Subject: FW: SW BIODIVERSITY ALERT #123

       ------ SOUTHWEST BIODIVERSITY ALERT #123 ---------
       \                    3-25-98                     /
        \                                              /
         \ SOUTHWEST CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY  /
           ------------------------------------------
         
1. JUDGE RULES IN FAVOR OF MEXICAN SPOTTED OWL- WISE USE BID TO REMOVE OWL
   FROM E.S.A. GOES DOWN IN FLAME

2. SUIT FILED TO LIST ARKANSAS RIVER SHINER AS ENDANGERED-
   ILLEGAL 'MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING' USED TO DELAY PROTECTION

3. FOREST SERVICE INUNDATED BY INTERNET ALERT, COMPLAINS TO MEDIA-
   KEEP THOSE CALLS AND LETTER COMING!

4. FUR, FEATHERS AND FLIGHT- SOUTHWEST CENTER ART EXHIBIT

     *****     *****     *****     *****

JUDGE RULES IN FAVOR OF MEXICAN SPOTTED OWL- WISE USE BID TO REMOVE OWL
FROM E.S.A. GOES DOWN IN FLAME
On 3-20-98, Judge E.L. Mechem rule against a wise use group seeking to
remove the Mexican spotted owl from the Endangered Species Act. He found
that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service used the best available science
when it listed the spotted owl in response to a 1989 petition by Southwest
Center Conservation Chair, Robin Silver. It also used the best available
science in rejecting a petition to delist the owl by the so-called
"Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties for Stable Economic Growth."

The Southwest Center was represented by Mark Hughes of EarthLaw (Denver)
in its intervention against the counties.
     _______________________

SUIT FILED TO LIST ARKANSAS RIVER SHINER AS ENDANGERED-
ILLEGAL 'MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING' USED TO DELAY PROTECTION
On 3-17-98, the Southwest Center and the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra
Club filed suit against the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for refusing to
list the Arkansas River shiner as an endangered species. Formerly common
along 3,000 miles of the Arkansas and Canadian River basins in New Mexico,
Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, the two inch minnow is now
absent from about 80% of its range.

Rather than take action to protect the shiner as required by the ESA,
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has concocted an agreement with Texas
and Oklahoma to insure that water pumping continues unabated from the
High Plains Ogallala Aquifer.

We are represented by Matt Kenna of Kenna & Hickcox (Durango).
     ________________________

FOREST SERVICE INUNDATED BY INTERNET ALERT, COMPLAINS TO MEDIA-
KEEP THOSE CALLS AND LETTER COMING!
After being deluged by letters and calls to halt its plan to launch an
unheard of 90 million board foot timber project, the Gila National
Forest is crying foul. The Forest sent out a press release claiming
that "misinformation spread over the internet" is responsible for the
outpouring of protest. The Silver City Daily Press ran the story on the
front page, alerting even more people to the Forest Service's insane
proposal.

Keep those letter, calls, and faxes coming!

The Gila National Forest has released a plan to log 90 million board feet
of timber on 65,000 acres over the next eight years. This is by far the
largest timber project ever proposed on a Southwest National Forest where
timber sales typically range from 1-5 million board feet. The so called
"Negrito Ecosystem Project" initially involved environmentalists concerned
with landscape level planning. They abandoned the project years ago, and
now the Forest Service is using their involvement (though it can't even
remember the group's name)to justify a massive logging increase.

The Southwest Center has vowed to occupy the site and wage a campaign
comparable to the 1996 Eagle Peak Roadless Area battle. The Gila National
Forest became a national disgrace in its failed effort to road and log
Eagle Peak, which is sacred to the Zuni Pueblo. The campaign exposed Forest
Service employee arson, illegally alterations to the Mexican Spotted Owl
Recovery Plan, and resulted in a USDA Inspector General's investigation
of the Gila National Forest. Eagle Peak was never logged, but is within
the Negrito Ecosystem Project.

Write, call and fax the Gila National Forest today! Tell them logging on
the this scale is unheard of in the Southwest. The project should be
permanently abandoned:

   Able Camerina, Gila National Forest Supervisor
           Phone 505.388.8201  Fax 505.388.8204
             3005 E. Camino del Bosque
               Silver City, NM 88061
     _________________

FUR, FEATHERS AND FLIGHT- SOUTHWEST CENTER ART EXHIBIT
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix is hosting an art
exhibit of the photographs of Dr. Robin Silver, the Conservation Chair of
the Southwest Center for Biological Diversity. The photos will be at the
Congregation (4027 E. Lincoln Dr, Phoenix, AZ  602-840-8400) from April
3 through April 30. Meet Robin on April 5th, noon to 1pm.

All photos are for sale. All proceeds go to the Southwest Center and the
Congregation.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Kieran Suckling                               ksuckling@sw-center.org
Executive Director                            520.623.5252 phone
Southwest Center for Biological Diversity     520.623.9797 fax
http://www.sw-center.org                      pob 710, tucson, az 85702-710