Bush administration eases logging restrictions on old-growth forests

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

By GENE JOHNSON
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

SEATTLE -- The Bush administration on Tuesday eased restrictions on logging old-growth forest in the Pacific Northwest, finalizing a previously announced rules change that says forest managers don't necessarily have to look for rare plants and animals before logging.

Instead, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management will use information provided by the state heritage programs of Washington, Oregon and California in determining whether to allow logging, prescribed burns, and trail- or campground-building, Forest Service spokesman Rex Holloway said.

Environmentalists decried the change, saying it would double logging on federal land in the region and have disastrous consequences for rare species. But Holloway said most old-growth forest in the region - 86 percent - remains protected.

The change applies to 5.5 million acres of old-growth and other forests designated for logging under the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan, a compromise forest-management plan that covers 24 million acres in Washington, Oregon and northern California.

-more-

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aplocal_story.asp?category=6420&slug=WST%20Northwest%20Forest%20Plan

[WillParkinson]

1. Just destroy the planet and get it over with, would you?

The anticipation is killing us. Literally.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. He wants to make sure that when the end comes

he's the richest son of a bitch who ever lived.

[w4rma]

2. insane (nt)

[klook]

3. Act locally

The Orion Grassroots Network includes organizations throughout the U.S. that are working on this and other environmental issues. Might be a good way to get involved on the local level.
[br /

[Robbien]

4. There are so many of these pollution/environment stories

coming out daily under this Bush administration. The volume is too great for the environmentalist to effectively counter. Now that the EPA is on the side of the corporatists, we are out here alone fighting all by our lonesome.

I really really hate these guys.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. The BIG question:

Can this legislation be overturned in 9 months with a new president in office?

[dusty64]

6. I believe everything can be.

We can simply rule by executive order like this regime. The extreme right will keep their mouths shut as they haven't said a word the entire time their guys have squatted in the WH so it must be all right.