Photo by Pat Ratliff - HERE for Klamath ESA dvd

LOGGING AND
OUR FORESTS
 

112/2/03. Photo of Bush's Healthy Forest Bill Signing Ceremony

"Federal Claims Court Judge Lawrence S. Margolis has said unequivocally that the U.S. Forest Service knowingly
 used faulty data of spotted owl habitats to block logging in a California forest."

Restoration of sustainable timber harvest on federal forest lands, Oregon Senator Whitsett, posted to KBC 12/29/11. "These unprecedented forest fuel loads have been the direct cause of uncontrollable wildfires that have consumed millions of acres of Oregon forest lands, and ironically, millions of acres of Northern Spotted Owl habitat."

Forest closes 5,000 miles of roads, trails to vehicles, H&N, posted to KBC 11/6/11. “We don’t have a single trail out of this,” Schenck said. "OHV enthusiasts attempted to work with forest officials this summer to develop some OHV specific trails, but nothing came from the efforts." “ We did drop the ball...” Hupp said.

Ninth Circuit decision further hamstrings Oregon's economy, Oregonian posted to KBC 10/23/11. "The Court's decision potentially creates legal paralysis threatening 120,000 forest related jobs (with payroll totaling $4 billion) and $130 million in state income and severance tax revenues that pay for vital public services. The new court ruling will not achieve its intended environmental benefits. The uncertainty could force some forest landowners to convert their forests to other uses, like commercial or residential developments..."

Oregon Forest Mismanagement, Senator Doug Whitsett 9/16/11. "...left is an area of nearly 600 square miles mostly dominated by standing, gray, dead snags...no effort has been made to salvage this timber for any use.

Contract Dispute Grounds Firefighting Planes, Human Events, posted to KBC 9/14/11. "Nearly half of the federal government’s firefighting air tankers are sitting idle at a California airport, grounded by the Obama administration in a contract dispute just weeks before wildfires swept through Texas killing a mother and her child, and destroying 100,000 acres."

Federal Management of Oregon's Forest Lands, Senator Doug Whitsett Newsletter 8/12/11. "federal district court ruled that the owl was threatened under the Endangered Species Act and that nearly unlimited critical habitat was required to preserve the bird from extinction...Oregon’s annual timber harvest from federal lands plummeted from 60 percent to 12 percent. Nearly 300 timber mills closed and more than 30,000 family wage jobs were lost."

One owl horning in on another, H&N, posted to KBC 7/7/11. "One of the potential removal methods involves shooting the barred owls." followed by: Owl plan hinges on killing rival; Spotted owls not recovering; may be linked to barred owl. (KBC NOTE: a few decades ago the federal government poisoned suckers, killing thousands of them. Now the plan is to kill little barred owls...?)Wildfires threaten protected habitats; wolves, owls among the endangered, H&N, posted to KBC 7/7/11. "Crown fires in overgrown forests have become the greatest cause of unusual losses for the (spotted owl) birds, and 73 protected nesting areas were burned in the fire,...The burned forest supports more than a dozen other endangered or threatened species, including snails, frogs and fish. Dozens of other species live in the forest that aren’t rare, including bear, deer, antelope and a herd of elk that, at about 6,000, is among the state’s biggest."

Timber officials want more public lands harvested, H&N, posted to KBC 7/7/11. “We have a lot of dead and dying timber...In our view, (not harvesting it) is wasting a … valuable resource.”

Karuk Tribe, conservation groups win suit against US Forest Service, Indybay 6/17/11. (KBC NOTE: Same groups, same agenda, same folks are KBRA voting members with our farm leaders.)

