Guest guest Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Today for you 36 new articles about earth's trees! (253rd edition) Subscribe / send blank email to: earthtreenews- Weblog: http://olyecology.livejournal.com --Alaska: 1) No listing for Goshawk --British Columbia: 2) Total fraud of a conservation plan, 3) Ice melt reveals 7,000 year old stumps, 4) Save Galiano, 5) Mountain bikers say don't log, --Oregon: 6) More logging = more habitat protection? 7) Save Wassen creek, --California: 8) Oak Foundation prepares an appeal, 9) Berkeley treesitter falls, --Nevada: 10) Convicted of destroying more than 500 trees --Minnesota: 11) Getting more out of depleted landscapes --Missouri: 12) If the Missouri Wilderness Coalition succeeds --Ohio: 13) Save Dysart Woods --Canada: 14) Forest activists question SmartWood --EU: 15) 46 countries at the three-day " Forests for quality of life " conference --Mexico: 16) Forests of Palenque --Jamaica: 17) Upper Yallahs watershed --Costa Rica: 18) Only three sounds here: water, wind, birds --Guyana: 19) Three forest staffers fired --Brazil: 20) Second growth is no match for primary growth, 21) Future of Amazon, --Peru: 22) Reserva Amazonica --India: 23) Panthers in Kambalakonda, 24) Modernize patrols, 25) Periyar Reserve, --Kashmir: 26) Thick and dense forests are fast dwindling --Philippines: 27) Inter-agency, multi-sectoral anti-illegal logging Task Force --Papua New Guinea: 28) Biofuels threatens Woodlark Island --Indonesia: 29) Civil suits won't stop loggers, 30) Cibodas conservation, 31) We all have to be responsible for deforestation, --South East Asia: 32) Save the sun bear --New Zealand: 33) Trees are your best antiques --Australia: 34) Large-scale farming destroyed 90% of temperate forests, --World-wide: 35) Forest carbon storage stats, 36) Support credible forest defense, Alaska: 1) A bird of prey found along North America's northern West Coast warrants protection as an endangered species in Canada but not in Alaska, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decided Thursday. Environmental groups that sued the agency for protections for the Queen Charlotte goshawk called the decision bad science and a bad interpretation of federal law. They vowed to return to court to have Alaska birds protected. " We think it's illegal, and organizationally, when we think things are illegal, we go to court and try to get a judge to agree with us, " said Brendan Cummings of the Center for Biological Diversity. The quest to list the birds under the Endangered Species Act has been going on since 1994. The Fish and Wildlife Service's latest response came after its previous determination denying protections was rejected in court. Queen Charlotte goshawks are one of three subspecies that inhabit the Northern hemisphere, according to the listing petition. They're found from Washington's Olympic Peninsula to Southeast Alaska south of Juneau. Queen Charlotte goshawks are 22 to 26 inches long. They have short wingspans and long tails that help them maneuver in forests. Feather guards protect their eyes from stray branches. They hunt relatively large prey. In Alaska, in the absence of snowshoe hares, rabbits and chipmunks, they target grouse and ptarmigan. They are fierce defenders of nests and will attack wolves, bears and humans that stray close to their nests, according to the listing petition. Cummings said up to 500 breeding pairs remain in North America and most are in southeast Alaska. Logging of old growth forest is considered the main threat to the Queen Charlotte goshawks, said Noah Greenwald, a conservation biologist for the Center for Biological Diversity in Portland, Ore. " This is a species that hunts under the forest canopy, " he said. " Going in there and cutting down substantial amounts of trees is not something that would be conducive to its survival, " Greenwald said. http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/110907/sta_20071109017.shtml British Columbia: 2) Few thought they would see the day when frauds would pervade the conservation movement by contradicting 50 scientists, many of them conservation biologists, from several Provinces and States http://www.sierraclub.ca/bc/ . The scientists wrote 1% is nowhere near enough old growth forest to protect the Mountain Caribou from extinction http://www.inlandtemperaterainforest.org/ScientificPetitionPR.pdf, yet the frauds falsely claim 1% a " victory for mountain caribou " http://www.sierraclub.ca/bc/MCP Canada release.pdf. The fakes are now colluding with sawmills, industry and government to fight off the scientists, real conservation groups, communities, grassroots, and the public. Their actions can easily cause extinction of the Mountain Caribou! The frauds lie in their campaign chronology at http://www.sierraclub.ca/bc/Campaign Chronology.pdf and ignore several authenticated facts. They claim 2 million hectares will be protected due to their campaign and yet 40% of the 2 million (803,000 ha) were legally protected in my backyard 4 years ago in November 2003 by scientists, grassroots, local communities, David Suzuki Foundation, STCL and others http://www.savethecedarleague.org/goodnews2.htm, outside the false RIG process, all of which the imposters conveniently ignore in their chronology. More of the 2 million ha were also protected since in the South and my backyard, so that the so-called victory of the frauds amounts to less than 200,000 ha, much of it in my backyard that the fakes had nothing to do with (Several of the fraud group's CEO's did not even know the legal documents were signed years AFTER signing!). The frauds ignore the fact that 1800 people from around the world and many, many real conservation groups, First Nations, communities, and university faculty wrote the BC legislature more than 150,000 emails this fall demonstrating that the new plan will cause extinction of the Mountain Caribou unless greatly improved ( http://www.inlandtemperaterainforest.org/1800 Urge Protection.htm). In short, the imposters write as though they are making a new deal against extinction for 2008, most of which has already been made legal, that they had nothing to do with! Rick Zammuto STCedarL 3) A U.S. scientist studying the " dramatic change " in ice conditions in B.C.'s Coast Mountains has discovered freshly exposed and perfectly preserved tree stumps some 7,000 years old -- an " astonishing " sign of how fast and far the glaciers of Western Canada are retreating in the age of climate change. The stumps -- found at the foot of a melting glacier in Garibaldi Provincial Park, about 60 kilometres north of Vancouver -- were " still rooted to their original soil " and in such pristine condition that some had retained their bark, says geologist Johannes Koch, a former Simon Fraser University researcher now with Ohio's College of Wooster. The stumps are relics of an ancient forest that was growing when humans were still relatively new arrivals in the Americas. At the time, Garibaldi's advancing Overlord Glacier overran the trees and encased their dead remains in an icy tomb that eventually reached hundreds of metres in depth. http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=966a9105-49aa-4c50-a87b\ -dddcb18e79df 4) Last Wednesday the Galiano Local Trust Committee gave second and third reading to OCP amendment 197 which would invalidate policies established many years ago to protect forest lands on Galiano. These older rules allowed property owners to build a house as long as they provided long-term protection for the forest lands. If this older bylaw is now changed, Galiano's ability to protect its forest land will be lost because it will then come under the control of the Provincial Private Managed Forest Council which provides no protection of riparian areas, no protection of water quality or quantity and allows clearcutting of forest land. Amendment 197 cannot become