It appears that the Senate version of the so-called Healthy Forests Restoration Act will come up on the Senate floor Wednesday, Oct 29. The actual version of the bill that will come up on the Senate floor is the "compromise" brokered by the Bush Administration and accepted by many Republican Senators along with Senators Feinstein (D-CA), Wyden (D-OR), Daschle (D-SD), Bacus (D-MT), Lincoln (D-AR), and Johnson (D-SD).
Many Senators are realizing the fire tragedy in Southern California would have beenprevented or at least lessened by the provisions of the Healthy Forest Act..
Calls are urgently needed. You can reach your Senators by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. To look up your Senators' direct office phone numbers, faxes,or emails go to: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.
To find the name of your Senators' go to: http://capwiz.com/vys/dbq/officials/
Please call your Senator's office and ask for the Legislative Assistant (LA) that works on forest issues. Please urge that the Senator support the Healthy Forest Initiative.
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----- Original Message -----
From:
To:
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 8:40 AM
Subject: With forest fires raging in California,
the news media rarelyexplain the real causes
Issue Alert from Winningreen A102803
With forest fires raging in California, the news media rarely explain the real causes
By Gretchen Randall
Date: October 28, 2003
Issue: Even with forest fires raging out of control near San Diego and Los Angeles endangering thousands of people and having destroyed over 1000 homes, the news media - for the most part - don't explain to listeners, viewers or readers the real reasons for the extreme fires.
Jack Blackwell, Regional Forester for the Southwest Pacific Region which includes the San Bernardino National Forest which has burned over 26,000 acres, said the forest is suffering from drought which has weakened trees so they get diseases like root disease and bark beetle infestation. He also points out that the forest is literally choked with too many small trees - over 300 to 400 trees per acre - all competing for moisture and sunlight. And because of efforts by radical environmental groups, no thinning or removal of trees has occurred in the San Bernardino National Forest for over 10 years. Lumber mills have since closed and now removal and disposal of dead and diseased trees is expensive.
Comment 1: The President's Healthy Forests Initiative would remove dead and diseased trees both near the communities and in the forests so that huge raging forest fires like we are seeing in California won't reoccur.
Comment 2: Overgrowth of trees and brush must be removed so that heavy fuel loads aren't present in dry conditions to provide fuel to fires that start. But environmental groups are opposing efforts to pass a bill in the U.S. Senate that would begin to address the problem.
Comment 3: The media could do a much better job in addressing the underlying issues and helping the average American who doesn't live near fire prone areas understand the causes and solutions so these fires can be prevented in the future.
Background and links: To read Jack Blackwell's testimony of Sept. 22, 2003 before the U.S. House Committee on Resources, Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, go to: http://www.house.gov/resources/108cong/forest/2003sep22/blackwell.htm
Contact: Gretchen Randall
Winningreen LLC
3712 N. Broadway รบ PMB 279
Chicago, IL 60613
Phone: 773-857-5086
e-mail: grandall@winningreen.com
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John Stewart
Natural Resource Consultant
California Association of 4 Wheel Drive Clubs, http://www.ca4wdc.com
Director, Environmental Affairs,
United Four Wheel Drive Associations, http://www.ufwda.org
Recreation Access and Conservation Editor, http://www.4x4wire.com
Moderator, MUIRNet - Multiple Use Information Resource Network