Another smuggler corridor wildfire and the anger is flaring up, TucsonCitizen, followed by Climate Change Link to Fires Ignites Senate Committee, ClimateWire, posted to KBC 6/16/11

Judge rejects environmentalist bid to halt experiment, Capital Press 5/25/11

Help support requests to extend comment deadline for US Forest Service planning rule, posted to KBC 4/26/11

Timber company wins $6.9M, Agency failed to say the contracts would likely be targeted, Capital Press 4/14/11

"...MEMORANDUM^*  KLAMATH SISKIYOU WILDLANDS CENTER v. GRANTHAM
Plaintiffs appeal the district court's denial of their motion for preliminary injunction to halt post-fire salvage logging in Klamath National Forest" posted to KBC 3/29/11. (KBC NOTE: each plaintiff, KLAMATH SISKIYOU WILDLANDS CENTER; ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION INFORMATION CENTER; KLAMATH FOREST ALLIANCE; CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY" is supported by Earthjustice, supported by George Soros. They oppose salvage logging trees burnt up in a fire. Same force behind the NGO's in the KBRA.)

Ruling affirms environmental benefits of timber harvest, CFBF AgAlert, 3/2/11

New Spotted Owl Plan Would Hurt Rural Economy and Ignore Real Solutions, Forestry Groups Say, PR Newswire, posted to KBC 2/26/11

Medford and Coos Bay - BLM withdraws two timber sales, Mail Tribune, posted to KBC 2/5/11. (Another lawsuit against resource users by job-killers PCFFA / Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen, Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center, and others that are not listed. PCFFA sued against the Klamath Irrigators power rate, to enforce TMDL's/water quality mandates that can not be met, against irrigators along with Yurok tribe in 2001 water takings case claiming irrigators don't own right to water on deeds with water signed by US President, Siskiyou County groundwater management, etc etc. PCFFA is at the table with a coalition of several other environmental groups as stakeholders on the KBRA with many federal agencies and a couple farm leaders.)

Oregonians for Food and Shelter 1/26/11
* DEQ Proposes Revisions for Water Quality Standards to Help Reduce Toxic Pollutants in State’s Waterways; Comment deadline has been extended to Wednesday, February 23rd
* ODA offers three new publications
* Enviro's file another suit - this one effects the entire nation, not just the Northwest.
* Timber group sues FWS over 'secret meetings' on spotted owl

A timber revival for Oregon? U.S. lawmakers pledge to open more forestland for wood production,  Agencies wait for policy revision, and, Endangered Species Act seen as obstacle, 1/22/11

On Timber Job Loss in Western Siskiyou County by Karuk Tribal member James A. Waddell, 10/26/10. "I have been trying to remember all the loggers, truckers, mill workers and related jobs lost due to hoaxes of ESA, wilderness activists and biased news and continuing failures of meetings and expeditious compromises.  916 jobs lost... that is nearly 1,000 jobs times $30,000 each equals $30 million dollars times economic dollar turnover of 8 equals 240 million dollars in economic business activity in Siskiyou County's west alone."

Oregon should reclaim federally owned forests; sixty percent of them are locked beyond reach of local management, Ben Shelton, H&N, posted to KBC 9/1/10

USFS Delays Timber Harvest After Owls Spotted In Area, OPB, posted to KBC 8/9/10

Conservation groups buy working forests, Capital Press, posted to KBC 12/30/09. (KBC Note: now that the nonprofit organizations have bankrupted the logging companies by shutting down timber harvest, the nonprofits are buying up the forests so they can log them. Also, the Klamath Tribe acquisition will include taking 92,000 acres off the tax rolls, possibly trading for National Forest Land, acquiring off-project land, building power plants since they want to tear out Klamath dams, and building a casino.)

Forest activists get win in court, Case deals with 2005 Biscuit fire protests in state, H&N, posted to KBC 10/30/09. (KBC NOTE: the protests were against harvesting the timber that would rot if it wasn't harvested)

Update on Federal Land Management: Congress Acts to Prevent Wildfire Management Funds From Going to DC Parks, U.S. Calif. Congressman Wally Herger 10/9/09

Forest Service unfair to four-wheel drive group, H&N letter to editor by Larry East Jr., posted to KBC 9/7/09
Wildlife part of roads discussion, OHV users say they are being scapegoated, H&N, posted to KBC 9/7/09