law unless it is approved by the Islands Trust Executive Committee who must decide if it is consistent with the Trust's Preserve and Protect Mandate. OCP amendment 197 would drastically reduce protection for Galiano's forest land and therefore should be rejected by the Executive Committee. Please write IMMEDIATELY to the Islands Trust Executive Committee and ask them to reject Galiano amendment 197 because it substantially weakens protection for forest lands on Galiano Island. It is especially important that the Executive hears from islands other than Galiano: Executive Committee, Islands Trust 200-1627 Fort St. Victoria V8R 1H8 msmith – mleichte 5) Bucket of Blood was a popular pub in turn-of-the-century Cumberland. And yes, more than just pints were spilled at the establishment. Today, it is remembered in the form of a popular mountain-biking trail, part of a greater network that backs onto the magnificent Beaufort Range surrounding Cumberland. But local riders are growing concerned over TimberWest's plans to harvest trees and build logging roads around the trail, which is located west of Allen Lake, Cumberland's water reservoir. And they're asking one question: What is more economically valuable in the long term – mountain biking and its spinoffs or logging. " The direct economic impact and positive media exposure of these activities [mountain biking] lead to increased ridership and drive a growing recreation and tourism industry in Cumberland and the Comox Valley, " said Jeremy Grasby, 33, owner and operator of Cumberland's Riding Fool Mountain Biking Hostel since 2003. " People come to Cumberland just to ride the Bucket of Blood. How can we afford to lose it? " Already, a few preliminary logging roads have been built and areas have been flagged for logging as early as next spring.Cumberland, located on the Island's east coast, is surrounded on three sides by wilderness, including Strathcona Provincial Park to the west. In the early 1990s, locals built the first mountain bike trails on the foundation of forgotten mining roads and railway beds that stretch through Cumberland to the head of Comox Lake. The group dubs itself THC, Trail Harvest Crew, and includes Dan Espeseth who is the owner of Dodge City Cycles. Espeseth and his buddies started building trails back in 1990 while they were in Grade 10. By 1997, the renegade group had built 12 trails. As a result of this activity, many bikers started to move to the funky, old mining town of Cumberland. The Riding Fool Hostel and Dodge City Cycles are both located in the two-storey Tarbells Building, one of four commercial structures originating in the 1890s. The two establishments form the economic hub for this former coal-mining town, which is struggling to regain its economic footing. Grasby calls the Bucket of Blood the " quintessential " mountain biking trail, a trail that attracts riders of all styles. He holds a resource-management diploma, a parks and recreation diploma and worked in the forest sector until government cut backs caused him to re-evaluate his career. He is also one of the top riders on the provincial mountain biking circuit. http://www.westcoaster.ca/modules/AMS/article.php?storyid=2993 Oregon: 6) The Oregon Department of Forestry wants to boost timber revenue from two North Coast forests while simultaneously protecting more habitat for wildlife. Over the next year, foresters will determine whether the state can do both while still maintaining other recreational, environmental and economic benefits mandated by the state's " greatest permanent value " forest management guideline. " We think it's possible, " said Jeff Foreman, an agency spokesman. Clatsop and Tillamook county leaders have pressured the state to increase long-term harvest levels in the current forest management plan to produce more revenue for local governments. Timber sales in the Clatsop and Tillamook state forests produce revenue for local schools, governments and taxing districts. The Oregon Board of Forestry recently voted on a draft performance measure that would boost timber revenue from the North Coast's 510,000 acres of state forestland by up to $20 million — a 35 percent increase from the current $58 million income — over a 10-year period. But the board also set a goal of preserving 17 to 20 percent of the stands, up to 100,000 acres, as mature forest habitat to serve threatened and endangered species and other wildlife. In an interview with The Daily Astorian, Clatsop County Commissioner Patricia Roberts said the vote was important, but doesn't guarantee changes. http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-21/11945987502\ 02830.xml & story list=orlocal 7) Wassen Creek flows over four or five sandstone steps as it tumbles down about 50 feet. Into each step, the creek had drilled round plunge pools, perhaps using hard, igneous pebbles to scrape away the softer sandstone. The pools range in size from those large enough for several people to bathe in to thimbles that have just begun their erosion journey. Wassen Creek runs through public land, half managed by the U.S. Forest Service and half by the Bureau of Land Management. This wild land has been protected from logging and road building by the Northwest Forest Plan since 1994. Today, it remains the finest stand of old growth ancient forest in Oregon's Coast Range. It is home to the coast's highest density of spotted owls and is habitat for salmon and steelhead up to Devil's Staircase's impenetrable barrier. But Wassen Creek is threatened. As a part of its Western Oregon Plan Revision process, the BLM has proposed to open its half of Wassen Creek to logging. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to remove critical habitat protection for the northern spotted owl from the BLM's ownership, giving carte blanche to BLM's logging plans. Wassen Creek deserves to be protected forever as a wilderness area. In fact, in 1984, the U.S. House of Representatives included Wassen Creek in the Oregon Wilderness Bill it passed. But Rep. Jim Weaver was forced by Oregon's senior senator, Mark Hatfield, to choose between Wassen Creek or another equally deserving area in Southern Oregon. Weaver loved them both, but the other land was more imminently threatened by logging. Today, Oregon's most remote forest is threatened as it never has been before. Rep. Peter DeFazio can finish the job Weaver started 23 years ago and ensure that Wassen Creek remains wild forever — if Oregonians ask him to do so. http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=2106\ 5 & sid=1 & fid=1 California: 8) RED BLUFF -- Despite a first-round legal victory for the developers, environmental and economic challenges remain for a planned 3,100-acre " active adult " community north of town. The California Oak Foundation is preparing an appeal of a Superior Court judge's rejection of its lawsuit against Sun City Tehama, said Thomas Lippe, the foundation's San Francisco-based attorney. The oak preservation group has argued the planned 3,700-home community will remove about 100,000 trees without offsetting the loss by saving other oak woodlands from development. Whatever happens with the suit, developers Del Webb and Pulte Home Corp. still must grapple with a slow housing market. The builders still have an interest in Sun City but are waiting for an upswing in the market, said their attorney, Richard Zeilenga. " Generally, I think home builders are looking toward middle to late '08 or '09 for things to improve in the market, " Zeilenga said. The uncertainty remains despite Judge Richard Scheuler's Oct. 11 ruling on the side of the builders and Tehama County, which approved the development along Interstate 5 between Cottonwood and Red Bluff last year. In his 34-page opinion, Scheuler disagreed with the Oak Foundation's assertion that the county incorrectly applied the California Environmental Quality Act when