Governor asks Obama team to rethink Ore. logging

Kulongoski presses his opposition to the Western Oregon Plan Revisions.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski is asking the Obama administration to reconsider his objections to U.S. Bureau of Land Management plans to nearly double logging in Western Oregon.

The plans call for increasing timber production and federal revenues to timber-dependent counties.

In a Thursday letter to the bureau, the governor says the Bush administration was wrong to turn down an extended comment period to consider his objections to the Western Oregon Plan Revision — known as "the "Whopper."

He added that if bureau had properly considered his objections, it could not have signed off on the final plan before the Bush administration left office.

Conservation groups are suing, claiming the plan imperils spotted owls, salmon and clean water.