Congressman Greg Walden's Oregon Congressional Connection, Forest Health 9/2/09

Over 200,000 plants removed from Seiad Valley grow operation, Siskiyou Daily News, posted to KBC 8/25/09
From the archives: **44,000 pot plants seized in 2005, Last year, 27,000 marijuana plants were confiscated, followed by Billion dollar pot business takes hit, Liz Bowen, Pioneer Press posted to KBC 11/22/05
**25,151 marijuana plants confiscated in Siskiyou County, California, Pioneer Press 10/20/04. For more on local crops, go HERE. (Anyone want to guess why Klamath Forest Alliance wants to shut down our forests to logging and the public?)
HERE for more on crops

Winema-Fremont road proposal, H&N 7/31/08. "5,472 miles of roads considered maintenance level 1 will be closed to public use. 400 miles of usercreated trails and roads will be closed to public use." 

Oregon forest plan pulled, Interior secretary scraps Bush administration’s changes, H&N, posted to KBC 7/30/09

Activists block timber sale, H&N 7/7/09. " The blockade was the culmination of a nearby forest gathering of Earth First!"
For Klamath Dam Removal Earth First protest, go HERE

Preventing natural forest fires (and logging) not the greenest idea, The Dalles Chronicle, posted to KBC 6/27/09

Sacramento meeting to kick off overhaul of federal forests plan, SacBee 6/13/09, with comments to Bee. "The forest-plan makeover kicks off at a public meeting in Sacramento July 1, at which the U.S. Forest Service will launch a three-year process to revise the management plans for 14 national forests. All federal timberland from the Sequoia National Forest north to the Oregon border is involved."

(Oregon Senator) Wyden's forest-protection bill has no regard for biology, posted to KBC 5/28/09 Statesman Journal

Greg Walden to Al Gore: Come out to Oregon and see the condition of the forests, posted to KBC 4/26/09, letter and video.

Walden asks President Obama for help putting Oregonians back to work in the woods, Congressman Walden 3/30/09

PLF PRESS RELEASE: Supreme Court Is Right To Curb Lawsuits Against Sound Forest Management, posted to KBC 3/13/09

PRESS RELEASE: (U.S. Congressman from Oregon) Greg Walden helps lead bipartisan effort to reduce catastrophic wildfire, 3/10/09. HERE for AUDIO

Walden asks President Obama for help putting Oregonians back to work in the woods, Congressman Walden 3/30/09

A life in lumber, Claud Olsen, H&N, posted to KBC 2/22/09

60 laid off at local lumber mill, H&N 1/15/09. For more on Oregon go HERE.

Feds distribute timber payments for rural counties, Capital Press 1/15/09

Administration sued over owl plan, H&N 11/25/08.  

Environmental group calls logging plan a clear cut, Capital Press 10/28/08. (KBC Note: George Sexton of Klamath-Siskiyou wildlands is again trying to shut down logging where environmental law suits have kept it shut down 10 years. He sued against logging the Biscuit Fire burnt wood, derailing timber harvest plans until the wood rotted.

Wildfire suppression vs fuel reduction, Marcia Armstrong column, posted to KBC 9/26/08

Commissioners critical of federal pine beetle plan; About 340,000 acres of forest and private land are infected, H&N, posted 9/22/08.  

Major California wilderness bills (732,000 acres) advance in Congress, Capital Press 9/11/08. (More wilderness means no timber harvest or forest thinning, rampant wildfires, loss of economies dependant of timber, cremated eagles, bambies and owls. Read the following on Klamath impacts from recent wildfires:
Forests’ funds to be diverted to firefighting; Fremont-Winema will lose $1.02 million as part of national diversion, H&N, posted to KBC 9/11/08. (KBC NOTE: Environmentalists and tribes prevent forest thinning and timber harvest, then fire wipes out your forests and wildlife. You pay with money designed to prevent fires.)

Central Oregon Ranch Owners Blame Forest Service For Fire, OPB News, posted to KBC 8/27/08. " The Forest Service was following a new policy that allowed the fire to burn as part of a forest management plan...If I'd burned garbage on our ranch, and it had spread to the forest, I'd be in prison."

