Forwarded for your information: >From: Western Ancient Forest Campaign >Newsgroups: mlist.wafcdc >Date: 17 Nov 94 18:22 PST >Subject: NW Forest Plan Fails to Protect the >Lines: 85 > > > ANCIENT FOREST ALLIANCE > National Audubon Society National Wildlife Federation > Pacific Rivers Council Sierra Club Sierra Club Legal > Defense Fund > The Wilderness Society Western Ancient Forest Campaign > >MEDIA ADVISORY >November 17, 1994 > > Judge Dwyer to Rule on the Legality of the Northwest Forest > Plan > > The fate of the Ancient Forest ecosystem of the Pacific > Northwest now >hinges on the outcome of a legal challenge to the Forest Plan >proposed by the Clinton administration (Option Nine). Legal >arguments on the Plan were heard today by U.S. District Judge >William Dwyer in Seattle. A ruling can now be expected at any >time. > > Enclosed for your information is a factsheet on the Ancient >Forest issue which details the background of this problem and >explains why Ancient Forest protection is important for all >Americans. Also included is an economic factsheet indicating that >the Northwest economy is booming despite logging reductions. > >Protecting the Old-Growth Ecosystem is the Best Plan to Improve >the Northwest Economy > > The environmentalist's challenge to the Clinton Forest Plan >points out what has become obvious in recent months -- protecting >old growth forests is good for the Northwest economy. As the New >York Times recently reported, Oregon currently has the lowest >logging levels and the highest employment levels in decades. As >more and more regional economists have concluded, protecting the >forests and the quality of life they provide will lead to far more >and broader job growth than cutting the trees for timber. > > This job growth will occur not only in sectors of the economy >directly linked to healthy forests, sectors like recreation and >fishing, but it will also occur in metropolitan areas, rural >areas, commercial sectors, service industries, and high technology >as these businesses move to and expand operations in the Northwest >because of the quality of life the region provides. > >The Northwest Forest Plan Fails to Protect the Old-Growth >Ecosystem > > Scientists and economists who have reviewed the President's >Northwest Forest Plan have found serious shortcomings in the >analysis which produced the plan. The likely environmental and >economic impacts of the chosen alternative, Option Nine, shows >this alternative will not protect the old-growth ecosystem. > > The Plan fails to meet its primary objective, which is to >protect the threatened northern spotted owl and bring the federal >government into compliance with the National Forest Management >Act. A 1993 scientific study published by Dr. Anderson and Dr. >Burnham from the Colorado Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research >Unit entitled "Estimation of Vital Rates of the Northern Spotted >Owl," concludes that the northern spotted owl is declining at a >rate of 4.5 percent a year, and that this rate of decline is >accelerating. Based on this information, dozens of independent >scientists have concluded that the Northwest Forest Plan will not >assure the continued viability of the spotted owl. > > Another of the Plan's critical failures, which could have a >long term impact on the region's economy, is the lack of adequate >protection for Pacific salmon. The viability ratings under the >Plan suggest that if all of the restoration and mitigation >measures are carried out, Pacific salmon stocks will have an 80 >percent chance of survival. Without fully funded restoration >efforts, there is no assurance that salmon habitat can be >protected and recovered. To date, Congress has not funded the >needed restoration effort, and there is no guarantee the new >Congress will support this program. > >For more information please contact: > >Bonnie Phillips-Howard, Western Ancient Forest Campaign >206/652-9619 Todd True, Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund >206/343-7340 Nat Bingham, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's >Associations 707/937-4145 David Bayles, Pacific Rivers Council >503/345-0119 >
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