Subject: SW BIODIVERSITY ALERT #71
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SOUTHWEST BIODIVERSITY ALERT
#71
5/7/97
SOUTHWEST CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL
DIVERSITY
silver
city, tucson, phoenix, san diego
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1. SUNDOWN
TIMBER SALE APPEALED- USFS TRIES TO AUTHORIZE 50 YEARS
OF
LOGGING!
2. GENTRY TIMBER SALE APPEAL DENIED
3. LIGHT IT AND LOG
IT- FOREST SERVICE TO SALVAGE FIRE STARTED BY
TIMBER
COMPANY
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SUNDOWN TIMBER SALE APPEALED- USFS TRIES TO AUTHORIZE 50 YEARS OF
LOGGING!
The Southwest Center has appealed the Sundown Timber Sale on
the
Heber District of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. The
Forest
proposes to log 8 million board feet of ponderosa pine on 4,000
acres,
including 6 million board feed of pulpwood. The sale would also
log
20 million board feet of pinyon and juniper on 18,000 acres,
including
10,000 acres of old growth. The p-j logging would occur
over a period of 50
years.
Though the Forest's Biological Evaluation states that ponderosa
pine
over 18 inches in diameter will only be cut on 400 acres, the
more
authoritative Environmental Assessment says they will be cut on
3,000
acres.
In a novel argument, the Forest Service claims the old growth
pinyon
juniper has "invaded" natural grasslands. How it can be old
growth
and invasive is not explained. The desired future condition of the
area
was originally developed by a team of ranchers and Forest
Service
employees, however, so it is apparent that the trees are being cut
to
produce graze, not to restore natural meadows. Though the
Forest
originally planned to renew the grazing permit as part of the
timber
sale, they refuse to acknowledge any cumulative effect between
the
logging and grazing.
GENTRY TIMBER SALE APPEAL
DENIED
The Forest Service has denied an appeal of the Gentry Timber Sale
by
the Southwest Center and the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra
Club.
The Gentry sale would log within designated old growth stands
in order to
"restore" them. The appellants are considering litigation.
The sale was
independently appealed by Forest Guardians. The
Wilderness Society, White
Mountain Conservation League, and
Arizona Game and Fish Department intervened
in the appeal.
LIGHT IT AND LOG IT- FOREST SERVICE TO SALVAGE FIRE
STARTED BY
TIMBER COMPANY
In the summer of 1996, Stone Forest
Industries (a subsidiary of Stone
Container) started a forest fire on the
Coconino National Forest on the
outskirts of Flagstaff. The fire escaped from
a slash pile and burned
8,000 acres. The Forest Service refused to bill the
multi-national
corporation for the fire fighting expense.
Now, the
Forest Service is planning to sell the burned timber as part
of three salvage
sales (Kendrick, Saddle and Toe). Stone Forest is the
most likely bidder on
the timber! Over 5,000 trees over 18 inches in
diameter are proposed for
logging. The Forest admits the sales will
violate its own goshawk
conservation guidelines and snag
requirements.
A decision is expected
soon.
Please write. Tell the Forest not to salvage human caused fires,
and to
follow its own goshawk and snag guidelines:
District Ranger
Peaks Ranger District, Coconino National Forest
5075 N. Hwy. 89 Flagstaff, AZ
86004
Kieran
Suckling
ksuckling@sw-center.org
Executive
Director
520.733.1391 phone
Southwest Center for Biological
Diversity 520.733.1404 fax
http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/sw-center
pob 17839, tucson, az 85731