From: Kieran Suckling [ksuckling@sw-center.org]
Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 1999 10:45 PM
To: Recipient list suppressed
Subject: BIODIVERSITY ALERT #205
************* CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY *************
                          http://www.sw-center.org
                          ALERT #205      10-5-99

§ APPEAL SHUTS DOWN OLD GROWTH TIMBER SALE
   SAVES GOSHAWKS & KAIBAB SQUIRRELS

§ JUDGE ORDERS HABITAT PROTECTION FOR TWO
   ARIZONA FISH- 300 MILES OF RIVER TO BE DESIGNATED
   AS CRITICAL HABITAT

§ SUIT FILED TO GAIN INFORMATION LOGGING
   IMPACTS TO CALIFORNIA SALMON

§ ARIZONA BANS PREDATOR HUNTING CONTESTS
            ___________________________

APPEAL SHUTS DOWN OLD GROWTH TIMBER SALE
ON KAIBAB PLATEAU, SAVES GOSHAWKS & SQUIRRELS
Affirming an appeal by the Center for Biological Diversity, the
Sierra Club, and the Southwest Forest Alliance, the Regional
Forester has ordered the Kaibab National Forest to withdraw
the Dry Park Timber Sale. The Forest had proposed to log
over 6,000 old growth trees on the Kaibab Plateau, one of the
few remaining areas in North America with significant expanses
of old growth ponderosa pine. Though the plateau supports the
largest goshawk population in North America and is home to
the endemic Kaibab squirrel, the Forest violated is own goshawk
protection guidelines and refused to even analyze the effects
of logging on the squirrel, turkey, deer, and the pygmy nuthatch.

The entire plateau, including the Kaibab National Forest, was
designated the "Grand Canyon Game Preserve" by Theodore
Roosevelt in 1907. Though Roosevelt declared that the forest
should be "protected in perpetuity" and "not sacrificed to the
short sighted greed of the few," the Forest Service maintains
the preserve is a meaningless designation which does not limit
logging in any manner. The Forest Service also chooses to
ignore the fact that 200,000 acres of the plateau, including part
of the Dry Park Timber Sale was designated the Kaibab Squirrel
National Natural Landmark by the Department of Interior.

The Center, the Sierra Club, and the Southwest Forest
Alliance have launched a campaign to designate the entire
Kaibab Plateau a Northern goshawk/Old growth.
     __________________

JUDGE ORDERS HABITAT PROTECTION FOR TWO
ARIZONA FISH- 300 MILES OF RIVER TO BE DESIGNATED
AS CRITICAL HABITAT
On 9-20-99, Judge Edwin Mecham ordered the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service to designate and protect critical habitat for
two threatened Gila River Basin fish: the Loach minnow and
Spikedace. Though both species have declined to
about 10% of their former range because of logging, over-
grazing, water diversions, and dams, the Fish & Wildlife
Service has refused to protect the species' habitat because
of intense political pressure.

Critical habitat was originally designated in 1994 as a result
of the Center's very first lawsuit. That designation was struck
down on technical grounds, however, in 1995. Rather than
fix the paper work glitch, the agency decided to not
protect the species' habitat at all. This resulted in a new
lawsuit, and the most recent court order.

Mecham not only ordered the agency to designate the
protected stream miles in 150 days, he stated that he
expects the new designation to be more extensive than
the previous. Including stretches of the San Pedro River,
the Center expects the new designation will be on the
order of 300 miles.
     ___________________

SUIT FILED TO GAIN INFORMATION LOGGING
IMPACTS TO CALIFORNIA SALMON
On 9-20-99, the Center for Biological Diversity filed suit
under the Freedom of Information Act against the U.S.
Forest Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service
for failing to provide public information on the effects of
logging on coho salmon in California.

The Center is being represented by Matt Kenna of Kenna
& Hickcox (Durango, CO).
     __________________

PREDATOR HUNTING CONTESTS BANNED
On 9-11-99, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission voted
to ban hunting contests for predators. The Commission has
been under intense pressure to deal with problem since
several high profile contests drew statewide protests in 1999
and 1998. In the contests, hunters are awarded points for
bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes and other species. Cash
prizes are awarded to those who score the most points.

Such blatant disregard for the critical role that predators play
in natural ecosystems, as well as the ethics of killing animals
in contests, drew protests for hunters as well and non-hunters.

_____________________________________________________________

"Until we ourselves are ready to become vegetarians and to stop
eating of meat, it is hardly fitting for us to brand the Goshawk
'murderer' and 'blood-thirsty wretch.'" 
                 J.B May, The Hawks of North America, 1935

Kierán Suckling                               ksuckling@sw-center.org
Executive Director                          520.623.5252 phone
Center for Biological Diversity         520.623.9797 fax
http://www.sw-center.org             pob 710, tucson, az 85702-0710