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DESCRIPTION:When you think of an “emergency” in the natural world, what comes to 
 mind? Climate emergency? Biodiversity emergency? Extinction emergency?  \n 
 \nBoth complicit and in denial of all of the above, the U.S. Forest Service 
 has instead declared a LOGGING EMERGENCY (!), putting almost 1 million 
 acres of carbon-storing, wildlife-sheltering public forests on the chopping 
 block over the last year alone, an exponential increase compared to recent 
 logging.\n \nAs of March 2024, 894,898 acres (likely more by the time you 
 read this) across California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, South 
 Dakota, and Washington are slated to be logged (including clearcutting and 
 targeting mature and old growth trees) under an anti-science industry 
 scheme that pretends the best way to protect communities from wildfire is 
 to cut down forests. \n\nInstead, the scientific consensus is that 
 hardening homes—Firewise measures such as installing non-flammable roofs 
 and maintaining defensible space 15-60 feet around structures—can save 
 the vast majority from the most intense wildfires.\n\nMore specifically, 
 this logging is being fast-tracked by exploiting a controversial 
 “emergency action” authorization invoked by former corporate Big Ag 
 lobbyist, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, as laid out under 
 Section 40807 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. This 
 so-called “emergency” logging skirts the objection period of what’s 
 known as the predecisional administrative review process, a legal challenge 
 used by environmental advocates to pause or stop destructive projects, 
 while bypassing alternative actions required by the National Environmental 
 Policy Act (NEPA).\n\nWhat’s more, western forests are at risk from the 
 polluting “biomass” industry and other interconnected 
 corporate+government schemes that threaten to push us over the climate and 
 biodiversity tipping point. \n\nOf course, anyone remotely 
 science-literate—or with the least bit of common sense—knows that the 
 most credible body of studies show that not only won’t logging protect 
 communities from the natural and essential process of wildfire, 
 tree-cutting can make flames burn hotter and spread faster by opening 
 forests to sunlight and wind. Not to mention adding slash piles to the 
 forest, generating more carbon into the air and worsening future 
 wildfires.\n \nIndeed, the whole premise of logging to create “historical 
 conditions” of parklike forests due to so-called “overgrown” stands 
 and “unusual” high-severity wildfire has been repeatedly debunked, with 
 peer-reviewed studies proving that western forests prior to fire 
 suppression have always grown densely and experienced mixed- and 
 high-severity wildfire.\n\nThe climate emergency demands we protect 
 carbon-storing forests, including mature and old-growth stands. Don’t let 
 them use climate-driven wildfires or polluting “biomass” energy as 
 justification for further deforestation, which will only pour fuel on the 
 flames.\n\nBut science alone won’t save the forest. It’s up to us to 
 convince the Forest Service—and the politicians funneling tens of 
 billions of taxpayer dollars into their coffers—to focus on “Firewise, 
 not logging lies!”\n \nWhich is why we’re inviting YOU to take part in 
 the National Day of Forest-Climate Action on Tuesday, May 28 (the day after 
 Memorial Day)! \n\nIf you live on the west side of the continent, come out 
 to the Lost Sierra Forest-Climate Action Camp from May 23-29. We’ll be 
 setting up just outside the Plumas National Forest (not far from the town 
 of Paradise, which burned down in 2018 after widespread “fuel 
 reduction” logging) where the Forest Circus hopes to log 274,000 acres 
 under the phony guise of “wildfire fuel reduction,” spewing at least 6 
 million tons of carbon dioxide and $30 million in toxic pesticides, 
 including in ancient rainforest, while fueling 2 polluting “biomass” 
 pellet factories! \n \nGo to lostsierraforest.wordpress.com for schedule 
 and info, and email us at lostsierra_forest@proton.me to RSVP or if you’d 
 like to lead a workshop.\n \nIf you live on the east side of the land mass, 
 check out the 32nd annual Heartwood Forest Council in Meigs County, Ohio. 
 More info at heartwood.org/2024-forest-council\n\nMany more actions will be 
 planned and listed at lostsierraforest.wordpress.com\n \nAnd if you don’t 
 think you’ll make it to either, plan an action of your own. Just be sure 
 to contact us at lostsierra_forest [at] proton.me so we can coordinate and 
 spread the word!\n\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2024/03/23/18864464.php
SUMMARY:Lost Sierra Forest - Climate Action Camp
LOCATION:In Plumas National Forest outside town of Paradise (email lostsierra_forest 
 [at] proton.me for info) from May 23-29
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2024/03/23/18864464.php
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