Ore. governor responds to pine beetle devastation, Capital Press, posted 8/22/08. "..an insect infestation that has decimated more than 300,000 acres of pine trees in Southern Oregon."

Groups file suit over logging, H&N, posted to KBC 8/23/08
Administration cuts spotted owl habitat, H&N, posted to KBC 8/23/08. "...habitat lost to logging and wildfire and an invasion of its habitat by the barred owl."

< after the fire

Firefighting rejected in sacred areas, Washington Times, 8/17/08

Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong and environmental activist Felice Pace exchange opinions on forest taxation act 8/11/08

California Congressman Wally Herger letter to the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to expedite salvage logging process under emergency provisions, 8/7/08.
   Happy Camp, Scott Valley/Salmon River salvage logging, by Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor 8/7/08

Fire still smoking in Medicine Lake area, 8/7/08 H&N. (KBC Note-the Medicine Lake area is thick with dense dry dead wood, some diseased. It is unthinned, so when fire strikes, bunnies, bambies, eagle nests, bluebirds, and baby owls are cremated. Way to go, animal lovers!)
Wildfires growing bigger, fiercer, LA TIMES 8/7/08

Logging would help health of forests, H&N, posted to KBC 8/4/08

330,000 acres of trees prey to beetles, H&N 7/23/08. "In areas where the infestation has been recurring, he said virtually all the trees have died..." "Because of its wilderness designation, no action can be done in the Gearhart." "Gearhart Mountain Wilderness Area covers 22,823 acres in the Fremont-Winema National Forests northeast of Bly." "203,029 are under federal management,...Officials had no estimates on the value of commercial timber lost to infestation."

Forest Service explains its 'let it burn' policy, SacBee 7/19/08. (KBC NOTE: yes, gov't agencies, with tribes and enviros, created wilderness areas 'for the wildlife', which decimated the timber industry/communities/economies. The uncontrolled fires leave "that much less fuel for future, more catastrophic and expensive fires...without overwhelming the public with smoke and destroying homes."  All the bambies and spotted owls are cremated. Central CA people were forced to stay indoors or wear gas masks. Even some people in the Klamath Basin were forced to stay inside because of the air pollution from the Forest Service 'let it burn' agenda. Global warming experts blame cow burps?)

PRESS RELEASE: House passes Walden-backed wildfire fund bill, 7/9/08

9th Circuit: Judges shouldn't act as scientists, Capital Press, posted 7/9/08

(Oregon) Timber payments hit snag, H&N 6/5/08

Agreement reached in fierce timber battle, Herald and News 6/2/08.  

Judge angrily scolds court, and it responds, 9th Circuit case - Sen. Gordon Smith's brother sparks a rare review of a timber sale ruling that he said went much too far, Oregonian, posted to KBC 3/11/08.  

2008 Tongass Management Plan Announcement, 1/25/08. "The 2008 Amendment to the Tongass Plan designates almost 90 percent of the 17 million-acre Tongass National Forest as wilderness, scenic viewshed, or recreation area – off limits to economic development.  Less than 10 percent of the Tongass will be made available for timber harvest."

Last timber payment received, H&N 1/5/08

OREGON - Counties plan for (timber) funding loss, H&N 12/22/07. (KBC NOTE: yes, Oregon democrats have curtailed timber and much resource use with wildland designations and environmental laws, and now they demand federal compensation for the communities they have decimated.)

Rule blocked on logging, burning in national forests, H&N, posted to KBC 12/12/07

Administration drops logging plan, Won't pursue effort to ease salmon protections on national forest land. H&N 11/21/07

Oregon seizures of marijuana double in 2007, H&N, posted to KBC 11/8/07. Scroll toward bottom of CROP page for N California pot crops in forests
shut down to logging by and for the growers.