it came to oak woodlands. The suit alleged that the county identified impacts but then failed to determine how those impacts would be offset. The foundation has argued that the active-adult community needs to set aside 774 acres of oak woodlands -- outside of Sun City Tehama -- and ensure that it will never be developed before altering the 774 acres of oaks within the project. Sun City will leave about 180,337 oak trees standing on nearly 1,400 acres of its 3,320-acre property. Lippe said the basis of the appeal will be the same as the original lawsuit -- that the county misinterpreted the law. http://www.redding.com/news/2007/nov/10/group-to-appeal-ruling/ 9) One of the tree-sitting protesters in a grove of oaks next to UC Berkeley's Memorial Stadium was in the hospital Monday after taking a bone-breaking fall. Nathaniel Hill, who fell at least 30 feet on Sunday night, was in stable condition at Highland Hospital in Oakland, a nursing supervisor at the hospital said. " It's just kind of a fluke that it happened, " the 24-year-old Hill said in a phone interview from his hospital bed Monday afternoon. He said he broke his wrist and ankle, both of which are in casts. His father, who had come from New York to see his son, was waiting outside a double line of fences erected by the campus around the protest site when Hill fell shortly before 8:30 p.m., the younger Hill said. Hill estimated he was between 30 and 40 feet in the air when he fell from a rope he mistakenly thought his harness was attached to. Protesters have been illegally occupying a grove of oak trees next to the stadium since December. They seek to block construction of a $117 million athletic training center for Cal football players and other athletes. A judge is expected to rule as early as this week on three lawsuits seeking to block construction of the center. Hill said he's been in the trees intermittently since the beginning of the protest. When he fell, inside the fenced area, he had been trying to reach a traverse line running from a tree inside the fenced area to a tree outside the fenced area, he said. UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof said Hill was attended by Berkeley Fire Department paramedics before being taken to the hospital Sunday night. " It's a really regrettable accident but, to state the obvious, completely avoidable, " Mogulof said. " Things like that wouldn't happen if the people who are illegally occupying university property were abiding by the law. " http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/13/BAOPTB1LJ.DTL Nevada: 10) A 60-year-old Arizona man has been convicted of destroying more than 500 trees in an upscale, suburban neighborhood where his in-laws own a home. A jury found Douglas Hoffman, of Goodyear, Ariz., guilty of cutting down or poisoning 546 trees from October 2004 until his arrest in November 2005. He caused about $242,000 in damage. Hoffman was convicted of seven felony counts and three gross misdemeanor counts of malicious destruction of trees on the land of another. Deputy District Attorney Josh Tomsheck said he knew of no other case in Nevada in which prosecutors had used the obscure charge. Hoffman faces a prison term of up to five years for each of the felonies and a jail sentence of up to one year for each of the gross misdemeanors. He also could receive probation. Hoffman looked after the landscaping at the home of his in-laws, who live in Chicago and also own the home in the age-restricted community of Sun City Anthem. At trial, Tomsheck suggested that Hoffman destroyed many of the trees to protect the view of the Las Vegas Strip from an observation deck in the home's backyard. The prosecutor suggested that Hoffman destroyed others " to cover his tracks. " Defense attorney Joseph Sciscento tried to establish that Hoffman was disabled and physically could not have cut down the tress. Hoffman was arrested after a neighbor saw him walking near freshly cut trees, offered to give him a ride and found a bow saw on him. The neighbor drove Hoffman to a police station, where Hoffman tossed a pair of gardening gloves into the bathroom trash, prosecutors said. http://www.kolotv.com/southernnevadanews/headlines/11172416.html Minnesota: 11) The makeup of northern Minnesota forests is largely the result of overcutting in the late 1800s and early 1900s and then attempts at an agricultural approach to repairing the damage — cultivating trees similar to a crop. In 1997, Helsinki-based UPM bought the Blandin paper mill and its forestlands, which provide about 20 percent of the paper mill's wood. UPM owns 197,000 acres of timberland, most of which is in Itasca and Aitkin counties. But rather than growing trees using the agricultural approach, UPM tries to maintain a variety of species and promote growth of trees that are best suited to each individual habitat. Aitkin County started about the same time to work on some of the same issues on the 225,000 acres it manages. About 72 percent of those lands are considered commercial forests. Much of the land is logged and the wood sold to the region's papermakers or wood product companies. The wood sold from those forests contributes about $1 million a year to the county's budget. Aitkin County levies about $10 million annually and would have to raise property taxes 5 percent to 10 percent without the income from its forests, Mark Jacobs, the county's land commissioner told the Blandin group. " We think it's working " Using information about tree habitats, UPM is trying to match species to the proper environment. " We want to be sure we get the right species on the right habitat at the right time, " Adams said. For example, at a UPM site on 125 acres in Itasca County with red and white pine, there's been a lot of regeneration, she said. After a partial removal in 2001, foresters noticed balsam and spruce growing and that is now being encouraged. http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=54110 & section=Business & fr\ eebie_check & CFI D=66656505 & CFTOKEN=42404632 & jsessionid=88306a6fba613b6d672d Missouri: 12) Hundreds of bird-watchers, backpackers, hunters and rafters from across the state are lobbying Congress to designate about 50,000 acres as federally protected wilderness areas. If the Missouri Wilderness Coalition succeeds, it would be the first time in more than 23 years that Congress has designated a wilderness area in Missouri. It would almost double the amount of land in the state with that kind of federal protection. Most of the land is within the Mark Twain National Forest. If it becomes federally protected, the land would be off-limits to all-terrain-vehicle riding, logging, mining and other activities that might mar the rugged landscape. