Stop draconian logging rider in budget!

Press Alert:
May 29th, 04'

For Immediate Attention and Community Response:

California Budget Being Passed Shortly Includes Rider
Permitting Almost Indiscriminate Logging In All Watersheds
Will override all agency and public involvement and stands In Perpetuity. ( Any Laws Passed Later Will Not Undue it)

Friday, this was reported on KMUD by Paul Mason of the Sierra Club, a clandestine rider to be tacked onto the California Budget Bill (only some two weeks from being voted on) which would immediately allow timber companies to begin timber harvests plans for entire watersheds with only nominal reporting necessary to agencies, no public input, no Water Board overseeing ... a draconian measure effecting massive areas, which needs our immediate attention and
responses.
Wes Chesbro, chair of the Budget Committee, two other senators and three members of the legislature are preparing the budget bill for voting.

This measure would essentially wipe out these long years of struggles by so many, which have succeeded in making forest practices only slightly more effective. But with one insidious and politically fraudulent like shift, it wipes out most of this and all of our right of public input, agency overseeing and the traditions of changing our lives through legislative regulatory law covering such procedures and already in place. With no further community input and snuffing out of what credible changes have been achieved to stop corporate industrial ruination of forests, we are
quickly faced with return to an almost absolute dark age subservience to corporate will, a situation we don't dare let happen!

The Times Standard commented on this Saturday, but not enough to establish, in detail, the total ramifications of the rider, the work of California Resources Secretary Mike Christman, who is allegedly out to help small landowners with their financial crunch and permits, but tucked in there, is mention of this incredible "certified forest plan", a virtual carte blanch for industrial loggers!

We will be researching, tracking this down further and
reporting an update on Tuesday, but our window of opportunity to challenge this attack makes it imperative to act ...by immediately getting the word out, working up our strategies beyond initially reaching Wes Chesbro ...and Patty Berg. Much thanks, in advance, for your concerns, your endurance... and your help.

Wes Chesbro Patty Berg
State Capitol Building, Room 3070 P.O. Box 94249-0001
Sacramento, Ca, 95814 Sacramento, Ca, 95814
916 445-3375 916 319-2101