FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Forest Service Brings Controversial Road Show to Pacific Northwest

Public meeting on proposed forest rules generate controversy, disappointment

Important forest rules proposed by the Obama administration disappoint a broad group of stakeholders. The public is encouraged to attend Oregon's only public meeting.

The public is calling on the Forest Service to give our forests the "Bear Essentials"

The Forest Service will hold a public meeting tomorrow to discuss new proposed forest planning rules. The revision of these National Forest Management Act (NFMA) rules is likely to be the most lasting conservation legacy of the Obama administration. Though acknowledging good intentions, a broad coalition of interests have lamented that the rules promised much more than they delivered.

Nationally, the public process has drawn more direct criticism. Oregon is home to 16-million acres of National Forests as well as some of the last best mature and old-growth forests remaining in the Continental United States. However, it is home to only one public meeting. The meeting will take place tomorrow during business hours at the Portland Airport Sheraton Hotel. The meeting will feature Ric Rine, one of the rule’s primary writers, in an effort to “help the public understand the content of the proposed rule”.

The Forest Service has been accused of purposely making the meetings inconvenient and going to great lengths to make the submission of official public comment difficult. After the Forest Service refused for weeks to create an e-mail address to which citizens could submit public comment, the state-based conservation group Oregon Wild began directing e-mail comments to Senator Wyden in hopes that the Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests will pass them on. Nearly 500 have already done so.

New NFMA rules will govern forest management and decide the balance between competing interests in the National Forests in Oregon and across the country. The current rules were created during the Reagan administration and provide basic minimum protections for clean water, wildlife, and opportunities for traditional recreation. Below are statements from stakeholders who will be on hand at tomorrows meeting to provide further comment to the media.

Conservation Concerns: Rob Klavins, Roadless Advocate, Oregon Wild:

“From Mt. Hood and Crater Lake to the Eagle Cap, our state’s public lands define Oregonians. These rules will determine the fate of our forest for decades to come. We call on Oregonians to stand up for basic protections for clean water, wildlife, and traditional recreation. The administration failed to deliver on their stated good intentions and the proposed rule is a step in the wrong direction. The administration needs to start listening to the public and fix this rule for the benefit of future generations.”

Faith Concerns: Rev. Katherine Jesch:

“For people of faith, caring for Creation is a moral obligation based in our scriptures and theologies. It is also an issue of justice that recognizes the need to protect human health, culture, and economic security as well as the well-being of all life now and for the future. We are pleased to see the Forest Service clearly state an intent to manage public land and resources in a way that protects natural and social values. As the agency responds to public input, we expect to see those intentions realized through stronger, clearer standards for protection, accountability, and decision-making that will affect the condition and values of our National Forests for generations to come.”

Science Concerns: Dominick DellaSala, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, Geos Institute:

"Despite President Obama’s pledge that sound science must inform and guide management decisions on a range of issues from public health to the environment, the planning rule does not give enough guidance to local managers to use the best science in protecting the nation's dwindling mature and old-growth forests and clean water.”

Fishing & Recreation Concerns: Russell Bassett, Executive Director, Association of Northwest Steelheaders:

“Healthy forests are necessary for providing the clean water that makes the Northwest a mecca for fishermen and recreationists around the world. Our forests are facing unprecedented threats, and our National Forests play an increasingly important role in combating the effects of climate change and providing a livable world for the next generation. New forest rules must include strong, clear protections for fish, water, and traditional recreation.”

Wildlife & Recreation Concerns: Tom LaTourrette, Oregon-Washington Field Representative, Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership:

“When President Roosevelt created the National Forest system, he did so to protect our natural resources as a legacy for future generations. The Obama administration has an opportunity to honor that legacy by listening to the public and creating a rule that protects wildlife, water, and recreation in our National Forests. The rule must ensure the recovery of endangered species, but also ensure that common species stay common by retaining requirements and monitoring for healthy populations of fish & wildlife across the landscape.”

Healthy Communities & Water Concerns: Mayor Kitty Piercy, City of Eugene:

“Healthy forests mean healthy communities, and Eugene is blessed to have both. We depend on our National Forests as a source of clean drinking water, recreation destinations, and a sense of place. Locals and visitors alike can head west to the Siuslaw’s coastal rainforests or east to the high Cascade lakes of the Willamette and the dry pine forests of the Deschutes. In a changing world, protecting these special places is critical to maintaining our high quality of life and economic opportunity.”

Details of the morning meeting can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/pdxnfma-am

A letter from 27 Oregon leaders and organizations calling on stronger protections can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/ORNFMAletter

Oregon Wild’s initial press statement is here: http://tinyurl.com/ownfmarxn

Contact information for spokespeople:

• Rob Klavins, Oregon Wild, 503.283.6343 x210 (rk@oregonwild.org)
• Rev. Katherine Jesch, 503.758.6662, (kathjesch@earthlink.net)
• Dominick A. DellaSala, Geos Institute 541.621.7223 (Dominick@geosinstitute.org)
• Russell Bassett, Association of Northwest Steelheaders, 503.653.8769 (executivedirector@anws.org)
• Joe LaTourrette, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, 360.754.2594 (dipodomy@comcast.net)
• Kitty Piercy, Mayor of Eugene, 541.682.5010, (Kitty.Piercy@ci.eugene.or.us)

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