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Sunday that Republican U.S. Sen. Kit Bond has expressed interest in supporting the measure. But the proposal could still face significant hurdles. The group must convince a member of the Missouri delegation to sponsor legislation - and Bond hasn't yet committed to doing so. The plan also could face opposition from private landowners, riders of all-terrain vehicles, and the timber industry. Those groups haven't voiced strong objections yet, perhaps because many have only recently found out about the proposal. Coalition spokesman Scott Merritt said the land is prime to be preserved. " Missouri needs places where nature can be found, where the countryside can be untrammeled, undeveloped, " Merritt said. " We need places where we can find solitude. " Forest Service officials say some parcels of land up for protection fail to meet the definition of wilderness because they are crisscrossed with old roads, too close to urbanized areas or have too many buildings on them. Coalition members say the proposed areas include some of the last remnants of the Ozarks unspoiled by development. The land includes a 2,000-acre tract about 20 minutes southeast of Columbia that remains untouched by farming, and a remote 8,000-acre parcel featuring one of the Ozark's most popular canoeing streams, the Current River. Coalition members are organizing local conservation groups to start lobbying Missouri delegation members to sponsor wilderness legislation. http://www.bnd.com/336/story/176296.html Ohio: 13) We left Columbus around 3 am after a little urban exploration and some interesting conversations. Driving straight through the night, we arrived at Dysart Woods at dawn and walked into the last remaining patch of old growth forest in Ohio. As the sun filtered down through the emerald canopy, we sat beneath huge elms and oaks listening to the forests listening to the living forest—the whispered splash of an acorn on dry leaves, the scurry of curious chipmunks, the crash of a white tailed dear through undergrowth. Tragically there is a vein of coal running beneath the Dysart Woods, and the Ohio Valley Coal Company has a pending permit to mine beneath the forest. Coal companies have more money and therefore more legal rights than the forest or the people of Ohio (including people from Buckeye Forest Council who we met at OSU) ho have been fighting to save the forest. It is not tragic that human beings mine of burn coal, the tragedy is that we do so without restraint. Dysart woods is .004 % of the ancient forest of Ohio. Europe's forests were destroyed centuries ago, and today the forests of Asia are rapidly disappearing. These trees have been breathing in Co2 from (and storing it in their bodies) and breathing out oxygen for centuries, literally breathing life into us animals; they convert sunlight into forms useful to us—food, fiber, and renewable fuel—more efficiently than any solar panel, and provide the foundation for entire ecosystems of species, each one a thread of the fabric of life of the planet, of which human beings are also a part. http://www.biotour.org/wordpress/2007/11/10/midwestern-roundup/ Canada: 14) FSC-Watch earlier reported on the certification of more areas of Tembec's vast logging operations in Canada, making it the largest of all FSC certified companies and no doubt earning it's certifier, SmartWood, substantial fees. David Nickarz, a forest activist in Winnipeg, has been challenging Rainforest Alliance over this certificate. Other forest activists that have questioned SmartWood (there are many of them) will understand what David means by the 'black hole' of disinformation that he refers to in the blog article below, which describes his experiences in 'complaining' to SmartWood. We follow this article with the actual correspondence between Nickarz and SmartWood. It provides interesting insights into how SmartWood and other certifiers create these 'black holes' that suck energy and time out of forest campaigners. It is yet another indication of how, under Heiko Liedeker, FSC has lost the support of many forest conservationists worldwide, and is now seen as 'part of the problem', not 'part of the solution'. http://www.fsc-watch.org/archives/2007/11/10/SmartWood_and_Tembec EU: 15) A ministerial conference on forest protection has ended with a call for sustainable management of Europe's woods, and increased use of forests in energy production. Switzerland, a third of which is covered in forest, was one of 46 European countries at the three-day " Forests for quality of life " conference, held in the Polish capital, Warsaw. A final declaration on Wednesday stressed the importance of forests in maintaining and enhancing water quality and in mitigating natural hazards. Two resolutions called for the enhanced use of wood in energy production, and the restoration of degraded forests to help reduce floods and protect the soil. " We are satisfied with the results because also for Switzerland the forests are a key factor for sustainable development, " Andreas Götz, vice-director of the Federal Environment Office, told swissinfo. " Forests are an excellent mitigation for natural hazards, and forests play a role in biodiversity, and not least in the economy. " Ministers responsible for forests, EU representatives and delegates from observer countries and international organisations all took part in discussing the priorities of forest policy in Europe. " Its important to exchange experiences in forest management, " Götz said. " We see that we have similar problems to [those of] other countries. " http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/top_news/detail/Forests_seen_as_vital_to_quality_of\ _life.html?site Sect=106 & sid=8398155 & cKey=1194535030000 & ty=st Mexico: 16) The jungle pulls back to let the road pass, just as a thousand years before it gave the Mayans room to build a world amid its dense vegetation. Butterflies cloud the humid air, while monkeys scream from treetops and toucans swoop through the sweltering sky. The road crawls over the rainforest, then turns back on itself, heading for the hills. A waterfall can be heard, but not seen. The road climbs to a clearing and reveals its astonishing treasure: Mexico's lost city of Palenque. Palenque seems too real to be real. The stranglehold of the jungle is pushed back, and massive stone pyramids sit like chuckling sphinxes. First occupied in 100 BC, the city grew in power for 1,000 years and then vanished with the sudden collapse of the Maya. What happened to them? No one knows, and the stones are staying silent. Not long after the mysterious destruction of the Maya, the jungle reclaimed the land it had loaned them, swallowing the city whole. The ruins slept through the rise and fall of the Aztecs and the conquest of the Spaniards, awakening in 1746, when Mayan hunters guided a curious priest to it. Again, the jungle was pushed back. http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=79204 & sc=93 Jamaica: 16) Conservator of Forests at the Ministry of Agriculture's Forestry Department, Marilyn Headley, says the constant flooding of the Yallahs Ford in St. Thomas can only be solved if the Upper Yallahs Watershed is comprehensively reforested. She says the deforestation of sections of that watershed is largely responsible for the damage to the road network in the area, because of the heavy runoff resulting from the cutting down of trees. She says many hillsides in other parts of St. Thomas and rural St. Andrew are also being denuded.Headley made her comments during an interview with The Gleaner following the Forest Conservation Fund grant signing in Kingston, on Thursday. " The problem (at Yallahs) is always attempted to be solved by putting a bailey bridge or by fixing the fording. But, it can only be solved if we fix the top of the watershed, " Ms. Headley advised. " There needs to be a massive comprehensive development plan for the Upper Yallahs watershed and that would entail a real full-fledged planting programme in collaboration with the people in the area. " She explains, " when you have trees, the water doesn't run off as quickly. It is absorbed into the ground, and comes out into the rivers at a later date. " Headley says community members should play their part in preventing people from denuding the hillsides. She says the gravity of the problem in the area has made the Upper Yallahs watershed a priority area for corrective work by the Forestry Department. In its most recent Forestry Profile of Jamaica , the Forestry Advisers Network of the Canadian International Development Agency's (CIDA) also confirmed that increasing deforestation in Jamaica 's mountains and the resulting soil erosion is threatening the country's sustainability. The report said more than a third of Jamaica 's watersheds have deteriorated in recent years and were in urgent need of rehabilitation. http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20071112/news/news4.html Costa Rica: 18) " There are only three sounds here, " said Edwin