Wyoming Timber Sale Decision in Lynx Habitat Reversed
11/2/98
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Title: Wyoming Timber Sale Decision in Lynx Habitat Reversed
Source: Forest Guardians
Status: Distribute freely with proper credit to source
Date: 11/2/98
FRONTLINE NEWS
Wednesday, November 2
http://www.fguardians.org
NO. 41
FOREST GUARDIANS PHONE BUGGED
Former Forest Service Official Testifies At Whistle Blower Hearing
TIMBER SALE DECISION IN LYNX HABITAT REVERSED
Forest Guardians and Wyoming Outdoor Council Defeat Teton Logging
GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE HEARING HELD
Crown of Canyonlands the Focus in Albuquerque
MORE BELOW
FOREST GUARDIANS PHONE BUGGED
A former Forest Service official testified yesterday at a whistle blower
hearing that his agency had tapped Forest Guardian's phones during the
investigation of a firefighter's death five years ago. Patrick Valerio,
former fire management officer on the Santa Fe national forest, said
during a Merit Service Protection Board inquiry in Albuquerque that Jemez
district ranger John Peterson wanted to stop leaks that could have shown
personal liability for the firefighter's death. Forest Guardians had
alleged that the Forest Service was blocking an investigation of the death
of Jemez Pueblo firefighter Frankie Toledo. The Forest Service was cited
by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration for failing to warn
firefighters of hazardous conditions and other safety violations. Valerio
said during the hearing that his home phone was also being monitored and
that he was threatened by Al Defler, then head of the Santa Fe national
forest, for bringing safety violations to public attention. After the
hearing Valerio said that portions of the video of the fire were removed
that showed the presence of high winds contrary to the controlled burn's
plan.
TIMBER SALE DECISION IN LYNX HABITAT REVERSED
The Regional Forester has upheld an administrative appeal of the Upper
Greys River Timber Sale on the Bridger-Teton National Forest (WY) by
Wyoming Outdoor Council, Forest Guardians, and several other
organizations.
The appeal demonstrated that the forest service had not justified its
finding of no significant effect on sensitive wildlife including the lynx
and Snake River cutthroat trout. In addition, no evidence was provided in
the EA to support the conclusion of no significant impact on water
quality.
The timber sale would have removed 9 million board feet of trees (1800 log
trucks), clearcut 461 acres, and built 11 miles of temporary roadways over
the next 4-6 years.
GRAND STAIRCASE-ESCALANTE HEARING HELD
A hearing held on 12/1 in Albuquerque on the BLM's proposal to manage
Utah's new Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument attracted more than
100 people, most of whom urged the BLM to prohibit all environmental
harmful activities in the monument. We urge people to support a
strengthened Alternative D that permanently bans killing of mountain lions
and other wildlife, phases out domestic livestock grazing, bans damaging
all-terrain vehicles and designates all 25 eligible river segments for
wild and scenic protection. Hearings will also be held in Denver on
December 3 and San Francisco on December 10. For times and locations,
visit The Wilderness Society web page www.wilderness.org. Written comments
will be accepted until February 12. Write Pete Wilkins, Grand Staircase-
Escalante National Monument, 337 South Main, Suite 010, Cedar City, UT
84720, 435-865-5170 (fax); pwilkins@ut.blm.gov. Thanks for protecting the
wild.
John Horning
Watershed Protection Program
Forest Guardians
1413 Second Street
Santa Fe, NM 87505
505 988-9126
505 989-8623 fax
www.fguardians.org