Sierra Club Applauds Sierra Nevada Forest Plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	

January 12, 2001			



FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:		

Craig Thomas    (530) 622-8718 

David Edelson   (510) 527-4116 

John Buckley 	(209) 586-7440





Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Applauded



Conservationists note the plan reduces wildfire risk while also

protecting old growth forests



SACRAMENTO - Environmental groups today applauded the U.S. Forest

Service for adopting a precedent-setting plan that will protect

the remaining old growth forests in the Sierra Nevada while also

reducing the risks of wildfires near residential areas.  It is

the agency's first forest management plan to incorporate the

Clinton Administration's policies on old growth forests and

roadless areas.



"The Sierra Nevada Framework represents a major step forward,"

said Craig Thomas, the conservation director for the Sierra

Nevada Forest Protection Campaign.  "This plan begins the process

of protecting and restoring the Sierra Nevada's ecosystems, which

have been degraded by decades of logging and road building

sanctioned by the U.S. Forest Service," said Thomas.



The plan, which aims to reverse declining populations of the

California spotted owl and other imperiled species, has been

under development for eight years.  An earlier draft of the plan

was withdrawn after a federal advisory committee identified

"critical shortcomings," which included "inadequate protection

for the spotted owl" and an unacceptable risk of extinction for

the Pacific fisher.



"With this decision and the recent roadless area policy, the

Forest Service is finally steering in the right direction," said

David Edelson, an attorney representing the Sierra Nevada Forest

Protection Campaign and the Natural Resources Defense Council. 

"However, it is too soon to tell whether the plan will be

sufficient to recover imperiled species like the California

spotted owl, the Pacific fisher, or maintain yellow legged frog,"

said Edelson.



The plan was adopted after a lengthy public process, with

numerous hearings and opportunities for comment.  Public comment

overwhelmingly supported stronger protection for the Sierra

Nevada's forests.  "We call upon the incoming Bush Administration

to maintain this new course, rather than returning to the

destructive practices of the past," said Bob Schneider, the

director of the Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign.



The plan covers approximately 11 million acres, of which 4.25

million acres - or about 40 percent of the national forest lands

in the Sierra Nevada - would be managed as old forest reserves. 

Outside of the reserves, logging will generally be restricted to

small trees (under 20 inches diameter), though larger trees (up

to 30 inches diameter) could be removed in proximity to

residential and developed areas where necessary to reduce the

risk of spreading wildfires.



"As an ex-firefighter, I strongly endorse the plan's strategic

focus on reducing the small trees, brush, and ground fuels that

contribute to wildfire risk in the Sierra Nevada, particularly

near residential areas," said John Buckley, director of the

Central Sierra Environmental Resources Center in Twain Harte,

California.  "With limited resources, it is essential that fire

protection activities focus on safeguarding lives and property,

not on futile attempts to fire-proofing forests. We will be

watching closely to ensure that logging in the name of fire

safety does not become an excuse for heavy cutting in

ecologically sensitive areas," added Buckley.



The Forest Service projects that the plan will allow removal of

187 million board feet of wood per year in the Sierra Nevada,

which represents a reduction of approximately 40 percent compared

to timber sale offerings in recent years.  However, timber sales

represent only a very small percentage of the Sierra Nevada

economy.  The framework instead focuses on managing and

protecting the resources that truly provide the foundation for

the Sierra's vibrant economy: tourism.



Based in Sacramento, The Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign

is a coalition of more than two dozen conservation groups,

scientists, individual activists and spiritual leaders fighting

for the protection of the public wildlands and watersheds of the

Sierra Nevada.



For more information about the Sierra Nevada Framework, contact

the following people:



Barbara Boyle - Sierra Club:

(916) 557-1100 x105



Jay Watson - The Wilderness Society: 		

(415) 518-2604 



Steve Evans - Friends of the River: 		

(916) 442-3155 x221 



Paul  Spitler - California Wilderness Coalition:	

(530) 758-0380

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