintaining species viability. The overall plan

was a coarse approach to conservation of species associated with

older forests and was geared primarily toward protecting the northern

spotted owl and

marbled murrelet. The survey and manage requirement provides the more

fine-tuned protection needed for many of the other species.

 

However, an even better approach would be to curtail logging of

mature and old growth forests on federal lands in the region. Doing

so would best ensure that range-restricted and rare species are

protected. And it's feasible. Public support for protecting old

growth is strong. The region's economy has diversified overall. Its

forest economy has shifted away from old growth logging and toward

plantation harvests.

 

Therefore, I urge you to declare any additional logging of mature and

old growth forests off limits. Barring that, I urge you to maintain

the survey and manage requirement and to push for sufficient funding

to implement the program.

 

 

**************************END OF LETTER TEXT*************************

 

 

____________________

 

 

Direct any questions about the WWF Conservation Action Network to

actionquestions

____________________

 

The Conservation Action Network is sponsored by World Wildlife Fund-

US. Known worldwide by its panda logo, WWF is dedicated to

protecting the world's wildlife and the rich biological diversity

that we all need to survive. The leading privately supported

international conservation organization in the world, WWF has

sponsored more than 2,000 projects in 116 countries and has more than

1 million members in the United States. WWF calls on everyone --

government, industry, and individuals -- to take responsibility by

taking action to save our living planet.

 

World Wildlife Fund

1250 Twenty-fourth Street, NW

Washington, DC 20037

http://www.worldwildlife.org

http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org