Subject: FW: SW BIODIVERSITY ALERT #32

Subject: SW BIODIVERSITY ALERT #32

* ************* Southwest Biodiversity Alert #32 *****************
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*            southwest center for biological diversity           *
*                      ksuckling@sw-center.org                   *
*             http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/sw-center           *
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1.  NEW YORK TIMES ANTI-SALVAGE LOGGING AD TARGETS CLINTON

2.  ANTI-SALVAGE LOGGING GATHERING COINCIDES WITH CLINTON VISIT TO
    GRAND CANYON

3.  CONTEMPT CHARGES FILED IN GOSHAWK ESA CASE

4.  QUEEN CHARLOTTE GOSHAWK ESA LISTING IMMANENT?

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1.  NEW YORK TIMES ANTI-SALVAGE LOGGING AD TARGETS CLINTON

On Thursday, September 5th, a second full page ad in the national
edition of the New York Times asked Clinton to not allow any
exceptions to a ban on salvage logging of roadless areas. The
headline read: "President Clinton, only you can stop the Salvage
Scandal killing our national Forests", the subheading stated:
"suspicious fire sales and lawless logging threaten pristine national
forests." A text box insert discussed specific roadless sales in
Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, and
Washington.

The ad was initiated by the Southwest Center and designed by the
Public Media Center. It was signed by the Apache survival Coalition,
Buckeye Forest Council, California Wilderness Coalition,
Committee of Wilderness Supporters, Earthlaw, The Ecology
Center, Forest Guardians, Headwaters, Heartwood, Idaho Sporting
Congress, Northwest Ecosystem Alliance, Save America's Forests,
Seventh Generation Fund-Honor the Earth Campaign, Sierra Club
Grand Canyon Chapter, Siskiyou Project, Southern Appalachian
Biodiversity Project, Southern Oregon Wildlife Watch, Southwest
Forest Alliance, Southwest Trout, Student Environmental Action
Coalition, T & E Inc., Western Ancient Forest Campaign, Williams
Watershed Protection Association, and Zuni Mountain Coalition.

 2.  ANTI-SALVAGE LOGGING GATHERING COINCIDES
WITH CLINTON VISIT TO GRAND CANYON

The Southwest Center is organizing a gathering at the site of the
proposed Bridger Fire Salvage Sale on the Kaibab National Forest,
next weekend, September 21-22. The 35 million board foot sale would
log up to the boundary of Grand Canyon National Park. We will be on
hand to greet and educate President Clinton as he speaks at the Grand
Canyon.

 3.  CONTEMPT CHARGES FILED IN NORTHERN GOSHAWK ESA CASE

The Southwest Center and a coalition of activists from every
western state have filed contempt of court charges against the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service for refusing to list the Northern goshawk
"population" in the western U.S. as endangered.  Earlier this year, a
federal judge ruled the agency's negative 90-day finding as arbitrary
and capricious because of its selective use of national policies
regarding the definition of "distinct population", and its
contradictory listing of populations of other species. The agency was
ordered to redo its finding that goshawks in the western U.S. do not
constitute a "distinct population" and are therefore not listable under
the ESA.

The agency, however, has issued a second negative finding which
again contradicts its own definition of "distinct population." Citing
the consistent history of Fish and Wildlife Service refusal to list
southwestern species under the ESA, the Southwest Center has
asked the judge to throw out the latest finding, force the agency to
produce a new finding within 10 days, and propose to list the
goshawk within an additional 90-days.

The Northern goshawk inhabits old growth forests in every western
state, particularly ponderosa pine, drier mixed-conifer, and aspen
forests.

The case has been argued by Dan Rolf (Portland) and Matt Kenna
and Associates (Durango).

 4.  QUEEN CHARLOTTE GOSHAWK ESA LISTING IMMANENT?

Alaskan newspapers have reported that, during oral hearings, a
Washington D.C. federal judge indicated he would rule in favor
environmentalists who have sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
for refusing to propose the Queen Charlotte goshawk as an endangered
species.  A petition to list the old growth dependent hawk was
written by the Southwest Center and filed by a national coalition of
environmental groups including Save America's Forests, Northwest
Ecosystem Alliance, Biodiversity Legal Foundation, Native Forest
Network, and Native Forest Council.

The Queen Charlotte goshawk inhabits old growth rain forests in
Southeast Alaska, coastal British Columbia (including Vancouver
Island), and the (probably) the Olympic Peninsula. In blatant
disregard for the ESA's requirement to consider only "existing"
management plans, the Fish and Wildlife Service denied the petition
because of a long delayed Forest Service "promise" to protect
goshawks in the future.

The case has been argued by Kim Wally and Cathy Meyer of Meyer &
Glitzenstein (Washington D.C.).