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ACTION ALERT ARCHIVE
COEJL ACTION ALERT:
Protect National Forest Roadless Areas (6/5/00)
Forest Service Announces Timid Protection Plan for National Forest Roadless Areas:
YOUR VOICE NEEDED TO TRULY PROTECT REMAINING WILD FORESTS.
Dear Jewish friend of the environment:
As you know, COEJL's national office and COEJL activists around the U.S. have been actively involved for several years in advocating various strategies to protect the remaining roadless areas in our National Forests. We selected this issue as a priority because of the scope of positive potential impact on the preservation of threatened and endangered habitats and species. Already, over 377,810 miles of roads -- enough to circle the Earth 15 times -- crisscross U.S. National Forests. Protecting remaining roadless areas in National Forests is a vital strategy in preserving, and eventually restoring, biodiversity in North America.
Our collective Jewish voice, alongside the voices of hundreds of other organizations and communities, has played a vital role in motivating President Clinton and the U.S. Forest Service to develop an historic plan to protect millions of acres of pristine forest. We have sent individual letters, faxes, and emails. We have signed on to interfaith letters and newspaper advertisements. COEJL's director attended a White House strategy meeting in advance of the President's announcement.
It is again time to weigh in on this issue.
In May, the U.S. Forest Service released its draft plan in fulfillment of President Clinton's directive, issued in October, 1999. Unfortunately, the preferred alternatives in the Forest Service's draft plan fail to measure up to the levels of protection called for by the American public:
- The Forest Service would not bar logging for sale of timber in roadless areas.
- The Forest Service fails to provide any protection to the Tongass National Forest in Alaska, the nation's largest national forest.
- The Forest Service would not bar mining, oil and gas development, or off-road vehicle use in roadless areas.
This plan would mean that we tragically miss the historic opportunity to protect as many as 60 million of the 192 million acres in the National Forest system from logging and other commercial development. President Clinton's announcement was heralded as a bold step, garnering widespread support from environmentalists, scientists, the faith community, hunting enthusiasts, recreation groups, and others. More than 750,000 citizen comments - the vast majority of them in favor of ending all logging in roadless forest areas - have flooded the Administration over the past year.
From now until July 17th, the Forest Service will be taking public input on its draft policy, both through written comment and approximately 400 public hearings.
The fate of our wild forests lies in the hands of the American people and President Clinton. With a strong show of support for the President's proposal during this next comment period, we can help ensure that the Forest Service implements true protection for our the remnant of wild forests that remain. Please take action (see below) and spread the word!
COEJL's POSITION ON PROTECTION OF ROADLESS AREAS IN NATIONAL FORESTS
Our Jewish heritage calls on us to serve as protectors and defenders of God's magnificent creations. In a brief moment in the life of our planet, we have destroyed all but a remnant of the ancient forests. It is our duty -- as people of faith, and citizens of our nation, our world, and our biosphere -- to safeguard and weave together this patchwork of remnants as best we can as our legacy for generations to come.
In order to fulfill this obligation, COEJL believes that the federal government should establish a system of interconnected, strictly protected biological preserves on land, in fresh water, and in the sea.
COEJL believes that public lands should be managed to preserve and restore biological diversity, and that government should not subsidize logging, mining, or grazing on public lands. Furthermore, we believe such activities should be immediately suspended in all old-growth forests and other threatened habitats on public lands. The protection of roadless areas is a necessary step in achieving these objectives.
ACTION NEEDED:
1. SEND A LETTER to the U.S. Forest Service as part of the official comment period-open until July 17, 2000. A sample letter is attached. See below.
2. ATTEND A PUBLIC HEARING with the COEJL Affiliate / COEJL activists in your area. An alphabetized listing of hearings is attached. See below. Participate in a pre-hearing briefing via conference call.
