---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 28 Oct 1994 01:10:27 -0700
From: Galvin/Suckling <ggbp@indirect.com>
To: silver@indirect.com, mkenna@igc.org, mhughes@nyx.cs.du.edu,
fccsw@IGC.APC.ORG, mpollock@u.washington.edu
Subject: pleaase distribute widely
TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST PROPOSES 65%
REDUCTION IN LOGGING TO PROTECT
QUEEN CHARLOTTE GOSHAWK---YOUR COMMENTS DESPERATELY NEEDED BY NOVEMBER 10,
1994 TO INSURE 171
MILLION BOARD FEET REMOVED FROM 1995
TIMBER PROGRAM.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a positive 90-day finding on a
petition to list the Queen Charlotte goshawk as an endangered species from
SE Alaska to the Olympic Peninsula on August 26 1994. The finding is the
first of three hoops a species must jump through in order to be listed as
endangered. The FWS will now conduct a full status review and decide whether
or not to propose the goshawk as endangered on May 9,1994.
The petition was written by the Southwest Center for Biological Diversity
and the Greater Gila Biodiversity Project and filed by a coalition of
environmental groups including:the Biodiversity Legal Foundation, Greater
Ecosystem Alliance,
Save the West, Save America's Forests, Native Forest Network, Native Forest
Council, Peter Galvin, Eric Holle, and Don Muller. Several months ago the FWS
issued a positive 90-day finding on a petition by the Biodiversity Legal
Foundation
to list another SE Alaska species, the Alexander Archipelago wolf, as
endangered.
These two species could dramatically reduce the Tongass National Forest's
massive timber program. The Tongass cuts more timber than all the National
Forests of the Pacific Northwest combined.
In a desperate bid to head-off the listings, the Tongass is proposing to
amend its Forest Plan with a goshawk conservation strategy which could
eliminate
171 million board feet- over half the forest's 1995 timber program. Your
comments in support of this proposal are needed NOW! This is an incredible
opportunity to reign in the largest timber producing forest in the United
States
and protect one of the world's last intact temperate rainforests.
The Tongass has released a Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) entitled
Interim Habitat Management Guidelines for Maintaining Well-Distributed
Viable Wildlife
Populations within the Tongass National Forest in an openly acknowledged
attempt to convince
the Fish and Wildlife that the wolf and goshawk do not need to be listed as
endangered. The
Forest's two proposed action alternatives would set aside 75 MMBF for
goshawk territories
found before June 30, 1994 which would slash at least another 96 MMBF from
the 1995 timber
program. Alternative 2 (the proposed alternative) would dramatically decrease
protection for goshawks found after June 30, cutting only 6-12 MMBF from the
1995 program.
So how can the Forest biologically justify reducing protection levels for
future and recently discovered goshawks? It can't. It doesn't even try. The DEA
simply explains that the most recently discovered goshawks are in huge timber
sales and giving them equal protection would remove too much volume. Because
goshawk surveys have geared up tremendously in the past two years, future nests
are also very likely to be found in timber sales, causing even greater
declines in
timber harvesting.
Alternative 3, would establish a network of large (40,000 acre) and medium
(10,000 acre) Habitat Conservation Areas in which logging of old-growth would
not be permitted (except commercial "salvage" sales, of course). In
addition, no
logging will be permitted within known home ranges of radio-tagged Queen
Charlotte goshawks. Known home ranges are as large as 360,000 acres in the
heavily fragmented forests of south Fredrick Sound and as small as 4,500
acres in
the unfragmented forests in the northern Tongass. Non-radio-tagged goshawks
south of fredrick Sound would be protected by a 143,000 acre no logging zone,
Non-radio-tagged birds north of Fredrick Sound would be protected by a 8,000
acre no logging zone.
Alternative 2 would only prohibit logging in 20-30 acres surrounding nest
trees and in the 600 acre post fledgling areas. Up to 80% of the surrounding
6,000
acre foraging area would be open to logging. Salvage sales would be permitted
within the post fledging and foraging areas. This woefully inadequate plan was
devised for Southwestern forests several years ago but was severely
criticized and
has since been dropped there. It is completely untenable for SE Alaska and the
USFWS has told the Forest this on numerous occasions.
This is a historic opportunity- no National Forest has ever developed an
alternative which would cut its own timber program by 171 MMBF! Submit your
comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment, Interim Habitat Management
Guidelines for Maintaining Well-Distributed Viable Wildlife Populations
within the
Tongass National Forest by november 10, 1994. Tell Tongass:
1.There is no biological reason for giving new found goshawk nests less
protection than nests found before june, 30 1994.
2.Salvage sales should not be permitted within HCAs or goshawk
management territories.
3.Road construction should not be permitted in goshawk territories or
HCAs.
Write to: Interim Guidelines EA
Forest Plan revision team
8465 Old Dairy Road
Juneau, AK 99801
DO
IT TODAY!
Greater Gila Biodiversity Project
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