Rodriguez, who helps his father, Will, manage El Pital Highland, the area's best-known lodge. " The water, the wind, the birds. " El Salvador rewards those who are willing to seek out and listen to its innermost songs. When a work assignment brought me and a photographer colleague here in April, I resolved to see the country's fringes, away from the congested capital. Intrigued by reports of the lofty mountains straddling the borders of Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, we decided to spend a couple days exploring the verdant regions around San Ignacio in the departamento of Chalatenango . The area's undisputed high point, in every sense, is Cerro El Pital (Pital Hill), the pinnacle of this compact Central American nation of nearly seven million people. It rises 2,730 metres toward a huge rock dome, which some scientists speculate was formed in prehistoric times by an impacted meteorite. With an average temperature of 15 degrees C and a minimum of zero from November to March (prime tourist season), El Pital offers an escape from the tropical mugginess that blankets much of the country. Although El Salvador has been badly scarred by illegal logging and war-related environmental destruction, El Pital is a haven of lush first-growth forest. This was a rebel stronghold in the war's early years, but it was spared later destruction after initial peace talks in 1984 in the nearby village of La Palma. Hummingbirds range through the foliage. Short-tailed hawks soar over the rugged precipices. From the upper reaches, you can gaze kilometres north into Honduras and Guatemala and south toward the sprawling Embalse Cerron Grande reservoir and the massive San Salvador volcano brooding over the capital. Although paragliding, canoeing and other activities abound, the main draws are hiking, horseback riding and quiet nature contemplation. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/travel/story.html?id=a25f5469-2e9e-4cfe-\ aad1-73283cc3a2 0f Guyana: 19) Three staffers of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) were reportedly fired and arrested by police yesterday in a widening investigation into wrongdoings in the forestry sector. The arrests are linked to possible bribery of the staffers by a large logging company and investigators would have been hoping for names to be called. Kaieteur News understands that government has been apprised of the situation and that the logging company was taking logs from an area outside of its concession without permission. Three GFC staffers were sent into the area several days ago after the body received reports of the activities. However, the staffers returned and reported that no such activities were taking place. Another set of staffers were dispatched to the area, and they confirmed that illegal logging was indeed taking place there. Yesterday, Kaieteur News was told that GFC was on the verge on firing the three staffers, but matters took a turn and the police arrested the employees for allegedly taking bribes. It was also disclosed that the illegal activities took place just a few days after government slammed Barama Company Ltd, one of Guyana 's largest logging companies, with a whopping fine for illegal activities. The disclosures have continued to rock an industry increasingly under the microscope both locally and internationally. http://guyanaforestryblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/forestry-rocked-by-bribery-scanda\ l.html Brazil: 20) Plantations and secondary forests are no match for primary Amazon rainforest in terms of biodiversity, reports the largest ever assessment of the biodiversity conservation value in the tropics. Writing in the current issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a team led researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and Brazil's Goeldi Museum found that 25 percent of all species were never found outside native primary forest habitat. For groups like trees, birds, leaf-litter amphibians, and lizards the percentage of species restricted to primary forest habitat was even higher at 40-60 percent. Still the researchers note their figures are likely underestimated. " We know that different species often exhibit different responses to deforestation and so we sought to understand the consequences of land-use change for as many species as possible, " said lead author Dr Jos Barlow, a former post-doctoral researcher at UEA. " Our study should be seen as a best-case scenario, as all our forests were relatively close to large areas of primary forests, providing ample sources for recolonization. Many plantations and regenerating forests along the deforestation frontiers in South America and south-east Asia are much further from primary forests, and wildlife may be unable to recolonize in these areas. " The results are important given that more than 15 million hectares of forest were destroyed each year during the 1990s, while secondary forests have replaced one-sixth of all tropical primary forests that were felled during that time. Meanwhile, tropical forest plantations expanded by almost 5-fold since 1980. Peres says the new study provides insight for policymakers looking at forests as a way to offset greenhouse gas emissions. While reforestation initiatives currently qualify for carbon credits, a new proposal known as Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) would compensate countries that succeed in reducing deforestation rates. The framework offers great hope for saving the world's remaining old-growth tropical forests. http://news.mongabay.com/2007/1111-amazon.html 21) Terborgh's story and his arguments are too detailed to do justice here, but this, roughly, is his conclusion: Brazil will continue to pursue its long-cherished goal of integrating the Amazon into the national economy. Much of the forest will go. But I would be surprised to see it vanish entirely because an increasing portion of the Amazon in Brazil, and in neighboring countries, is under formal, legal protection... Short of a complete breakdown of civil authority, the Amazon won't be entirely " lost " . He then sounds a note of caution: " Unforeseen developments are likely to determine the future of th Amazon... One such unforeseen development is fire, which holds the potential to be the undoing of the Amazon. " Pristine tropical forest, he say, doesn't burn. Logging changes that: Logging synergizes fire in two ways. First, cutting down trees opens the forest canopy, admitting sunlight and drying out the leaf litter on the forest floor. Second, the debris of branches, chips, and stumps left behind by logging operations serves as fuel for any subsequent fire. The first time a tropical forest burns, the damage can hardly be detected from above because the destruction is largely confined to saplings and small trees whose crowns lie below the canopy. http://gentraso.blogspot.com/2007/11/future-of-amazonia.html Peru: 22) The Reserva Amazonica, covering 30,000 acres, lies in the south-east of Peru, close to the Brazilian and Bolivian borders. It is inaccessible by road, so getting there means flying to Puerto Maldonado and taking a 45-minute boat trip up the Madre de Dios river, a tributary of the Amazon thinly populated with fishermen, gold prospectors and caimans. The focus of the private reserve is a beautiful and efficiently run lodge, consisting of 36 romantic wooden cabanas; but this is not just an excellent hotel in an unexpected location - it is an ecological education of the most enjoyable kind. The reception area, for example, doubles as a butterfly farm, where you can watch a gorgeous blue Morpho menelaus wind its gleaming way through the bushes, and a Caligo illioneus fold its owl-eye wings to feed on sweet bananas. Packing for the lodge is not easy, as luggage on the boat journey is restricted to 22lb per person, and the weather can change suddenly from tropically sticky to downright chilly: on the first night a cold snap left us clutching hot water bottles and calling for extra blankets. (The cabanas are designed for maximum coolness, so there is no glass in the windows, just mosquito-proof mesh.) