Subject: FW: SW BIODIVERSITY ALERT #95


Subject: SW BIODIVERSITY ALERT #95

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
              SOUTHWEST BIODIVERSITY ALERT #95
                           10/1/97          

          SOUTHWEST CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
           silver city, tucson, phoenix, san diego
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


1. SEVEN ARRESTED AT GOSHAWK/WOLF DEMO IN ALASKA-
   BABBITT PUT ON TRIAL, SENT TO WOLVES

2. MASSIVE SOUTHERN UTAH SALVAGE SALE APPEALED

3. NEW MEXICO SALVAGE SALE APPEALED

4. RIDER UNDERCUTTING SW GRAZING INJUNCTION SURVIVES
   HOUSE/SENATE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

     *****     *****     ******      *****

SEVEN ARRESTED AT GOSHAWK/WOLF DEMO IN ALASKA-
BABBITT PUT ON TRIAL, SENT TO WOLVES

On September 29, 1997, the Southwest Center and the Sitka
Conservation Society sponsored a protest at the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife headquarters in Anchorage, AK to opposed the agency's
refusal to protect the Queen Charlotte goshawk and Alexander
Archipelago wolf under the ESA. Six protestors locked together
at the necks were arrested inside the building, while a seventh
was arrested outside.

Arrestees included a 76 year old Sitka woman, a 50 year old
bookstore owner, the president of the Sitka Conservation Society,
and organizers with Greenpeace, the Alaska Wildlife Alliance,
and Common Roots. Television news programs ran clips for two
days featuring a mock trial in which Bruce Babbitt, wearing a
"Secretary of Extinction" sign was put on trial for devastating
the wolf, goshawk, and the ESA itself. Babbitt was sentenced to
be eaten by wolves.

The Southwest Center petitioned to list the Queen Charlotte
goshawk as endangered in 1995 as part of a campaign to protect
goshawks and their old growth forests in every western state.
     __________________________

MASSIVE SOUTHERN UTAH SALVAGE SALE APPEALED-
FOREST SERVICE TRIES TO EXTEND SALVAGE RIDER

The Southwest Center has appealed the South Manti salvage
timber sale on the Manti-La Sal National Forest in southern
Utah. The Forest Service wants to log 22 million board feet of
trees because of "beetle epidemics," even though it admits logging
will not control the infestation.

In 1993, the Forest announced it would prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement on the sale, but canceled the review when Congress
passed the infamous Logging without Laws rider in 1995, allowing
them to log without public involvement or environmental restrictions.
Fifty million board feet were wiped out before the rider expired.
The Forest now wants to go back for an additional 22 million board
feet, but wants to use the same vacuous analysis it was able to
get away with under the salvage rider.

The sale was independently appealed by the Wild Utah Forest Campaign.
     __________________

NEW MEXICO SALVAGE SALE APPEALED

The Southwest Center has appealed the Sunspot Salvage on the
Lincoln National Forest in south-central New Mexico. The sale
will supposedly "control" a round-headed pine beetle infestation.
Although many large live trees will be cut, including habitat for
the threatened Mexican spotted owl, the Forest excluded the sale
from environmental review. By carefully designing the sale to be
just under 1 million board feet, the Forest is trying to exploit
a loophole in Forest Service NEPA regulations which allow timber
sales under 1 million board fee, which do not affect endangered
species, from environmental review.
     _____________________

RIDER UNDERCUTTING SW GRAZING INJUNCTION SURVIVES HOUSE/SENATE
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE

A rider attached to the Senate Interior Appropriations Committee which
would undercut a Ninth Circuit Appeals Court grazing injunction, has
survived the House/Senate conference committee and will go to a full
vote before both houses.

The rider, attached by Jon Kyl (R, AZ) and Pete Dominici (R, NM),
forbids the U.S. Forest Service from spending money to implement
a temporary injunction against grazing permits which violate Forest
Plan standards and guidelines which limit grazing to protect
endangered species.


_____________________________________________________________________________

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