From: Kieran Suckling [ksuckling@biologicaldiversity.org]
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2001 10:18 AM
To: Recipient list suppressed
Subject: BIODIVERSITY ALERT #272
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             CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

           <www.biologicaldiversity.org>      4-11-01      #272
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§ NORTON REFUSES TO ENACT DESERT PROTECTION
   AGREEMENT- CONTEMPT OF COURT CHARGES FILED

§ 1ST ANNUAL CALIFORNIA DESERT STRATEGY SESSION

§ ARIZONA NATIONAL FORESTS TO REIGN IN ORVS: SEND EMAIL,
   ATTEND PUBLIC HEARINGS
                                        
§ ARIZONANS, SEND FREE FAX TO SAVE SONORAN DESERT PLAN

§ SUIT TO KEEP CALIFORNIA RIVERS WILD & SCENIC

§ EMAILS NEEDED TO SUPPORT HABITAT PROTECTION FOR FOUR
   MONTEREY AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PLANTS

NORTON REFUSES TO ENACT DESERT PROTECTION AGREEMENT
CONTEMPT OF COURT CHARGES FILED
On 3-29-01, the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and Public
Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) filed contempt of
court charges against the Bureau of Land Management. Prior to Gale
Norton being appointed Secretary of Interior, the agency had agreed to a
set of sweeping court approved actions to protect the BLM’s 11.4 million
acre share of the California Desert Conservation Area. But under pressure
from Norton, the agency is now reneging.

Cattle and sheep have had a tremendous impact on the endangered
Desert Tortoise by mowing down spring annual plants essential to its
health and reproduction. The hoofed livestock also trample burrows, killing
tortoises inside or wrecking their homes. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s
Desert Tortoise Recovery Plan calls for end to livestock within tortoise
critical habitat areas. The legally binding settlement required the removal
of livestock from over 504,000 acres by March 1st, but agency has
refused.

To find out more about the contempt charges:
<http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/press/blmcontempt.html>
     _______________________

1ST ANNUAL CALIFORNIA DESERT STRATEGY SESSION A SUCCESS
The Center’s first annual California Desert Strategy Session drew desert
activists, ecologists and attorneys to the East Mojave for three days to
discuss and solidify strategies to protect the California Desert
Conservation Area. Attendees included representatives from Public
Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Desert Survivors, Desert
Tortoise Preserve Committee, Sierra Club, California Native Plant Society,
and California Wilderness Coalition.

Groups agreed to ramp up opposition to the expansion of Ft. Irwin, ensure
the BLM implements an agreement to protect millions of acres from mining,
ORVs, roads and livestock, oppose groundwater mining projects
such as the Cadiz proposal, work to shape the BLM’s desert planning and
route designation efforts, and push for expanded wilderness designation.

For more information on the Center's California Desert campaign: 
<http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/goldenstate/cdca/index.html>
     ________________________

ARIZONA NATIONAL FORESTS TO REIGN IN ORVS:
SEND EMAIL, ATTEND PUBLIC HEARINGS
The Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott, and Tonto National
Forests will be holding public hearings this month on a proposed rule to
make their off-road vehicle policies more consistent and to limit the rapidly
increasing abuse of Forest Service lands by off-roaders.

Attendance at public hearings is critical to show public support for ORV
reforms. The ORV community is a very well funded and organized
lobbying group. It will fight meaningful protections at every step.
     ______________________

SEND EMAILS to Jim Anderson <janderson08@fs.fed.us>

Key talking points

  ORV use must be allowed only on designated system roads and trails
  posted as open for ORV’s.  Cross-country ORV use must be prohibited.

  ORV use must be prohibited within proposed wilderness areas,
  inventoried roadless areas, uninventoried roadless areas, and any other
  areas with roadless values.

  ORV use must be prohibited unless monitoring and enforcement
  programs are fully funded and implemented.

  Any designation of ORV routes, construction or upgrading of existing
  routes, or construction or upgrading of ORV facilities must undergo full
  NEPA analysis.

ATTEND public hearings:

  Tusayan, April 11.  Grand Canyon Quality Inn.  3-7:30 pm
  Fredonia, April 12.  (location to be announced).  3-7:30 pm
  Payson, April 24.  Payson High School Auditorium.  5-9 pm
  Phoenix, April 25.  Embassy Suites, 44th St. & McDowell Rd.  5-9 pm
     ____________________

ARIZONANS, SEND FREE FAX TO SAVE SONORAN DESERT PLAN
Good News: under tremendous public pressure, Governor Hull and
Representative Herb Guenther will withdraw a nasty amendment to
HB2362 giving the Governor veto power over all county conservation
plans. The amendment was designed by developers to torpedo Pima
County's "Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan."

Bad News: Guenther has announced he will “fix” the old amendment with
a new one that will only be marginally less damaging. Click the link below
to send a free fax to Hull, your state senator, and your state
representative. <http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/StopHB2362>  
     _______________________

SUIT TO KEEP CALIFORNIA RIVERS WILD & SCENIC
The Center for Biological Diversity, Environmental Defense Center and
Keep Sespe Wild filed suit on 4-4-01 to protect the Big Sur, Sespe and
Sisquoc rivers on the Los Padres National Forest in California. Portions of
these rivers were designated as “wild” or “scenic” under the Wild & Scenic
Rivers Act in 1992, yet the Forest Service has never developed a plan to
ensure their full protection.

For more information
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/swcbd/press/wildscenic.html
     ____________________

EMAILS NEEDED TO SUPPORT HABITAT PROTECTION FOR FOUR
MONTEREY AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTY PLANTS
In response to a court order from a suit brought by the Center for
Biological Diversity (6/30/99), the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has
proposed to designate and protect “critical habitat” areas  for four
endangered plants found only in Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties,
California.

25,800 acres have been proposed for the Monterey Spineflower
(Chorizanthe pungens var. pungens) and 1,640 acres for the Robust
Spineflower (Chorizanthe robusta var. robusta). About half of the total
acreage for these species is on the former Fort Ord Army Base near the
city of Monterey.

310 acres have been proposed for Scott's Valley Spineflower (Chorizanthe
robusta var. hartwegii) and Scott's Valley Polygonum (Polygonum
hickmanii), which exist only in small ecologically unique "wildflower fields"
on private property in northern Scotts Valley in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Click here to send an email letter supporting the habitat protection. Letters
must be sent by April 16th.

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/CA_Plants

Native plants are important for their ecological, economic and aesthetic
values. Plants play an important role in development of crops that resist
disease, insects and drought. At least 25 percent of prescription drugs
contain ingredients derived from plant compounds, including medicine to
treat cancer, heart disease, juvenile leukemia and malaria, as well as that
used to assist organ transplants. Plants are also used to develop natural
pesticides.


Kierán Suckling                           ksuckling@biologicaldiversity.org
Executive Director                        520.623.5252 phone
Center for Biological Diversity        520.623.9797 fax
<www.biologicaldiversity.org>        POB 710, Tucson, AZ 85702-0710