they still want to drill in los padres

[Guest guest]

this place is too beautiful, especially since it is wedged between the bay area

and LA...it doesn't need any more oil rigs in it...

maybe i should go camping there again while i have the bloody chance...

 

 

 

DEN Alert: Stop Oil and Gas Drilling in a Wild Forest

 

The U.S. Forest Service is trying to open more than 700,000 acres

of wildlands in the Los Padres National Forest to oil and gas

drilling. Located north of Los Angeles, the forest is home to more

than 20 imperiled species – including the highly endangered

California condor, the San Joaquin kit fox, the red-legged frog,

and Smith's blue butterfly. Oil and gas companies would build roads

and pipelines through this pristine forest, fracturing wildlife

habitat. The forest is vital to the successful recovery of the

California condor. There are only 61 condors in the wild, and many

are just reaching sexual maturity, so any disturbance at this

critical time could jeopardize the entire recovery program.

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

 

Help us protect the Los Padres National Forest and its wildlife for

future generations. Please send a FREE e-mail to Forest Supervisor

Jeanine Derby urging her to save the forest from oil and gas

drilling. We encourage you to put the sample letter below into your

own words. Comments are due by APRIL 19, 2002, so please send your

e-mail today.

 

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:

 

If you have access to the web, simply below which

will take you to the DEN Action Center web site:

 

http://www.denaction.org

 

 

 

If you don't have access to the Internet, please mail your letter

to: Jeanine Derby, Forest Supervisor, Los Padres National Forest

6755 Hollister Ave, Suite 150 Goleta, CA 93117 or via e-mail at:

jderby

 

 

 

SAMPLE LETTER:

 

 

Dear Supervisor Derby:

 

As a citizen and a supporter of the remaining wild forests left in

the United States, I urge you to protect the Los Padres National

Forest from oil and gas drilling, exploration and development.

 

Los Padres National Forest is vital to the successful recovery of

the California condor. The condor recovery effort has been one of

the most intensive endangered species recovery programs to date.

Many of the condors are just reaching sexual maturity. Any

disturbance at this critical time could jeopardize the entire

recovery program.

 

Oil and gas companies would build roads through this wilderness,

fragmenting habitat for endangered wildlife such as the San Joaquin

kit fox, red-legged frog, and Smith's blue butterfly. They would

also introduce damaging exotic pests and plants and promote erosion,

causing landslides and sediment to fill streams and choke aquatic

species.

 

The Forest Service should not consider plans for energy development

in Los Padres, but rather maintain the strongest protections,

especially for roadless areas within the forest. Once roadless

areas are disturbed, they are lost forever. Once again, I urge you

to promote conservation rather than the degradation of Los Padres

National Forest. Thank you for considering my comments.

 

 

Sincerely,