With an increasingly intense proliferation of timber sales on our national forests the Forest Service is working hard to “get the cut out” despite growing evidence of long term harm to wildlife and salmon, and the decimation of old growth forests. With a new ranger in charge, projects on the Salmon River are getting increasingly worse. Nearly all projects are justified by a fear of wildfire and claim that the forest is overly dense. However, science shows that logging can increase the risk of fire.

TAKE ACTION NOW! The Klamath National Forest is proposing to log dozens of old growth trees on the Wild and Scenic North Fork Salmon River. While EPIC was able to stop this plan temporarily, for USFS failure to complete consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act, the Ranger has said that as soon as there is concurrence the timber sale will move forward. Please contact the Salmon/Scott River District Ranger and ask him to abandon plans to log irreplaceable old growth forests.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently released a Revised Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl, which has been listed as threatened with extinction for the past 20 years. The previous Recovery Plan was tampered with for political reasons, and turned out to be highly inadequate. Along with a coalition of groups, EPIC sued over the politically tainted version, and the federal government agreed to complete a new plan. The promised revision is a step in the right direction to protect this iconic species of northwestern forests.

The Salmon River Ranger District on the Klamath National Forest (KNF) is proposing to log 70 acres in old growth habitat on the Wild and Scenic Salmon River. The Little Cronan Gulch Timber Sale is three miles outside the town of Sawyers Bar adjacent to the Little North Fork of Salmon River, which is an important wildlife corridor between the Marble mountain and Trinity Alps Wilderness areas.TAKE ACTION!

The Six Rivers National Forest has planned another logging project disguised as fuels treatment within an old growth habitat reserve in the Mad River Ranger District, called the Buck Mountain Vegetation and Fuels Management Project. The project proposes to commercially log 613 acres of natural forest stands up to 130 years old, construct and reconstruct up to 6 miles of “temporary” roads, log in riparian reserves (stream sides) and in Nesting habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl.

Public comments are still being accepted on the Beaverslide Timber Sale, located just south of Ruth Lake in the Mad River watershed. The Six Rivers National Forest is planning to commercially log nearly 2000 acres approximately 560 acres with ground based equipment, 1350 acres of skyline and 380 acres by helicopter and would extract 22.4 million board feet of timber. Take a moment to read up on the project, and let the Forest Service know that you care!

Please take action now and tell the California State Water Board not to permit large-scale toxic chemical sprays in our watersheds. They are seeking comments on the Spray Applications Permit. This action would weaken the Clean Water Act and make it much easier for the US Forest Service and the Department of Food and Agriculture to use poisonous pesticides and herbicides across California.

The Happy Camp District of the Klamath National Forest is planning to log 536 acres of steep post-fire hillsides. The Panther Fire started from a lightning storm in July 2008. A combination of topography and weather resulted in a run that engulfed 13,000 acres, in a single day, October 1st.

The USFS is planning on logging 1,521 acres in the Upper Mad River Watershed, which is listed as impaired under the Clean Water Act for sediment and turbidity. The Kelsey Peak Timber Sale proposes to log within 271 acres of streamside Riparian Reserves and construct 4.24 miles of roads. A new road is proposed through the middle of an old-growth stand that is slated for logging. Ironically, their own research recommends decreasing the amount of roads.

Please take a moment to comment on the Off Road routes in Six Rivers National Forest. The Forest Service must manage public lands in an ecologically sustainable manner that protects soil and water resources, streams, stream banks, shorelines, wetlands, fish and wildlife, and the diversity of plant and animal communities.