[MCN] Stop (Another) Destructive Public Lands Logging Rider on Must-Pass Spending Bill!

[Matthew Koehler]

TAKE ACTION:
http://www.swanview.org/articles/whats-new/stop_destructive_logging_riders_today/222

URGENT! There's troubling news out of Washington, D.C. concerning National
Forest management and public participation.

Word is that GOP members of Congress, lead by the incredibly
anti-environmental/anti-public lands crusader Rep Rob Bishop (R-Utah) – who
has lead efforts to sell off public lands or transfer them to states – are
looking to attach another destructive National Forest logging 'rider' on an
unrelated, must-pass omnibus spending bill. Furthermore, the GOP is using a
potential Wildfire budget funding fix to lure votes from Democrats (and
easy opposition from large, mainstream environmental groups) on the entire
‘rider’ package.

As reported today (http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060029355)”

“If a deal is struck it would likely contain elements of the "Wildfire
Disaster Funding Act" (WDFA) as well as provisions similar to what's been
proposed in H.R. 2647 by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), [Rep Rob Bishop
(R-Utah), Rep Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and others GOP members of Congress] which
would allow larger and more intensive logging projects to be approved using
categorical exclusions (CE)."

Last month, the Montana Wilderness Association, The Wilderness Society,
Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Yaak Valley Forest Council and others wrote
this oped (http://bit.ly/1mfgKmn) in which they claimed that Rep Zinke’s
Resilient Federal Forest Act (HR 2647), which is also supported by Sen
Daines and is the basis of this latest logging rider, “undermines bedrock
conservation laws and limits opportunities for the public to have a say in
the future of its forests.”

However, now that a potential rider deal has been struck behind closed door
to include Zinke’s logging bill with a Wildfire funding bill that the
Montana Wilderness Association and the other groups support, these groups
have retreated, gone silent and are failing to even alert their members and
supporters what's going on, much less call on them to take immediate action
to help stop yet another year-end, omnibus rider package that undermines
our nation’s bedrock conservation laws and undermines public input all to
allow more logging of our National Forests.

Keep in mind that right now the U.S. Forest Service already has the ability
to conduct these types of ‘fast-track’ categorical exclusion (CE) timber
sales on over 45 MILLION acres nationally, including 5 MILLION acres here
in Montana.

Here’s where YOU come in. America’s public lands once again need your help!
Below is an action alert from the Swan View Coalition. Please TAKE ACTION
and then SHARE this action alert with your friends and family.

Thank you.

- Matthew Koehler

LINK TO ALERT:
http://www.swanview.org/articles/whats-new/stop_destructive_logging_riders_today/222



*Stop Destructive Logging Bills Now!*

*Wildfire-prevention logging often burns anyway, leaving stumps instead of
snags essential to wildlife. Flathead N.F. 2015.*

*We need your help TODAY to stop Congress from attaching damaging logging
riders to the pending must-pass spending bill!*

Pro-logging members of Congress, including a number of western democrats,
are attempting to boost logging, boost "collaboration" and weaken public
environmental review of logging projects.

This is being done by attaching controversial, secretive "riders" to the
upcoming must-pass Appropriations Bill!

The Forest Service supports streamling the National Environmental Policy
Act to speed up logging projects, largely delegating NEPA's widespread
public involvement to small groups of local collaborators. Companion
authority to increase Congressional funding of  private "collaborative
partners" is also being sought!

*In other words, Congress is trying to take another giant step behind
closed doors to buy "public support" for damaging logging projects, leaving
most American citizens behind!*

*Please call the Capitol Switchboard RIGHT NOW at 202-224-3121
<202-224-3121>! They will direct your call so you can leave a message for
your Senators and Representatives to not allow logging riders to be
attached to the Appropriations Bill! *

Or, you can find your Senators' Contact Information HERE
<http://www.swanview.org/?ACT=27&spoor=592e7d47146d92180483ed4597cb7cf3&link_id=2028>
and your
U.S. House of Representative's Contact Information HERE
<http://www.swanview.org/?ACT=27&spoor=592e7d47146d92180483ed4597cb7cf3&link_id=2029>
!

*Please also call the White House at 202-456-1111 <202-456-1111> to help
insure President Obama does not follow the Dept. of Agriculture and Forest
Service down this disasterous path!*

You can read about the pending riders to the Appropriations Bill at
http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060029355
<http://www.swanview.org/?ACT=27&spoor=592e7d47146d92180483ed4597cb7cf3&link_id=2030>
 .

THANK YOU for taking a few minutes to ACT TODAY!
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://bigskynet.org/pipermail/missoula-community-news_bigskynet.org/attachments/20151211/10c54ebb/attachment-0002.html>