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First/Last |
Umpqua Watersheds and the Umpqua Valley Audubon Society are pleased that negotiations have succeeded in protecting the watershed of the "First" and "Last" timber sales. This Ecologically Significant Old-Growth is critical habitat for endangered salmon in the headwaters of the South Umpqua River. This agreement reflects many long hours of negotiations on the part of the environmental community, the Forest Service, the Clinton Administration, and the purchaser, Scott Timber Co.
The "First" and "Last" timber sales will be traded for less environmentally sensitive timber volume outside of Late Successional Reserves under an interim rule published in the Federal Register yesterday by the Secretary of Agriculture. This authorization followed the proposed listing by the National Marine Fisheries Service of the Umpqua sea run cutthroat trout and Coho salmon. The Forest Service, Scott Timber Co. and the local environmental community all agreed that these previously withdrawn sales should be replaced. We regret, however, that many acres of precious old-growth had to fall while negotiations proceeded.
"We expect that cutting will stop immediately now that substitute volume has been explicitly authorized by the Department of Agriculture, identified by the Forest Service, and offered to Scott Timber Co.", said Ken Carloni, president of Umpqua Watersheds. "Allyn Ford indicated to me that he would stop cutting as soon as the Forest Service offered suitable substitute volume, and I am confident that he will abide by his word."
Logging of these vital stands in old growth reserves would have placed the Northwest Forest Plan in serious jeopardy. The trade, however, may allow the Forest Service to remain in substantial compliance with the Plan. Brian Kruse, president of Umpqua Valley Audubon Society stated that "We are gratified that this trade will maintain the integrity of the administration's Northwest Forest Plan."
The authorizing administrative rule will allow agreements to be negotiated on other Forests faced with similar destructive 318 sales. This rule confirms the position we have long taken that the Forest Service has the authority to negotiate modifications to these sales. No additional legislation, such as that proposed by Senators Hatfield and Gorton, is necessary.
Umpqua Watersheds and Umpqua Valley Audubon applaud the hard work and dedication of the Umpqua National Forest Supervisor and the interagency science team, who worked long hours to move this process forward. We also commend the dedication of the many forest activists who brought these extremely environmentally damaging sales to the attention of the public and to the Clinton administration. We hope that substitutions for future 318 sales can be negotiated without the further loss of critical habitat and without polarizing communities as this crisis has.
Ken Carloni,
President Umpqua Watersheds (672-1914)
Brian Kruse,
President Umpqua Valley Audubon Society (673-5933)