Subject: FW: SW BIODIVERSITY ALERT #71

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