TPZ protest draws crowd, Eureka Reporter, posted to KBC 11/4/07

Ranking Member Rob Bishop’s Statement On Today’s Markup Of “Public Land Communities Transition Act Of 2007”, Natural Resources Committee 9/26/07. "These counties deserve their land back, but until that happens, they at least deserve some compensation for it."
PRESS RELEASE: , Bill Offering Financial Assistance To Rural Communities Harmed By Clinton Forest Policies Approved By House Natural Resources Committee, 9/26/97, Natural Resources Committee September 26, 2007

For Struggling Tribe, Dark Side to a Windfall, NY Times, 9/2/07. "...the Yurok people have already hit the jackpot. This spring, the Department of the Interior paid the tribe $92.6 million in logging proceeds, a figure roughly six times the tribe’s annual budget."

(Paisley, OR) Timber harvest project is intended to reduce fires and diseases, H&N 8/31/07

Thorn meeting's worth our time, Blue Mountain Eagle, posted to KBC 08-21-07, "A major employer in Grant County has closed its doors for lack of timber and a declining lumber market. There will be many men and women and their families directly affected by this, but Mr. Riverwind (Sierry Club) feels that the meeting would be a waste of his time."

Ruling a blow to salvage logging, H&N, posted to KBC 7/27/07. (KBC note: it's a sad sad day as those such as George Sexton would destroy the American infrastructure, towns, economies, people, for the agenda of an untouched earth. Oregon won't allow timber harvest when the trees, and little owls and bambies, are already dead and burnt. Congratulations George.) See Forest Page for more.

Timber fight pits judge vs. judges, 9th U.S. Circuit - Sen. Smith's brother blasts decisions, then faces blowback, Oregonian 7/25/07. "In an unusually blunt and wide-ranging opinion on a lawsuit over a small Idaho timber sale, Milan D. Smith Jr. blamed his own court for taking the law too far and causing much of "the decimation of the logging industry in the Pacific Northwest" and the loss of legions of timber jobs."

USGS 7/23/07, "Wildland fires in the western United States are wreaking havoc on the people, plants and wildlife in their way. As of July 13, more than 50 thousand fires had burned 2,832,759 acres in 2007.  This area burned is 20 percent more than the 10-year average (1997-2007) for the same date. For details, go to the National Interagency Fire Center Web site http://www.nifc.gov/fire_info/nfn.htm)."

Failure to clear brush aided (Tahoe) fire, officials say, Sacramento Bee 6/27/07. "In order to remove a tree with a diameter of more than 6 inches, homeowners need a permit. But many are reluctant to apply because they think TRPA will inspect their properties and find a reason to fine them, some fire officials say...People are scared to death to do anything on their own property because they are afraid of retribution; it's created this huge paralysis..."

(California) timber harvest continues its decline, Sacramento Bee, posted to KBC 6/27/07 "California's timber harvest dropped 5.4 percent in 2006 to 1.63 billion board-feet, the second-lowest level since 1936.."

The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors passed the following Resolution concerning the unmanaged state of our local National Forests and the fire threat they pose to our local communities, from Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor (April 07)

Lake Tahoe fire could have been prevented -- Greenwire 6/26/07. "Public opposition to mechanical thinning of forests at risk for wildfires contributed to the Lake Tahoe fire that has scorched 2,500 acres, proponents of the Bush administration's Healthy Forests Initiative said today."

Environmental Justice by Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor 6/22/07. "the county has lost more than 80% of our logging jobs since 1989, (from 951 jobs in 1989, to 331 in 1995, to 186 in 2004...We have seen the closure of several large sawmills mills such as High Ridge and, most recently, the Cal. Cedar Products mill in McCloud, accompanied by a loss of jobs in the mills. Only Roseberg Forest Products and Timber Products remain."

Timber cuts in spotted owl habitat proposed, H&N, posted to KBC 6/15/07

The wrong owl is winning the fight, so the feds plan to take a hand - and a gun, The Daily Courier, Grants Pass, posted to KBC 6/10/07. "FWS unveiled last week plans for spotted owl recovery that include shooting 216-576 barred owls in 18 "study areas." Implementing all of its plans would take $198 million and 30 years, the department estimates...why should the FWS - or any human, for that matter - take sides in an owl brawl and thus interfere with natural selection?...