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| The Roadless Areas Hearings: What To Expect and How You Can Make a Difference |
| Date: |
Wednesday, June 14 |
| Time: |
8:00 - 8:45 PM EDT |
| Call-in #: |
702.699.7349 (you will incur long-distance charges for this call) |
| Presenters: |
Suellen Lowry, EarthJustice Legal Defense Fund
Matt Jacobson, Heritage Forests Campaign |
Suellen and Matt will provide an overview of relevant ecology and policy in the roadless areas initiative and review the Clinton proposal. They will describe the hearing/comment process, and outline talking points to use at your local hearing. We will discuss how and why forest protection is a Jewish issue, and together, will develop a COEJL strategy for the hearings. |
DIRECTIONS FOR SENDING A LETTER
Please send an official comment to the Forest Service saying that you want to stop logging and other harmful activities in all our national forest wildlands, including the Tongass National Forest.
COEJL STRONGLY encourages you to make edits directly to the sample letter below. Put both the rationale and the policy points into your own words by (for example) adding some of your own points about why you care about pristine parts of the U.S. national forests (your personal experiences with wilderness, etc.). An individualized letter is best, but please take action even if you don't have time to personalize the letter.
- CUT AND PASTE THE LETTER BELOW INTO A SEPARATE DOCUMENT
- EDIT THE LETTER SO THAT IT IS IN YOUR OWN WORDS
- PRINT IT OUT ON PLAIN PAPER OR YOUR LETTERHEAD
- SIGN, and SEND TO THE ADDRESS ON THE LETTER
Thank you. Please email a copy of your letter to COEJLinDC@coejl.org.
For more information, contact Ari Gilbert, COEJL's Washington DC Legislative Assistant at COEJLinDC@coejl.org or (202)-387-2800 ext. 29.
You may also want to visit the Heritage Forests web site at http://www.ourforests.org/.
Sample letter
| June 6, 2000
Mr. Michael Dombeck
Chief
USDA Forest Service - CAET
Attn: Roadless Areas Proposed Rule
P.O. Box 221090
Salt Lake City, UT 84122
Dear Chief Dombeck,
I am writing to support the strongest possible policy to protect roadless areas in all National Forests.
The protection of roadless regions coincides with my religious beliefs as a Jew. For years, I have watched with dismay as many of God's creatures have been driven to extinction, largely due to the loss of key habitats. As Jews we are commanded to preserve and protect Creation. As the Bible teaches, God told Israel that "The land is mine. You are but my tenants." It is our solemn obligation to protect and preserve creation. Furthermore, while generations-past took for granted the experience of awe-inspiring woodlands, perhaps most Americans alive today have never witnessed the glory of God as expressed in our ancient forests.
Along with the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL), I believe that public lands should be managed to preserve and restore biological diversity.
By allowing logging and other destructive activities in roadless areas, and excluding the Tongass National Forest, the proposed alternatives in the draft roadless area environmental impact statement (Draft EIS) will not adequately protect the last of our wild forests. I urge you to issue a final policy that will provide lasting and immediate protection for all National Forest roadless areas without loopholes, exemptions, or waivers.
I ask that the final policy permanently halt logging, roadbuilding, oil and gas exploration, mining, off-road vehicle use and other destructive activities in all roadless areas in all national forests. As such, I support strengthened versions of alternatives 4 (including the Tongass National Forest in Alaska) and D to prohibit all destructive activities in all roadless areas larger than 1000 acres.
I ask, with great urgency, that you consider my comments as part of the official record for the national forest roadless area draft EIS.
If implemented in a comprehensive manner, President Clinton's initiative represents an extraordinary opportunity for us to fulfill our obligation as tenants in God's world, preventing destruction of the last remaining wild forests and creating a legacy of strictly protected forest ecosystems. It is my hope and prayer that this obligation is fulfilled. Thank you for considering my comment.
Sincerely,
[Your signature]
[Your name]
[Your address, city, state, and zip]
cc: The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton
The White House
Washington, DC 20500 |
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PUBLIC MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR ROADLESS INITIATIVE
In the next few weeks, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) will hold approximately 400 public hearings throughout the country, many of which correspond to the COEJL affiliate locations that follow. Please attend these meetings and speak in favor of the strongest possible plan.
To put together a statement, start with the language and points in the "COEJL's POSITION ON PROTECTION OF ROADLESS AREAS IN NATIONAL FORESTS" and the letter above.
