Current threats to the National Forests in northwest California include:

Timber Sales - the Forest Service currently has numerous planned or proposed timber sales that threaten the biological diversity and ecological conditions of the National Forests. Many timber sales target ancient forests and roadless areas which provide refuge for a host of rare, threatened, and sensitive species such as the northern spotted owl, marten, fisher, goshawk, rare orchids, coho salmon, and steelhead trout. Current proposed sales include the Knob and Meteor Timber Sales in the Klamath National Forest, and the East Fork Timber Sale in the Shasta Trinity.

Grazing - Grazing has impacted important wetland, prairie, and riparian areas on the National Forests in the region which host a wide array of rare and sensitive plant species. Impacts from grazing are widespread and persistent, and threaten to degrade both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The Forest Service is currently reviewing many grazing allotment leases, and it is critical to prevent these destructive practices from continuing.

Mining - The Forest Service is currently planning several new mining proposals that threaten critical watersheds, including Wild and Scenic Rivers. These mining operations would log ancient forests, destroy riparian vegetation, dump thousands of tons of sediment, and leach toxic chemicals into pristine streams and rivers. Current mining proposals are located in the Wild and Scenic New River and Canyon Creek watersheds which flow from the Trinity Alps Wilderness and support some of the largest remaining populations of threatened summer steelhead in California.

Fuels Management - The Forest Service is currently developing proposals for extensive fuels reduction projects throughout the region. While intended to reduce the risk of high-severity fires and protect communities, the Forest Service is using these projects as an excuse to log large trees in ancient forest habitat miles away from any community. Many of the projects would significantly degrade environmental conditions, impact numerous plant, wildlife, and fish species, would not protect communities, and would increase fire risk rather than decrease it. It is critical that fuels reduction activities are monitored to prevent these impacts, and that fire risk reduction alternatives are presented to the agency to achieve meaningful fire protection and forest restoration.

Fire Suppression - The Forest Service has been aggressively fighting every fire that starts on National Forest lands for several decades. However, fire is a natural phenomena in northern California, and many plants and animals depend on regular low-severity fires to maintain optimum conditions for food, shelter, and reproduction. Fire suppression has significantly altered ecosystem conditions and vegetation patterns throughout the region, increasing the risk of high-severity fires. In addition, fire suppression activities have significant direct environmental impacts resulting from construction of new roads and firelines with bulldozers and chainsaws, widespread application of toxic chemical fire retardants, and intentional destruction of forest habitat in "burnouts". Fire suppression activities also cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually, even though many suppression efforts are unsuccessful in stopping fires. To restore natural fire regimes in the region, reduce costs to taxpayers, and minimize environmental impacts, fire suppression policies must change, and fire management plans must be developed which allow the Forest Service to let natural fires burn in remote wilderness and backcounrty areas when they do not threaten lives or private property.

Land Exchanges - The Forest Service is currently considering several land exchange proposals. Many of these proposals would trade ancient forest habitat to logging companies in exchange for logged-over and degraded lands. It is critical that these land exchanges be stopped and that important public lands are not given away to private companies to destroy. One proposal would give ancient forest habitat in a roadless area of the Blue Creek watershed adjacent to the Siskiyou Wilderness to a private logging company.

Off-Highway Vehicles - OHV's cause significant environmental impacts to numerous areas on National Forests in northern California, disrupting and killing wildlife, increasing erosion, creating noise and air pollution, introducing and spreading exotic and invasive species, and degrading plant, animal, and fish habitat. They also create conflicts with hikers, birdwatchers, horseback riders, and other passive Forest users. Many regularly used OHV trails are illegally developed, and are not adequately maintained by the Forest Service to ensure that environmental impacts are minimized. It is important that the number of illegal areas that are used by OHV's are eliminated, and that the Forest Service ensures the proper maintenance and management of legitimate OHV areas that remain.

Roads - Thousands of miles of logging roads have degraded the National Forests in the region. These roads cause some of the most significant environmental impacts on National Forest lands, causing extensive destruction and disturbance to plant and wildlife species, increasing access for illegal poaching and arson fires, causing tremendous erosion and sedimentation of streams and rivers threatening important fisheries, and spreading exotic species. Although the Forest Service does not have an adequate budget to properly maintain the vast road network already in place, they are still constructing new roads to access new timber sales or for other purposes. The lack of maintenance and the construction of new roads pose one of the most significant threats to the terrestrial, riparian, and aquatic ecosystems on public forest lands. It is critical that activists pressure the Forest Service to remove damaging and unnecessary roads, properly maintain those that are necessary, and avoid constructing new ones.

Exotic Species - Many forest management activities introduce or spread exotic and invasive species, threatening native biodiversity. One of the most significant threats is a fatal root fungus spread by vehicles that kills the Port-Orford cedar, an important tree species found only in northern California and southern Oregon. It is critical that activists use every means, including advocacy, education, and litigation, to stop the spread of this fatal root disease, as well as other exotic species.

Forest Chemical Use - the Forest Service has an extensive history of using toxic chemicals, including herbicides and other pesticides, in association with forest management activities. The threat continues as the Forest Service tries to eliminate competing vegetation in timber plantations, and remove flammable brush and shrubs while maintaining ridgetop "fuel breaks," areas with reduced vegetation intended to facilitate fire suppression. It is critical that activists monitor Forest Service proposals to eliminate the use of these forest chemicals, and provide alternative environmentally-friendly vegetation management techniques.

Dams and Water Diversions - Several dams and water diversions on National Forest lands severely impact aquatic and riparian conditions, threatening important fisheries and other native aquatic biota. Two new hydropower dams are proposed on Six Rivers National Forest in the Willow Creek and Old Campbell Creek watersheds of the Trinity River. There is a need for the public to pressure the Forest Service and politicians to remove existing dams and water diversions, and to stop proposals for new ones.