Cousins of threatened owls may be thinned out; Plan calls for shooting spotted owl's cousin, H&N, posted 4/30/07

Forest Management Testimony, Herald and News 4/28/07,  "Helms added harvesting restrictions in U.S.  forests are creating damaging harvesting practices elsewhere in the world to satisfy demand."

OREGON - Lack of timber money closes Jackson County libraries, H&N posted to KBC 4/8/07. (KBC NOTE: Has it occurred to Oregonians that when they protest timber harvest, even of aging rotting dead trees, and create more "wilderness" where they aren't allowed to harvest even burnt or dead trees, there is no income from timber? The federal government may not be able to subsidize Oregon forever when they eliminate resource users from the economy.) More on Oregon go HERE

A loss of federal timber receipts is leading to budget trouble, 4/1/07 Herald and News (KBC note: It is interesting that the Oregon Governor Wyden who is trying to get federal funds to offset loss from lack of timber harvest has been instrumental in curtailing timber harvest, even in burned and rotting areas)

Forest Service Land Management Litigation 1989–2002, published 2006. "The land management decisions of the USDA Forest Service have been challenged and appealed frequently in federal court, and the agency believes such litigation constrains its professional expertise and frustrates effective forest management." ARTICLE: First-Ever Study Shows Complete Picture of Forest Service Litigation  

Loss of timber receipts hits city, H&N posted 3/31/07. "Road budget would see $709,000 cut"...."The Klamath sheriffs office could lose $645,382."

FORESTS: Judge forbids Forest Service from using 2005 planning regs, E&E News 3/30/07

Klamath man recalls the spotted owl's ‘heyday', H&N 3/19/07.  

Siskiyou Forest Budget  Parts 1 &2, by Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor District 5 3/17/07 "...we are receiving $250,000 rather than $4 million."

NEDC Claims Dismissed regarding timber industry and road permits, OFS 3/6/07

A government lie with a purpose, by James Beers 3/2/07, a retired US Fish & Wildlife Service Wildlife Biologist. "Today we see radicals, bureaucrats, and politicians falling over each other to stop all forest management and logging on public and private (Spotted Owls or extinct Ivory-billed Woodpeckers or Red-cockaded Woodpeckers anyone?) lands."

Court Ruling Protects Salmon and Clean Water from Harmful Logging, Earthjustice 4/4/07. (KBC NOTE: Enviros and PCFFA harm forests and timber communities again.)

Forest Service Land Management Litigation 1989–2002, published 2006. "The land management decisions of the USDA Forest Service have been challenged and appealed frequently in federal court, and the agency believes such litigation constrains its professional expertise and frustrates effective forest management." ARTICLE: First-Ever Study Shows Complete Picture of Forest Service Litigation

Karuk funded for ‘path to prosperity’, Siskiyou Daily News, posted 2/19/07. (KBC NOTE: THIS is an example of a community devastated by destruction of logging communities by so-called Endangered Species concerns. Later is was discovered more owl are killed by fire than logging.)

Owl ruling halts logging, Herald and News 2/18/07. (KBC NOTE: They do not take into consideration how many owls are fried during wildfires on unhealthy forests)

Brucker-Monkey Pot Raid, A ton of pot hauled out of Salmon River, Pioneer Press posted to KBC 12/3/06, (KBC note: Petey Brucker and Felice Pace, both from the East Coast, came to Siskiyou County and formed the Klamath Forest Alliance. KFA was instrumental in shutting down most of the timber harvest (and local economies) in Siskiyou County, keeping people out of the forest. He counts the salmon, the count that was instrumental in shutting down the coastal fishery this summer. He is Program Director of the Salmon River Restoration Council, Sawyers Bar, CA, and instrumental in films and efforts to remove the Klamath River dams. KFA bought www.klamathbasincrisis.COM and .NET, diverting lost KBC viewers to their anti-farm website. It was his daughter Alle