Action Alert: Protect Oregon's Ancient Forests
The Wilderness Society
Action Alert
The election is over, but the risk of corporate giveaways by an outgoing Bush Administration has never been greater.
In fact, the Bush Administration is rushing out long-term plans that would convert the ancient forests of western Oregon, with their towering trees, rushing rivers, and superb wildlife habitat, to empty clearcuts.
Under these plans, logging our public forests would dramatically increase, more than tripling the current level. More than a thousand miles of damaging logging roads would be built within the forests.
What's at stake? More than two million acres that contain some of America's few remaining ancient forests. Some 20,000 miles of rivers, where wild Pacific salmon thrive. Ancient forests that are home to huge Douglas fir, western hemlocks and western red cedar trees-some well over 400 years old. This wet, rugged environment also provides rich habitat for wildlife like elk, deer, black bear and Pacific fishers, as well as endangered species such as spotted owls and marbled murrelets.
These forests gain more importance each day as buffers against the impacts of global warming. That's just one of the many reasons why logging activities should focus on smaller trees-and always with restoration and fire protection in mind.
Thanks for all you do,
Kathy
Kilmer
The Wilderness Society