New Report Unveils List of America's Most Endangered Forests
National Forest Protection Alliance Press Release
October 12, 2005

MISSOULA, MT - Today(10/12/05), the National Forest Protection Alliance released its third bi-annual report listing twelve of the country's most endangered national forests. The report, America's Endangered National Forests: Lumber, Landfill or Living Legacy?, also provides a groundbreaking economic analysis demonstrating that the Bush Administration's push for more industrial logging in our nation's public forests defies the market realities for wood products.

This year's report is unique in that it offers the most up-to-date analysis of the marketplace for wood products from national forests. The major conclusion drawn from this research is that the market share of national forest wood products will likely remain near its current level - 2% of the U.S.'s total consumption - despite the federal government's efforts to increase industrial logging through higher subsidies and policies like the Healthy Forests Initiative.

"This 2% of our lumber and paper supply comes at the highest ecological cost to our nation's environment," said Kreilick. "Much of the logging is still directed at the most sensitive forested habitats remaining in the U.S., including roadless areas, ancient, old-growth forests and critical fish and wildlife habitat."

Northwest California's Klamath National Forest is listed as a Threatened forest in the report. Scott Greacen, EPIC's national forest program coordinator, said the listing has a lot to do with the Klamath forest's continuing efforts to log old growth forest deep in the Salmon River backcountry. "In many ways, the Klamath qualifies as an Endangered forest, because its tremendous biological resources are still under assault from industrial logging, particularly logging old growth in the remote backcountry. What kept the Klamath on only the Threatened list is the fact that we do see real signs that the forest is starting to get the message. They've cancelled poorly-considered projects, and some district rangers, like the Alan VanDevere on the Happy Camp district, are really focusing on the small-diameter thinning projects that everyone agrees need to happen."

America's Most Endangered Forests: Malheur National Forest (OR), Siskiyou National Forest (OR), Oregon BLM Forests; Allegheny National Forest (PA); Bighorn National Forest (WY); Daniel Boone National Forest (KY); Los Padres National Forest (CA); George Washington & Jefferson National Forest (VA); Rio Grande National Forest (CO); Tongass National Forest (AK); National Forests in Mississippi; Bitterroot National Forest (MT). Special Mention: Black Hills National Forest (SD) and Nantahala National Forest (NC). Threatened: Carson National Forest (NM); Wayne National Forest (OH); Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (KY); Flathead National Forest (MT); Kaibab National Forest (AZ); Michigan National Forests: (Huron-Manistee, Hiawatha and Ottawa); Klamath National Forest (CA); Nez Perce National Forest (ID); Umpqua National Forest (OR).

"Our national forests face myriad threats from Bush administration policies and Forest Service management," said Jake Kreilick, NFPA's Endangered Forests Project Coordinator. "Collectively, the forest profiles in this report illustrate the poor ecological state of the national forest system, in large part from Forest Service efforts to place private, industrial interests above the interests of the American people."

For example, in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, all of the wood logged from America's largest national forest comes from old-growth temperate rainforests and much of it is shipped to Asia. Since the Bush Administration exempted the Tongass from the Roadless Area Conservation Rule in 2003, the agency has made plans to log over fifty roadless areas.

"Most American's would be shocked to learn that in 2005 the U.S. Forest Service is still allowing old growth on the Tongass National Forest - the rarest forest type on earth - to be cut down and shipped overseas," stated Larry Edwards of Greenpeace. "To force rational management of this national treasure and other national forests, we must turn to the one place where people have indomitable power - the marketplace."

The economic research presented in the market section was compiled by Dr. John Talberth, an expert on the values and benefits derived from all the national forest programs and uses.

"Clearly, America's national forests are far more valuable standing than cut down and converted into 2 x4's and paper products that are of trivial importance to our nation's wood products supply," explained Dr, Talberth. "Nonetheless, through generous taxpayer subsidies of the federal timber sale program, the Forest Service is trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. These subsidies would be far better spent protecting and restoring ecological services of immense value to both existing and future generations."

"The National Forest Protection Alliance believes that the marketplace provides a new and effective avenue for protecting and restoring national forests. It's clear that citizens can no longer rely exclusively on Congress or the Bush Administration to protect these public forests, as they are the very entities promoting more industrial logging and development," stated Jeanette Russell of the National Forest Protection Alliance.

"Given the disconnect between these bigger economic trends and the federal government's pro-logging policies, consumer demand and corporate responsibility will play increasingly important roles in changing how national forests are managed," Russell elaborated.

Key Ecological Findings:

… Since 2002, the volume of the federal logging program has grown by over 300 million board feet in large part to an escalation of logging in Oregon, California and the South. The USFS continues to use fire risk reduction and forest health as the primary management rationales.

… Oregon has more at-risk national forests than any other state. Representing some of the nation's most diverse old-growth forests remaining, these forests contain the region's largest roadless areas, which provide critical habitat for threatened and endangered species.

… Logging on eastern national forests continues to rise, as demonstrated in the profiles of the Allegheny, George Washington & Jefferson, Daniel Boone, and Mississippi National Forests.

… Most all of the forests featured in the report face significant threats to roadless areas from logging, roadbuilding, grazing, ORVs and the Bush Administration's state-driven roadless policy. Consequently, protecting roadless areas is no longer a priority of the Forest Service and many are now proposed for development.

… Energy development for coal, oil, natural gas, and coalbed methane gas remains unchecked on a handful of national forests (Daniel Boone, Allegheny, Los Padres, Carson, Huron-Manistee) and a growing problem on many others due to the Bush-Cheney Energy Plan.

… Other prominent threats to the environmental quality of the national forest system include the growing impacts from the proliferation of Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs) for motorized recreation, ski area development and continuing problems from urban encroachment and transportation development.

The National Forest Protection Alliance is a network of 135 organizations that protect and restore America's national forests. You can learn more by visiting: www.forestadvocate.org

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