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?xml=/travel/2007/11/12/et-peru-122.\ xml India: 23) VISAKHAPATNAM: The panther population in the wild is under threat with concrete jungle culture gaining momentum following unprecedented real estate boom. Not only panthers, other wild animals are also facing a grave threat. Visakhapatnam, gifted with sun-kissed beaches, lush green hillocks and a gorgeous and nature's preserve – Kambalakonda reserve forest – just a few minutes drive from the city, is fast losing its beauty with the Government deciding to sell lands to corporate realtors to raise Rs. 1,000 crores to bridge budgetary deficit. The recent spotting of female panther at Kapulauppada garbage dumping yard, maintained by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, is not a stray incident. Two years ago, a panther strayed into a poultry farm in thickly populated Visalakshinagar and mauled the watchman. A leopard had come on a 'sojourn' to Nandagirinagar in Akkayapalem a few years ago. In fact, a couple of panthers which came out of the forest to the national highway, were run over by vehicles. " Wild animals stray into residential areas as and when their habitat comes under threat due to massive construction. If there is enough food and water, why would they stray into foreign land, " retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R.K. Rao told The Hindu. Forests officials say panthers are fond of dog meat. The recent camping of a panther for a couple of days at Kapulauppada was mainly to consume dog meat, said Conservator of Forests P.V. Padmanabham. He said hundreds of stay dogs thrive on city waste at the dumping yard. Sometimes, dead dogs are also left there. " Hence, the panther in question could have come there to eat dog meat, " he said. http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/11/stories/2007111158300100.htm 24) The Upa Lokayukta, G. Patri Basavanagoud, on Saturday wanted the State Government to modernise the patrolling system in the forests, equipping the personnel with modern weapons and other equipment not only to tackle the menace of poaching and preventing smuggling activities, but to save the lives of the personnel. Paying tributes to 33 personnel, including an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, who laid down their lives protecting the wildlife, the forests and forest wealth in the last 41 years in the State at the 16th Martyrs Day organised by the Forest Department, Mr. Basavanagoud wished that let there be no death of the personnel. Mr. Basavanagoud said that those who sacrificed their lives were a model to others serving in different departments. He said that they only did their duties with commitment upholding the rule of law without fear or favour. http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/11/stories/2007111155370500.htm 25) As darkness descends over Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala, a group of villagers is gearing up for their daily prowl in the jungle. Each wears a green raincoat, boots and cap, looking every bit the forest ranger. The guards at the gate give them a friendly nod and let them in; some even join them with their guns. These people, together with the forest guards, have been entrusted with the task of protecting Periyar's animals. They are well-versed with the ways of men who plunder and loot the forest wealth. For, many of them have had first-hand experience at it, they were poachers who have now turned protectors Set a thief to catch a thief? It's a line that's working well for Periyar, ever since some intrepid forest officials started the project some years ago. At a time when tiger populations are dwindling in most parks, Periyar has over 50 tigers and there has been no reported case of animal poaching in the last two years. Activities like sandalwood smuggling, cinnamon bark theft, felling of trees and trespassing have reduced drastically. According to Padma Mahanti, deputy director of the reserve, offences reported last year were the lowest in over five years. " With these people around, Periyar is safe; they are among the best informants in the whole of southern India, " she says. The recruits were chosen after careful screening, says another forest official. " Their activities were monitored for a year. Finally, 20 people were selected and given jobs as guides and community trackers. " Apart from poachers-turned-protectors, Periyar has another first to its credit: A group of women volunteers, all daily wagers, take a day off from work every week to patrol the forest during the day. Anything suspicious is then reported to the officials. Their sole motivation: an increase in social status. " The villagers look at these women with respect and protecting the forest gives them a sense of accomplishment. Inspired by them, five more women have come forward this year, " says Mahanti. So while the disappearance of Sariska's tigers is largely blamed on village settlements in and around the park, Periyar's feting its own. " The difference, " says Mahanti, " lies in the fact that Periyar has been lucky to have a chain of dedicated officers who cared about the forest and its resources. " http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Deep_Focus/In_Periyar_poachers_protect_tigers\ /articleshow/ 2532164.cms Kashmir: 25) Kashmir's thick and dense forests are fast dwindling as smugglers in connivance with men in uniform chop precious Deodar and Kail trees at free will to earn fast bucks as helpless government watches jungles being turned into deserts. Forests here used to have thick cover of green trees some 17 years back but now the whole area has been turned into plain stretch of land with stumps of chopped Deodar and Kail trees indicating the destruction of the forests by timber smugglers. From mountain base at Rohama, it is evident that the entire tree line of prized Deodar and Kail trees have been illegally felled during 17 years and the residents blame that trees were smuggled out under the full of patronage of army, police and forest officials. What concerns them now is that the felling of trees is still going on with those at helm of affairs turning mute spectators. Interactions with the villagers and some conscientious officials reveal that the illegal felling of trees in higher reaches of Rafiabad like Hajibal, Bosiyan, Gabawar, Viji, Sorival, Teli Pathran and its adjoining peaks have now become an organised trade. " In the name of fighting militancy, the forests here since 1989 were openly looted by smugglers in connivance with army and police. Despite not being a militant stronghold, the troops restricted movement of villagers and officials to the forests and then facilitated loot of the green wealth, " the villagers of Brandub situated on foothill of the forests told Greater Kashmir. http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=11_11_2007 & ItemID=47 & cat=1 Philippines: 27) To combat and check illegal logging activities in the province of Davao del Norte, the provincial Governor Rodolfo del Rosario has revitalized an inter-agency, multi-sectoral anti-illegal logging Task Force by signing Executive Order 014 series of 2007. The Task Force is composed of members from the different agencies of the Provincial Government and offices of national agencies. Backed by legal officials, police and military personnel have committed themselves to the following pledge: 1) To conduct information and education campaigns regarding forest protection and conservation (PD 705 Forestry Code of the Philippines) 2) To monitor, apprehend and confiscate all timber and other forest products gathered, carried and collected without necessary license to do so passing and found within the province of Davao del Norte. 