Add Your Voice to Protect U.S. National Forests Before Friday

by Jess Leber · 2011-05-11 07:00:00 UTC
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A federal regulation that will shape the future of the U.S. National Forest system, which includes 155 national forests spread over 193-million acres of across the country, will close for public comment this Friday, May 16th. Without major revisions to the draft of the rule, some environmental groups such as Earthjustice say that the regulations will leave our forests in peril.

This is not just an issue for your typical treehugger. National forest lands are the single largest source of drinking water in the nation, providing fresh water to about 124 million people. In addition, millions of people visit national forests every year to enjoy hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and wildlife watching. More than 5,000 species of fish and wildlife also happen to make the national forest system their homes.

The current proposal, according to Earthjustice, lacks clear and enforceable criteria to ensure water source protection within the forests, including inadequate "buffer zones" to protect streams and rivers from logging and logging-related activities. In addition, the proposal represents a major step backward for national forest wildlife—it does not provide a comprehensive plan to maintain healthy populations across the landscape. Lastly, the rule does not require the agency rely upon the "best available science" when making decisions. If you think about what happened to environmental protections over the Bush administration years, you can get an idea of where that can lead.

Earthjustice has started a petition on Change.org allowing you to tell the U.S. Forest Service to improve upon the situation outlined above. The comment deadline is in just a few days, this Friday, May, 16th, so it is important to sign and share this petition with your friends soon.

Citizens across the country are speaking out. Connie Gallant, a forest protection volunteer in Oregon, where the timber industry is dominant, writes: "Without strong guidance from the federal government, the forests are left vulnerable to the interests of those who put immediate profits before the long-term sustainable health of the forests and, indeed, the stability of timber-dependent communities.

Please sign the petition today, and email it to your friends.

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Jess Leber is a Change.org editor. She most recently covered climate and energy issues as a reporter in Washington, D.C

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