If you plan to attend a hearing, please contact Ari Gilbert, COEJL's Washington DC Legislative Assistant, to coordinate with others in your area and the national effort. You can reach Ari at COEJLinDC@coejl.org or (202)-387-2800 ext. 29.
Lend Your Voice to an Interfaith Letter
In addition to sending letters and attending hearings by July 17th, COEJL urges you to sign on to and circulate the following interfaith letter. Please bring it to the attention of your rabbis and other Jewish community leaders in your community.
1. Add your name to the interfaith sign-on letter below by JULY 10 - see below.
2. Share this alert and information with others, particularly rabbis and other Jewish leaders in your community.
Sign-On letter
| "Oh Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all." (Psalm 104:24) Dear President Clinton and Vice President Gore:
As members of communities of faith in the United States, we believe we are called to care for God's creation. We are writing to applaud the vision you have presented for a policy to provide lasting protection for roadless areas in our national forests. It is imperative to protect these pristine areas, the handiwork of God that remains intact on our national forests.
However, we are seriously concerned about the draft policy proposed on May 9 by the U.S. Forest Service. In our view, the proposal does not live up to your vision, nor does it fulfill our responsibility to respect God's creation in these increasingly rare wild forests. The two issues of greatest concern are the proposal's failure to provide immediate protection for roadless areas of Alaska's Tongass rainforest, and its failure to prohibit logging, in addition to road building, in all national forest roadless areas. In order to preserve the essential value of pristine wilderness as we understand it, options that fully address these issues must be included.
The instruction to care for creation is found in Scripture as well as other religious and ethical teachings. The earth belongs to God (Psalm 24:1, Leviticus 25:23, Isaiah 41:20), and God has declared that the totality of creation is "very good" (Genesis 1:31). We are tenants called "to till and keep" the garden (Genesis 2:15). We believe we must strive to fulfill our stewardship responsibility faithfully.
Moreover, it is often in wild places, such as pristine forests, that we encounter creation's sheer magnificence. There, in awe and serenity, our hearts turn to God. We praise God for all the goodness we have received; we are "glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done marvelous things" (Joel 2:21). It would be sad to deny to future generations wild forest areas that offer this opportunity for spiritual sustenance and growth.
Roadless areas should be safeguarded not only because they offer a glimpse of nature as God created it, but also because of the ecological values they provide. For example, these areas are vital to a wide variety of God's species and to life-sustaining, clean water. Many species need refuge offered by the undisturbed habitat found in national forest pristine areas, and these regions are a crucial source of our nation's water supply.
Yet roadless areas in national forests are increasingly rare gems in a dwindling wilderness. About half of the acreage in our national forests has been degraded by logging, mining, and other activities, as well as road building. Therefore, we urge you to safeguard roadless areas by formulating an effective policy that addresses the wide variety of actions that damage forests. As you have said, these areas are far too valuable to sacrifice for a mere "5% of 5%" of our domestic timber production. In addition, we urge you to include in your final policy roadless areas in Alaska's Tongass, which is not only our nation's largest national forest, but also the location of the largest remaining tracts of old growth temperate rainforest in the world.
We appreciate this opportunity to express our views and urge you to protect fully the remnants that remain.
Sincerely,
[The following are a few of the signatures of national leadership on this letter as of June 5.]
Owen D. Owens, American Baptist National Ministries, Ecology and Racial Justice Program
Cal DeWitt, Director, AuSable Institute Ann Alexander, Chair, Christian Environmental Council
Mark X. Jacobs, Director, Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL)
J. Daryl Byler, Director, Mennonite Central Committee - U.S. Washington Office
Tina Willemsma and Rev. Fr. Christopher Bender, Co-chairs, National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Working Group
The Reverend Elenora G. Ivory, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Washington Office
John D. Paarlberg, Minister for Social Witness and Worship, Reformed Church in America
Jaydee Hanson, Assistant General Secretary
Paz Artaza-Regan, Program Director/Environmental Justice
Ministry of God's Creation, General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church
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