3) To enforce the laws, charge and prosecute all concerned on their illegal activities. 4) To formulate policies and issue guidelines pertinent thereto and recommend new legislation or amendments to existing ones to cope with the changes in the environment status of the province and to conduct as it deemed appropriate public hearings and conferences on issues of environmental significance on anti-illegal logging. Felix Abangin the Task Force action officer has appealed for support and vigilance from the citizenry to help them in their difficult task of preserving the remaining forestlands and watersheds of the province an act which he said is ultimately intended for the next generation of Dabaonons. Environmental conservation is one of the priority agendas of Governor del Rosario under his RDR WHEELS. http://mindanao.wowphilippines.com/davao/2007/11/10/davao-norte-anti-illegal-log\ ging-task-forc e-adopts-pledge/ Papua New Guinea: 28) On Woodlark Island, one-hundred and seventy miles from Papua New Guinea, a struggle is occurring between islanders and biofuel company Vitroplant Ltd. The company is planning to clear much of the island's forest for oil palm plantations to produce biofuels. Vitorplant Ltd.'s contract specifies that they would deforest 60,000 hectares of land for plantations; Woodlark Island is 85,000 hectares in total, meaning over 70% of the island would be converted. Last week, one hundred islanders (out of a total population of 6,000) traveled to the capital of Milne Bay Province, Alotau, to voice their concern over the plans to turn their forested island into plantations. Leading the opposition is medical doctor Simon Piyuwes. Dr. Piyuwes was born and raised on the island and returns every holiday. On his most recent homecoming, Dr. Piyuwes found himself taking on a new role. He says that " every individual Woodlark Islander opposes the project. However it appears that the LLG president who was supposed to represent the people was pushing for the project. Compelled by this I felt the responsibility to talk for my people. " Dr. Piyuwes outlines several reasons why Vitroplant Ltd.'s plans are unacceptable to the islanders. He states that the logging would destroy the island's endemic ebony, cause extinctions of rare species, and threaten marine life by waste from the project. Not only does he foresee environmental disaster, but also disintegration of the native culture, stating that the company's plans would bring " socially unacceptable behavior on the island " . And that all the islanders would eventually be threatened with " starvation " since " there will be no space for gardening and hunting " . Dr. Piyuwes admits that while there may be some economic and infrastructure benefits to the island, he believes the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. http://news.mongabay.com/2007/1112-hance_woodlark.html Indonesia: 29) A legal expert and an activist have questioned government plans to bring civil lawsuits against companies suspected of illegal logging. University of Indonesia criminal law expert Rudy Satriyo said civil suits were time-consuming and involved burdensome evidentiary requirements. " This hasn't been done before, " Rudy told The Jakarta Post on Friday referring to the fight against a relatively novel type of offense -- circumventing national laws to harvest, transport or trade timber. The recent acquittal of logging boss Adelin Lis on all charges brought against him in Medan District Court was disappointing, he said. He said criminal lawsuits were " the best way to eradicate illegal logging practices " but that prosecutors should now focus on preparations to appeal the district court verdict at the Supreme Court. Executive Director of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi) Chalid Muhammad concurred, saying that civil suits were appropriate but not urgent as they could do very little to deter illegal logging. " Civil cases are primarily concerned with the compensation scheme, while the effects of illegal logging are extremely far-reaching, including ecological damage and natural disasters. " With regard to the Adeline case, Chalid also suggested prosecutors turn their attention to a Supreme Court appeal. Both Rudy and Chalid drew attention to weaknesses in the government's approach to forest law enforcement. Rudy cited failure to employ appropriate technology and lack of " the kind of satellite support that provides accurate images of the condition of our forests " as an example. http://www.thejakartapost.com/misc/PrinterFriendly.asp 30)The Indonesian National Park Foundation together with Cibodas National Park has designated a plot of land in Cibodas for different species of trees representing areas of Jakarta. The foundation's researcher, Holif Imamudin, who is also the former director of Bogor National Park, said the planned park was part of a conservation effort to protect trees already considered rare. The park now has 1,500 seedlings comprising 22 different tree species. The tree specie already collected by the foundation include Menteng (Baccaurea recemosa), Cempaka Putih (Michelia alba), Gambir (Uncaria gambir), Cendana or sandalwood (Santalum), Rambutan, edible Gadung tuber, Kelapa Gading (Cocos capitata), Sirih or piper betel (Piperaceae), Durian tree, Duku or lanseh tree (Lansium domesticum Corr), Kemang (Mangifera caecea), Gandaria (Bouea macrophylla Griffith), Kepuh and Pinang or betel nut tree. " It's really not an easy job because most of the trees are now hard to find, " Holif said. The cendana tree, for instance, must be cultivated from a mother tree, which is hard to find, he said. " But we eventually got the seedlings from a resident of Jakarta who voluntarily supplied us (with the tree seedlings). " The Kepuh seedlings currently growing at Cibodas Park did not grow like their mother trees due a difference in climate and humidity. Holif said cooperation with Cibodas Park would continue so trees from other areas could also be grown there. http://www.thejakartapost.com/misc/PrinterFriendly.asp 31) Foreign nations share the blame for the destruction of Indonesian forests and should pitch in to help restore them, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Friday. Indonesia, host of a U.N. climate change conference in December, has been a driving force behind calls for rich countries to compensate poor states that preserve their rainforests to soak up greenhouse gases. " Those foreigners keep harping on our country's high emissions. Our emissions are high, but don't forget who created this. Where did our timber go? " Kalla told reporters. Kala said developed countries such as Japan and the United States had been major consumers of Indonesian timber, much of which was logged illegally. " It means they have to pay, " he said. According to global environmental group Greenpeace, Indonesia had the fastest pace of deforestation in the world between 2000-2005, destroying an area of forest the size of 300 soccer pitches every hour. The Indonesian government says it must be given incentives, including a payout of $5-$20 per hectare, to preserve its forests. It also wants to negotiate a fixed price for other forms of biodiversity, including coral reefs. Indonesia has a total forest area of more than 225 million acres, or about 10 percent of the world's remaining tropical forests. But the Southeast Asian country -- whose forests are a treasure trove of plant and animal species including the endangered orang-utan -- has already lost an estimated 72 percent of its original frontier forest. http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKJAK6675020071109 South East Asia: 32) The world's smallest bear has been added to a list of species under threat in southeastern Asia due to rampant