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"Can't See the Forest for the Stumps"

by Mike Robe (story) Dallas B (photos)
Sierra Nevada Earth First activists survey timber sales in the Giant Sequoia National Monument.
burnpile.jpg
"Can't See the Forest for the Stumps"

Sierra Nevada Earth First! activists surveyed units in the Burton Timber sale last weekend, discovering a continuing trend of desolation in the Giant Sequoia National Monument. The Burton sale, like the Saddle, Frog, White, and Ice sales further to the south, were grandfathered in when Bill Clinton signed the Giant Sequoia National Monument Proclamation in 2000. The company involved, Sierra Forest Products of Terra Bella California, was granted extensions of its contracts fore these sales on a number of occasions when timber prices were low. Now they're cutting the heart out of forests that, according to the Monument Proclamation, were to be absolutely protected from commercial timber cutting. This iron clad protection has been gutted by two predominant factors: Clinton's assigning the Monument to the Forest Service (whose sole mission seems to be to dis-serve forests by selling them off to private interests) rather than to the National Parks; and by Bush's Orwellian "healthy forest initiative" set up by former timber lobbyist Mark Rey. Under the smoke screen (pun intended) of preventing catastrophic fires, the Bushies have opened up the monument to catastrophic cutting of big trees.

But the Burton sale is unique. Unlike the other sales, which have been halted by a temporary restraining order from federal judge Charles Breyer, the Burton timber sale was never challenged. Plaintiffs in the Saddle case, including the Sierra Club and Earth Justice!, apparently were concerned about filing on a sale that was not contiguous. Burton is located in the vicinity of Hume Lake, near Grant Grove in Kings Canyon National Park, while all the more southerly sales are located adjacent to one another outside of Porterville, near California Hot Springs.

As in the Saddle, Frog, White, and Ice sales, forest defenders located uncut and cut trees that were in excess of the 30" diameter breast height limit. In many instances, trees were cut in bunches rather than selectively. This illegal practice opens up the canopy of the forest allowing forest soils to dry out and exposing the critically imperiled southern Pacific Fisher, to greater predation by hawks and eagles. Worse, Earth First! activists discovered what appeared to be the burnt stump of a huge tree, far in excess of the Forest Service's 30" limit--a limit already successfully challenged in the Saddle case. This follows a pattern, uncovered by activists, of illegal cutting and hiding the evidence in a unit of the Saddle sale.

At this stage in the game is it really necessary to argue about the need to stop commercial timber cutting in our national forests? These forests provide critical habitat for species. They contribute to the protection of watersheds. In a time of global warming, they provide carbon sinks. They are places of beauty and majesty. They need protection now and forever.

For additional words and images on this story concerning the Sierra Forest Products mill in Terra Bella go to http://burnthefurniture.com/no.2_april_2006/main_no.2.htm. Also, please contact the Sierra Club and Earth Justice as well as Federal judge Charles Breyer and demand that they call for an immediate temporary restraining order on the Burton sale.

§burn pile
by Mike Robe (story) Dallas B (photos)
burnpile2.jpg
§burn pile
by Mike Robe (story) Dallas B (photos)
burnpile3.jpg
§burn circle
by Mike Robe (story) Dallas B (photos)
burncircle.jpg
what appears to be the burnt stump of a huge tree, far in excess of the Forest Service's 30" limit for this timber sale.
§tread lightly
by Mike Robe (story) Dallas B (photos)
tread.jpg
I don't know if the forest (Dis) service is joking here.
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Mr. Raven
Fri, Aug 11, 2006 4:24PM
Mr. Raven
Fri, Aug 11, 2006 3:13PM
b
Fri, Aug 11, 2006 6:37AM
Mr. Raven
Sun, Aug 6, 2006 6:56PM
Meg
Sat, Aug 5, 2006 12:27AM
edward jellian
Thu, Aug 3, 2006 11:54PM
Claudia Elliott
Thu, Aug 3, 2006 4:26PM
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