FYI I just got this you might be interested Quinta Great news: A federal judge just struck down the Bush administration's rules limiting protection and citizen oversight of the entire 193-million acre National Forest System.
The Bush rules stripped away the U.S. Forest Service's requirement to maintain viable wildlife populations whenever it planned a new clear-cut, mine, or road. The rules also banned the Forest Service from even considering environmental impacts when developing long-term management plans guiding million of acres of lands. The court, however, agreed with the Center for Biological Diversity's lawsuit that such willful disregard for endangered species, clean water, and quiet recreation violated the Endangered Species Act and other laws, and struck down the rules in their entirety. Our national forests provide critically important habitat for thousands of fish, wildlife, and plant species, and are a source of clean water and recreational opportunities for millions of Americans. We look forward to working with the Obama administration to develop a new set of rules that truly protect the invaluable resources they contain. Enjoy this major victory for our national forests. Thank you for helping make it happen. We'll be calling on you soon to contact the Obama administration to ensure its new rules do everything possible for wildlife and wild places.
