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ACTION ALERT ARCHIVE
COEJL ACTION ALERT:
TU B'SHVAT ACTION ALERT – 2002 / 5762
Speak up to Protect America’s National Forests! (1/22/02)
| The following action alert postcard can be downloaded in PDF format to photocopy for distribution at Tu B'Shvat seders and other events. It is two pages to be photocopied back to back and cut into four postcards. These should be sent directly to the U.S. Forest Service before February 19, 2002.
Download the PDF version of the POSTCARD.
Download Adobe Acrobat reader (required to download PDF format materials). |
BACKGROUND
On December 14, 2001, the U.S. Forest Service implemented several new interim directives that will undermine the environmental protections under the National Forest Roadless Area Conservation Rule issued in January, 2001. Through COEJL, the Jewish community played an important and visible role in the years-long effort to bring about this historic conservation policy. These new directives are an attempt to reopen our National Forest roadless areas to logging, and will last 18 months.
These new directives:
- Eliminate the requirement that there must be a "compelling need" to build roads in roadless areas;
- Give the Forest Service added discretion to determine the necessity of an environmental impact statement;
- Remove special protection for small and uninventoried roadless areas that border wilderness or inventoried areas; and
- Weaken protections of old growth in roadless areas. Under the directives, logging and road building projects in roadless areas are subject to approval by the Forest Service Chief or Regional Foresters until local forest managers complete a vague "roads analysis" that would meet a lower standard.
A 60-day public comment period on the new directives was announced in the Federal Register on December 20th. Comments are due February 19, 2002.
WHY ME AND WHY NOW?
On Tu B’Shvat, the New Year of Trees, we are reminded that our Jewish heritage calls on us to serve as protectors and defenders of God’s magnificent creations, ensuring safe passage of all creatures from one era to the next by protecting their habitats. It is our duty to safeguard and weave together the patchwork of remnant forests as best we can. Tu B’Shvat has become a sort of “Jewish Earth Day” and serves as a time to reflect on the importance of nature in our lives. This Tu B’Shvat, take action and speak up to protect America’s national forests!
Please print and sign the following postcard, and send it to:
Mail:
USFS CAT Attention: Road Policy
P.O. Box 221150
Salt Lake City, UT 84122
You may also fax it to: USFS CAT, Attention: Road Policy - 801-517-1021
If you have the time to write a note or letter in your words, please do so. Thank you.
| Dear Forest Service, Tu B'Shvat, 2002
In this season, Jews around the world celebrate the holiday of Tu B’Shvat, the New Year of Trees, when we are reminded that our heritage calls on us to serve as protectors and defenders of God’s magnificent creations, ensuring safe passage of all creatures from one era to the next by protecting their habitats. It is our duty to safeguard and weave together the patchwork of remnant forests as best we can.
I am writing to urge that the protections established by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule and the Transportation Policy adopted in January 2001 remain as issued. Our National Forests currently contain over 383,000 miles of roads and the maintenance backlog on that road system now exceeds $8 billion. Furthermore, the new directives issued in December, 2001, continue the Forest Service policy of turning over all roadless area management decisions to the local forest planning process, which has tended to favored logging and other development of roadless areas. This marks a return to the same failed management policy that created the need for the Roadless Area Conservation Rule in the first place.
Respectfully yours:
Signature:_____________________________
Name:________________________________ E-mail:_______________________________
Address:______________________________ City/State/Zip:_________________________
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