And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: "Wild Rockies Alerts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> NEWS RELEASE May 26, 1999 Contact: Larry McLaud 208-882-1010; mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Laird Lucas 208-342-7024 Falsified Forest Data Discovered The Clearwater National Forest plans timber sales using false information on remaining old growth forests, according to a study by conservationists. Conservation groups have found less than 8.5 percent of the forest remains in an old growth condition, below the 10 percent minimum required by the Forest Plan. The Clearwater Forest Plan, completed in 1987, requires a minimum of 10% of the land be in old growth trees in blocks of at least 25 acres in size. "It took a lawsuit to get the Forest Service to hand over the data on old growth. We are now going to ask the court to stop the Forest Service from logging old growth until they can prove they are meeting the Forest Plan standard of a minimum of 10 percent.," said Laird Lucas, lead attorney for the coalition. An analysis done by Amy Haak, a geographic information system (GIS) mapping specialist from Boise, hired by conservation groups, shows the Clearwater's claims are not supported by aerial photographs or their own forest inventory data. A comparison between Clearwater maps of old growth and the photographs show harvested units, bare rock, saplings and roads are actually all present in areas the Forest Service claims are old growth. "The 1998 Old Growth Status report put out by the Clearwater National Forest is highly inaccurate and misleads the public", said Haak of Conservation Geography. "The fact that the old growth report counts over 3,600 acres of heavily logged stands as old growth is astounding." Old growth forests are shrinking all over the Northwest and Northern Idaho is no exception. Large old trees, once common in our forests, have declined because of logging. Natural disturbances such as wildfire was once the primary cause for loss of old growth. In the last 60 years, wildfire has had little impact on old growth while logging has had a significant impact. Old growth dependent species including lynx, goshawks and pine martens are stressed by the loss of habitat. Other sensitive species such as bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout also suffer from loss of old growth due to increased high spring flows, increased sediment and increased water temperatures. The Clearwater also failed to monitor these indicator species as directed by the Forest Plan. Intensive logging led to the low levels of old growth trees on public and private lands. Proposed timber sales on the Clearwater would further decrease old growth forests. The Fish Bate project proposed northeast of Orofino would cut 888 acres of old growth. "Broken promises and failed management by the Clearwater National Forest must be stopped before the public lands are so degraded they will be of little use to people or wildlife," said Larry McLaud of the Idaho Conservation League. A coalition of conservation groups filed a lawsuit against the Forest Service in December 1997. The suit alleges the Forest Service violates it's own Forest Plan and the Clearwater National Forest uses false data to justify it. The coalition includes: Idaho Conservation League, Clearwater Biodiversity Project, The Land and Water Fund of the Rockies, Idaho Rivers United, The Lands Council, The Ecology Center, Friends of the Clearwater, and The Wilderness Society. Reprinted under the fair use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
