| Less
Protection for Communities
While preventing catastrophic wildfire is the reason put forward
for making these changes to the Framework, and the fear of such
fires the tool used to sell them to the public, the revised Framework
actually would reduce the amount of attention devoted to fuels reduction
near communities in the wildland-urban interface zone (WUI)–
the very place where forestry scientists say it will do the most
to protect homes. The original plan had allocated 75 percent of
its fuels reduction work to the WUI; the rewrite reduces this to
50 percent.
Logging itself of course increases the likelihood of fire. Larger
trees, more attractive to loggers, are also more resistant to fire
than smaller trees, and the slash left behind by loggers increases
fire danger. The Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project Report (1996) points
out that "Timber harvest, through its effects on forest structure,
local microclimate, and fuel accumulation, has increased fire severity
more than any other recent human activity."
Wildlife habitat destruction
The new plan weakens grazing limitations and water quality protections,
allowing forest managers to exempt grazing lands on a case basis
from the standards of the original Framework. This would increase
risk of stream bank and meadow erosion, and could endanger Yosemite
toad and willow flycatcher habitat (both listed species). Under
certain conditions, the plan even allows "fuel treatments"
in California spotted owl habitat. Not addressed is the question
of how many threatened and endangered species will be lost to these
habitat modifications.
Logging loopholes
The Forest Service’s revised plan is filled with loopholes
and backdoors for industrial logging to sneak through:
At least 50 percent canopy cover will be retained, the document
says on page 24, unless this interferes with “realizing economically
efficient treatments.” This loophole would allow any degree
of canopy removal if by doing so more money could be generated.
Another loophole relates to tree size: Trees 30 inches in diameter
and over will not be cut– but “exceptions [are] allowed
for operability,” which means that any big tree, of any dimension,
that gets in the way of logging equipment can be chopped down.
Gutting the Framework
Ten years in the making, the Sierra Nevada Framework has been undone
in one year. The Forest Service draft of the plan received over
56,000 public comments– so many that the agency had to delay
release of the final document from October 2003 to January 2004.
Yet none of the most objectionable features have been changed.
At Forests Forever we believe the Forest Service’s changes
to the Framework will damage ancient and mature forests and wildlife
habitat more than the wildfires they are supposed to prevent. By
emphasizing the cutting of larger trees, by allowing the forest
canopy to be diminished, and by reducing funds for thinning around
communities, the plan would greatly increase the danger of catastrophic
wildfire.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
In his campaign platform, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
promised to uphold the original Sierra Nevada Framework. Write to
the governor and remind him of his pledge. Let him know that the
revised plan will harm forests and the creatures that live in them
without accomplishing its stated objective of preventing wildfires.
Ask him to tell the Forest Service to rethink its timber giveaway
and return to the standards and protections of the original Sierra
Nevada Framework.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
For more information on the Sierra Nevada Framework, please visit:
www.forestsforever.org/frameworkact.html
|
