Scorched-Earth: Enviros Create Great Waste
By Liz Bowen, Sierra Times
November 10, 2004

The Sacramento Bee ran an article by Don Thompson on Oct. 15, 2004. It sounded like Cynthia Elkins of the EPIC enviro group and Felice Pace, founder of Klamath Forest Alliance, in Etna, California, called him up and spouted comments. Apparently he believed them and ran with them. The Sacramento Bee should be ashamed. Much of Thompson’s article is wrong.

U.S. Judge Frank C. Damrell Jr. "chided" the Forest Service with its lack of review on "environmental damage." Apparently, the judge also believed the comment letters and statements from the enviros.

Lies and more lies.

Just how much more needs to be assessed? The Forest Service has completed volumes – measuring several feet thick -- of environmental assessments, during the last six years. The cost is staggering at $600,000. And that isn’t enough?

Cynthia Elkins of EPIC (Environmental Protection Information Center) a hypocritical term, said in the article, that "the project would have removed nearly all of the remaining old growth timber in an already damaged watershed, and the erosion could hurt salmon and steelhead."

First, most of the "old growth" is less than 100 years old and the handful of other "old growth" is for forest health, not removal of an entire "old growth" forest stand. If fire goes through there, the "old growth" and any growths will be gone.

Because the area is within coho salmon potential habitat, the possibility of erosion was analyzed and addressed in the environmental assessments. Did the judge just not look at the thick environmental assessment document?

Then Elkins complained that "much of the area around the proposed cut is privately owned and has suffered from logging and grazing."

What gives her the authority to say that private property has "suffered?"

Apparently, Elkins and Judge Damrell are expecting the Forest Service to regulate its neighbors regarding logging and grazing? There is no law, which provides such an atrocity; and should not even be considered in the judge’s decision.

Elkins said the Forest Service should also "examine the cumulative effects of other planned timber cuts in the area."

Through the two-years of meetings by the unique Klamath PAC, managers of neighboring lands were brought into the process. Jim Ostrowski, of Timber Products, reviewed the Beaver Creek Project and gave it a thumbs up. Yes, there are other thinning projects (heaven forbid we call it logging) in Beaver Creek. The trees need to be thinned for management and ultimately, forest health. Responsible private property owners know this.

The 975 Forest Service acres was to receive thinning and under-burning. Both are drastically needed on federal lands to prevent devastating forest fires. Fires that would likely burn onto the Timber Products land and other neighbors’ property.

Bottom line: The Sacramento Bee, Don Thompson and Judge Damrell shouldn’t take the enviro’s word for it. They lie and their lies are dead wrong. Try checking with the real land managers, before printing lies. There can be a balance. But first, you have to be willing to learn about and report the things that are called -- facts.

Liz Bowen is an assistant editor of Pioneer Press, Fort Jones, California

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