Leave No Tree Behind

Attention backpackers, hunters, campers, hikers and all who love trout fishing. Plan your trips to paradise now, because much of paradise will soon be spoiled.

The loggers, miners and gas-drillers are coming to America’s national forests, and they’re coming soon. With the stroke of a pen in May 2005, the President opened nearly 60 million acres of protected US National Forest land to development and road-building.

In what critics dub “No Tree Left Behind,” Bush opened forests in 39 states to development, 97% of them in 12 western states. Among them are areas in some of the most beloved, beautiful and oldest US wildernesses, including:

- The Grand Canyon
- Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Forests in California
- California’s Sierra Nevada backcountry
- Oregon’s Wild Rivers area
- Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota’s Superior National Forest
- Boise National Forest in Idaho
- Colorado’s Rocky Mountain backcountry
- Olympic National Forest in Washington
- White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire
- Tongass & Chugach National Forests in Alaska
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail
- Continental Divide Scenic Trail

Background In the early 1900s, Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to protect millions of acres of America's most stunning national forests. It was the advent of the auto and the world’s thirst for petroleum, as well as timber.

Bill Clinton preserved US national forests as a special mission of his administration. After 600 public meetings over 2 years and 4 million public comments, Clinton signed into law the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, issued by the US Forest Service in January 2001, to take effect in March. The rule protects 60 million acres of forest, one-third of US forests.

Mr. Clinton wrote “The wild lands that are now protected by the Roadless Rule are a fragile and priceless gift to all Americans. Once lost, they are gone forever.”

In one of his first Executive acts, Bush stopped the landmark Roadless Rule from becoming effective. In July 2004, he revoked the entire rule. In May 2005, the Bush team issued a “final rule” that invites input from governors as to why their states should be exempted from development.

This state petitioning process imposes tight deadlines and cumbersome reporting and analysis requirements at a time when states are short of funds due to massive federal budget cuts by the Bush Administration. And Bush is under no obligation to follow state petitions.

Why Protect National Forests? Roadless forest areas are havens for fish, wildlife and thousands of endangered plants and animals. They also supply clean, unpolluted drinking water for 60 million Americans.

And these natural refuges from modern life offer some of the nation’s best backcountry fishing, hunting, hiking and camping.

What Happens When Forests Are Not Protected? More than half of US forests have already been degraded by logging, road building and other destructive activities. Per the Sierra Club,” The 440,000 miles of roads that scar our National Forest--most built for the logging industry and paid for with tax dollars—have destroyed wildlife habitats, caused mudslides and polluted water.”

The National Resources Defense Council contends that roadless areas serve as buffer zones that help prevent wildfires.

Who Wants to Remove Forest Protections? The timber industry, of course. The Independent Petroleum Assn of America said that 11 trillion cubic feet of natural gas could be developed in previously restricted areas. It's all about corporate profits.

What’s Next? Bush “temporarily” exempted two Alaskan forests from the Roadless Rule in 2003, despite 250,000 opposing public comments. Private industry has complete freedom for large-scale logging in the Tongass National Forest, the largest old-growth temperate rainforest on earth. Fifty timber sales are now moving forward there.

Numerous lawsuits have been filed in federal courts on both sides of the issue. On May 4, 2005, the Denver-based Court of Appeals started hearings aimed at overturning another federal court’s decision to uphold scrapping the Roadless Rule. An attorney for Earthjustice believes that Bush is rushing forward before the Denver judge can reverse the previous ruling.

The Final Word From New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who calls the move anti-environment and a wholesale assault to drill more oil and gas and cut more timber. “It’s going to start a war in the West.”

What Can You Do? Support the groups fighting to save US forests from destruction: the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Wildlife Federation, Greenpeace and others. Write to your governor and federal elected officials.

And be sure to contact the US Forest Service by phone at 202-205-8333, by email at www.fs.fed.us/contactus, or by mail at USDA Forest Service; 1400 Independence Ave SW; Washington DC; 20250-0003.

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Leave No Tree Behind

Attention backpackers, hunters, campers, hikers and all who love trout fishing. Plan your trips to paradise now, because much of paradise will soon be spoiled.

The loggers, miners and gas-drillers are coming to America’s national forests, and they’re coming soon. With the stroke of a pen in May 2005, the President opened nearly 60 million acres of protected US National Forest land to development and road-building.

In what critics dub “No Tree Left Behind,” Bush opened forests in 39 states to development, 97% of them in 12 western states. Among them are areas in some of the most beloved, beautiful and oldest US wildernesses, including:

- The Grand Canyon
- Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Forests in California
- California’s Sierra Nevada backcountry
- Oregon’s Wild Rivers area
- Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota’s Superior National Forest
- Boise National Forest in Idaho
- Colorado’s Rocky Mountain backcountry
- Olympic National Forest in Washington
- White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire
- Tongass & Chugach National Forests in Alaska
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail
- Continental Divide Scenic Trail

Background In the early 1900s, Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to protect millions of acres of America's most stunning national forests. It was the advent of the auto and the world’s thirst for petroleum, as well as timber.

Bill Clinton preserved US national forests as a special mission of his administration. After 600 public meetings over 2 years and 4 million public comments, Clinton signed into law the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, issued by the US Forest Service in January 2001, to take effect in March. The rule protects 60 million acres of forest, one-third of US forests.

Mr. Clinton wrote “The wild lands that are now protected by the Roadless Rule are a fragile and priceless gift to all Americans. Once lost, they are gone forever.”

