Bush Official Wants More Loggingin Northwest

A top Bush Administration official stated last month that he will attempt to have more timber harvested as Dart otthe 1994 Northwesr Forest Plan.

Undersecretary of Agriculture

Mark Rey, who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, said at the Associated Oregon Loggers convention in Eugene, Or., that he would push for more enforcement of the plan.

The plan was developed by the Clinton Administration as a compromise between the needs of timber harvesters and the concerns of environmentalists.

Yet to date, the amount of timber actually harvested from national forests has been only a fraction of what was stipulated in the agreement.

In 1999 the Forest Service sought to have 566 million bd. ft. harvested-yet only 164 million bd. ft. were actually put up for sale.

Rey says that constant environmental challenges have created an atmosphere of "analysis paralysis" at the Forest Service.

He cites the survey and manage part of the Northwest Plan as a stumbling block to accurate implementa- tion.

Under that provision, the Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management must survey for certain plant and wildlife species before any timber can be sold.

In 1999 this rule led to one federal judge focking up 34 sales totaling225 million bd. ft., because the agencies neglected to survey for 32 plant, fungi and wildlife species.

"It's now gotten to the point where the process has become an end in itself," said Rey. "Because of the process, we're not making any decisions at all."

Loggers Want Secular Forest Service

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to listen to part of a suit brought by loggers who claimed anti-logging measures on federal land were often based on environmental "religious beliefs" instead of sonnd law.

Associated Contract Loggers, Tower, Mn., argued that two environmental groups in concert with the U.S. Forest Service had unfairly limited logging on federal land in Minnesota.

The high court responded Jan. 8 with a $5,000 fine levied against the logging group's attorney, ruling that the entire case was frivolous and lacked merit.

The core of the group's argument was that the Forest.Service's efforts to appease anti-logging group's concerns were akin to accepting government-spon sored religion.

The loggers explained that environmental groups have been establishing a religion of "deep ecology" on the Forest Service.

It is the first case to argue that environmental activism is based more on moral/religious beliefs than on any sound, practical effort t0 protect the natural world.

The rest of the case will be reviewed by the Court in the next few months.

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WESTERN Buildino Material Association held a "make-up" convention last month in Portland, Or. (l) Tom Stumpf, Richard Kruckenberg. Jefl Peterson. (2) Eric Bolduc, Fandy Walker. (3) Brian Treasure, Treacv Duerfeldt. (4) Brian Halverson, John Burns, Rick Hoggan. (5) Lester Sjoho m, Les Lewis (6) Bruce VanLeeuwen, Jason Miller. (7) Ted LaDoux, Tom Westbrook (8) Tom Case, Earl Downing. (9) Lee Greene, Mark Swinth. (10) Bil Disney, Eric Thomas. (11) Dan Bagger, Teresa Swick. (12) Gary Troyer, Scott Wilson. (13) Brian 0'Hagen, Mrke Smith. (14) Adrienne Baerny, Judi Cope. (15) Colby Hubler. Derek Hardv. Mark Hoenisch, William Jones. (16) Mike Jones, St6ve Zareski, Andy Anderson. (17) Tino DeLaFosa. Donovan Gladstone. (18) Shawn Paprocki. Al Bennett. (19) Nick Napier, Alice Murphy. Cecrl Cleveand (20) Mark Jones, John Ridder. (21) Dick Corkum, Roger Farnand, Wes Just. (22) Christina Buttz, I/ichele Pritchard. (23) Brian Healow, Eric Fr tch, Mia Robefts. (Morc photos on next page)

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