Friday. Tomorrow. Bidding will take place for timber in the North and South Kalmiopsis Roadless Areas in southwest Oregon. Logging could start next week.
These roadless areas form the watershed of some of the most valuable wild salmon and steelhead habitat in the United States and are bordered by the world renowned Kalmiopsis Wilderness. Logging in these areas would devastate old growth forests, damage water quality and key wildlife habitat in one of the wildest corners of Oregon.
Update (for the archives):
By JEFF BARNARD / Associated Press
WKG Northwest news
The U.S. Forest Service auctioned off timber-cutting rights Friday on 261 acres within the largest swath of undeveloped national forest on the West Coast.
And
Oregon Live:
Competing against one other bidder, John West, president of Silver Creek Timber Co. of Merlin, went more than $64,000 over the minimum bid, offering $300,052 for the right to log 9.4 million board feet of the South Kalmiopsis Roadless Area.
Last month, more than a quarter of a million Americans petitioned the Department of Agriculture to reinstate the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule that provided protection for 58.5 million acres of roadless areas in our national forests.
So what? The Decider has decided we don't need no stinkin' bi-o-diferrsity.
Oregon's Governor Ted Kulongoski has filed a lawsuit to protect Oregon's roadless forests and has asked the Forest Service to "defer logging in the Biscuit roadless areas while I pursue my objective of permanently protecting the 1.9 million acres of roadless areas in Oregon." Despite the Governor's opposition, the Bush administration is moving forward with their plans to auction these two timber sales.
State's rights? Corporate give away at the expense of the taxpayer.
I had not intended to diary today, so forgive the lack of commentary. This new mail from American Lands Alliance via Virginia Forest Watch woke me up.
Friday, of course.
Info from Siskiyou....Action page here. They'll fax for you.
Your help is needed now to protect your roadless forests! Please take action now!
Note: In addition to sending the instant fax below, please consider calling your elected officials. You can call the Capitol Switchboard in Washington, DC anytime and ask for your members of Congress:
Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Please Call Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth at 202-205-1661 and tell him to:
1. Immediately withdraw all roadless logging proposals in the
Siskiyou National Forest including the Mike's Gulch and Blackberry
logging sales.
2. Stop breaking your promise! Restore a moratorium on national roadless area logging while protection issues remain unresolved.
You can also e-mail Chief Bosworth at: dbosworth@fs.fed.us