In one of his first Executive acts, Bush stopped the landmark Roadless Rule from becoming effective. In July 2004, he revoked the entire rule. In May 2005, the Bush team issued a “final rule” that invites input from governors as to why their states should be exempted from development.

This state petitioning process imposes tight deadlines and cumbersome reporting and analysis requirements at a time when states are short of funds due to massive federal budget cuts by the Bush Administration. And Bush is under no obligation to follow state petitions.

Why Protect National Forests? Roadless forest areas are havens for fish, wildlife and thousands of endangered plants and animals. They also supply clean, unpolluted drinking water for 60 million Americans.

And these natural refuges from modern life offer some of the nation’s best backcountry fishing, hunting, hiking and camping.

What Happens When Forests Are Not Protected? More than half of US forests have already been degraded by logging, road building and other destructive activities. Per the Sierra Club,” The 440,000 miles of roads that scar our National Forest--most built for the logging industry and paid for with tax dollars—have destroyed wildlife habitats, caused mudslides and polluted water.”

The National Resources Defense Council contends that roadless areas serve as buffer zones that help prevent wildfires.

Who Wants to Remove Forest Protections? The timber industry, of course. The Independent Petroleum Assn of America said that 11 trillion cubic feet of natural gas could be developed in previously restricted areas. It's all about corporate profits.

What’s Next? Bush “temporarily” exempted two Alaskan forests from the Roadless Rule in 2003, despite 250,000 opposing public comments. Private industry has complete freedom for large-scale logging in the Tongass National Forest, the largest old-growth temperate rainforest on earth. Fifty timber sales are now moving forward there.

Numerous lawsuits have been filed in federal courts on both sides of the issue. On May 4, 2005, the Denver-based Court of Appeals started hearings aimed at overturning another federal court’s decision to uphold scrapping the Roadless Rule. An attorney for Earthjustice believes that Bush is rushing forward before the Denver judge can reverse the previous ruling.

The Final Word From New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who calls the move anti-environment and a wholesale assault to drill more oil and gas and cut more timber. “It’s going to start a war in the West.”

What Can You Do? Support the groups fighting to save US forests from destruction: the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Wildlife Federation, Greenpeace and others. Write to your governor and federal elected officials.

And be sure to contact the US Forest Service by phone at 202-205-8333, by email at www.fs.fed.us/contactus, or by mail at USDA Forest Service; 1400 Independence Ave SW; Washington DC; 20250-0003.

View the original article here

MPs line up behind early NDP leadership favourites

Four NDP MPs have come out in support of Thomas Mulcair in a leadership bid he hasn't actually declared yet.

At a two-day meeting with little news and few policy announcements, leadership quickly became the subject most people focused on.

The NDP's leadership nomination process officially began on Thursday.

Only Brian Topp, who is stepping down from his position as the party's president, has said he will run for the leadership.

On Thursday, Manitoba MP Niki Ashton added her name to the lengthy list of caucus members who are testing the leadership waters, including Nathan Cullen, Libby Davies, Paul Dewar, Peter Julian, Thomas Mulcair and Peggy Nash.

Pat Martin has also said he'll run if no other candidate is open to working with the Liberal Party, though he emphasized he's staying away from the word merger.

The NDP caucus was in Quebec City for planning and strategy meetings as they prepare to head back to the House of Commons next Monday.

Heading into Thursday's morning session, Quebec MPs Robert Aubin, Jamie Nicholls and François Lapointe stopped to say they support Mulcair for leader and hope he'll declare his candidacy.

"I'd like to encourage him to come out and declare because I think that there's a groundswell of support for him," Nicholls said.

Asked what constitutes a groundswell, Nicholls said he has "talked to a few people and they're ready to support Tom."

He said Mulcair did not ask him to declare his support.

Coming out of the morning meeting, Quebec MP Claude Patry also said he'll vote for Mulcair. Patry is a former union leader, potentially an important supporter for Mulcair, who leans to the right among NDP MPs.

Mulcair said Tuesday he wouldn't make an official announcement about his candidacy until he had lined up his campaign team.

"We're weighing all our options, we're looking at the types of people who can help us, we're getting a lot of support and encouragement across Canada. And when and if we do announce, it'll be with a full team capable of taking up the challenge of leading the Official Opposition," he said Wednesday.

Mulcair's declared supporters so far, however, are much lower profile than Topp's biggest booster, former NDP leader Ed Broadbent.

The Canadian Press is reporting that Romeo Saganash, an MP and Cree leader from northern Quebec who had been pondering his own leadership bid, is expected to throw his support behind Topp on Friday.

B.C. MP Peter Julian, who also is considering a leadership bid, picked up his first two endorsements Thursday.

"I think he'd make an excellent candidate," said Windsor, Ont., MP Brian Masse. "I think it's healthy to have a number of people in there."

Toronto MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan said she believes Julian would make "a good prime minister." She said the bilingual MP is personable, "brilliant and very articulate" and would be able to connect with folks at both the boardroom table and the kitchen table.

Turmel announced Wednesday rules requiring those with parliamentary or caucus functions to step down, although she left the deputy leader off the list of positions whose holders would have to give up their files during the race. That means high-profile critics, like foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar or finance critic Peggy Nash, would have to relinquish their titles while deputy leaders Mulcair and Davies could hang onto theirs.

At least two caucus members said they thought the deputy leaders were covered by that rule, leading to confusion as MPs left their morning meeting.

MPs, however, emphasized unity throughout interviews Tuesday and Wednesday, with officials saying they intend to focus on applying pressure to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government over the economy, and on outreach to hang onto supporters and win new ones.

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