deforestation, a conservation group said on Monday. The sun bear, which lives in mainland southeast Asia, Sumatra and Borneo, has been classed as 'vulnerable' by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in its annual 'Red List' of threatened species. Sun bears measure just 120-150 centimetres (47-59 inches) in length on average but are known for their aggressive behaviour and have the largest canine teeth of all bears. The sun bear was previously classed as 'data deficient' meaning there was insufficient knowledge to grant it any formal status. " We estimate that sun bears have declined by at least 30 percent over the past 30 years (three bear generations), and continue to decline at this rate, " said IUCN bear specialist Rob Steinmetz in a statement. " Deforestation has reduced both the area and the quality of their habitat. Where habitat is protected, commercial poaching remains a significant threat, " Steinmetz added. The giant panda remains the only species classed as 'endangered' by the IUCN, but the conservation group warned that bears as a whole remain at risk throughout southeast Asia due to poaching and deforestation. The IUCN praised efforts by China to try to conserve giant panda stocks through establishing reserves, banning logging and setting up reforestation programmes. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jhYR3NCVcJORHBnJq6Eg-UrhMdIg New Zealand: 33) According to Alexander Smith trees are your best antiques, writes The Marlborough Express in an editorial. And according to an old Welsh proverb, the seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an invisible orchard. And Ogden Nash doubted he'd ever see a billboard as lovely as a tree. So why chop one down? It's something that happens every day. Millions of dollars are made out of forests and the wood industry. In gardens and farms around the country people remove trees for a variety of reasons including making more space, a better view or to stop roots undermining buildings. Last week the property rights of one home owner came smack up against the desires of others when a well known tree was cut down on a Maxwell Rd property in Blenheim. The copper beech stood for at least 80 years and was possibly closing in on its centenary. It was one of the best examples of copper beech in the region. The tree was lost after the sale of the property it stood on, and subdivision. The new owners plan to build worker accommodation on the site. The tree was not protected by a covenant nor any other means. It was discovered the tree could have been protected by the Marlborough District Council asking the new owners to protect the tree and taking them to the Environment Court if they didn't agree to such action. To some people that will sound draconian and an action too far by an elected body. But if Alexander Smith and others are correct, then we need to at least look into what is needed to at least preserve some of Blenheim's trees. Much of the countryside has been further denuded of trees in recent years under the relentless march of the grape. But that's the economy here which provides Marlborough with a good living. And the removal of the copper beech to provide worker housing was part of that picture. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/marlboroughexpress/4270755a6520.html Australia: 34) Dr Clarke says large-scale clearing for farming has eliminated up to 90 per cent of Australia's original temperate woodlands. Their disappearance has led to a population explosion of noisy miners and the birds now occupy huge tracts of rural land along the eastern seaboard, as well as the gardens of many Melbourne homes. " We've basically created tens of thousands of hectares of ideal miner habitats, " he says. " We've delivered it to them on a platter and they just do what they've always done and that is take over. " It is not just that noisy miners push out other native birds from leafy suburban areas, but in eucalypt woodlands they upset the balance between flora, insects and other fauna. Replacing their insect-eating competitors, the invading miners may not eat the same range or numbers of insects. Dr Clarke says this could ultimately cause the death of trees from insect damage and result in the loss of whole woodland communities. Already, some birds are becoming rare or endangered and insect-eaters such as the Hooded Robin and Jacky Winter are disappearing. Even on La Trobe's expansive Bundoora campus, the birds have taken over the car parks and wooded areas with the loss of other local native birds. Dr Clarke says that typically between 20 and 200 miners will colonise a territory of up to 10 hectares, where they operate as " team-based collectives " — families with breeding pairs helped by closely related non-breeding males. " They have become the Mafia of the east-coast bird world by relentlessly attacking intruders in their territory, " he says. " They even tackle much larger birds like kookaburras and herons which can't ward off their massed attacks. " http://www.theage.com.au/news/education-news/battling-the-bully-birds/2007/11/11\ /1194749385628.h tml World-wide: 35) Picture a square of tropical rainforest 100m to a side. According to a study from 2000, it is heavily laden with carbon: between 155 and 187 tonnes for wet forest and between 27 and 63 tonnes for dry. That means that each square kilometre of rainforest is holding between 2,700 and 18,700 tonnes of carbon: with about 70% of that in trees, 20% in the soil, and the rest in roots, understory, and litter. Cutting down the trees for timber and to open farmland releases some portion of that stock into the atmosphere: with the amount dependent on how the soil's carbon absorption changes and what is done with the wood and wood waste. When the forest is burned, either intentionally to clear land or unintentionally, the bulk of that carbon gets released into the atmosphere more of less immediately. As a result of both land use change and forest burning, the World Resource Institute estimates that deforestation represents about 18.3% of all human greenhouse gas emissions. As such, tackling it is a priority. Arguably, the best thing individuals can do is refuse to eat meat or use first-generation biofuels. A considerable amount of cattle production takes placed in cleared areas of rainforest, with additional land cleared to grow soya to feed to cattle. On the biofuels front, there are both situations where rainforest is cleared directly for biofuel plantations (palm oil) and situations where the use of agricultural land to grow biofuel crops (corn) increases the overall need for agricultural land, pushing things like soy production into previously forested areas. http://www.sindark.com/2007/11/10/climate-and-the-rainforest/ 36) What do Rainforest Action Network (RAN), Greenpeace (GP) and WWF have in common? Each support first time, industrial logging of ancient rainforests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC); implying and even stating it is sustainable and somehow " protects " these primordial green cathedrals that sustain being. The " Big Three " ancient forest logging apologists have sold out the world's forests and climate, and should have no place on your holiday gift list. They refuse to even defend their FSC support, and will not commit to ending ancient forest logging until it hits their bottom line. So stop giving them money. If you fund them, it is like you have a chainsaw in your hand, and are logging ancient forests filled with rare biodiversity, altering ecosystems and spewing tons of carbon into the atmosphere. The organization that I head, Ecological Internet (EI), campaigns effectively to end ancient forest logging and confront FSC and supporters. Support us instead at http://www.climateark.org/donate/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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