Salmon River Timber Sale Loses in 9th Circuit Court: Time to Gear Up!

Salmon River Timber Sale Loses in 9th Circuit Court:
Time to Gear Up!

June 23, 2006: The Knob Timber Sale lost on all counts in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Knob is one of three old growth timber sales (along with the already cut Glassups sale and currently in court Meteor sale) making up a “mega-sale” on the wild and scenic Salmon River of Siskiyou County, CA. After years in court, the Knob sale will soon be auctioned and slated for cut there after. Some of the last intact oldgrowth forest in the United States can be found in these public-land timber sales.

In 2003 activists came together to stop the cumulative effects of the Glassups, Knob, and Meteor Timber Sales. That year, forest defenders rose up in three tree-sits in the Glassups sale. Although Glassups fell, the Knob auction was held off till now, a huge victory! But the struggle continues – Forest defenders of the Salmon River are committed to fighting the Knob sale through direct action! We are a diverse and colorful group of local concerned community members as well as activists from all over the country. The movement fighting to stop harmful and un-lawful logging is a multi-limbed creature. When the “arm” of litigation tires…the now rested and muscular arm of direct action re-emerges.

Key issues of Salmon River timber sales:
* Wild and Scenic Corridors: In both Knob and Meteor, logging would occur within the designated Wild and Scenic corridors of the North and South Fork of the Salmon River, which is renowned for its world-class, whitewater recreation.

* Impacts on listed species: Through all the current Salmon River sales, much of the critical spotted owl habitat (outside of late successional reserves) would be removed on the two forks of the river. The sales target much of the remaining low elevation ancient forests in the district and would affect all old growth dependent species in the area.

* Cumulative watershed impacts: Much of Knob and Meteor is composed of landslide-prone decomposed granite soil, and many units are directly along the river or in riparian reserves. Also, the Salmon River provides a critical source of cold water to the Klamath River, which supports the most productive chinook salmon fishery in California and also hosts coho salmon, green sturgeon and other critically imperiled fish species. The Salmon River provides some of the last spawning grounds for spring Chinook in the entire Klamath Basin.

* Increased fuels risk: The logging units target the largest, most fire-resistant trees on the Salmon River and in many cases would leave only the fine fuels behind. The Forest service should be focusing on protecting communities from fire - not creating a more fire-prone landscape by removing all of the large trees in a remote area.
For more information search “Salmon River timber sales” on the web.
Stay tuned for more!