NEWS: PRESS RELEASE ARCHIVE

Action to Protect Forests Works:

President Clinton Announces Plan to Protect Roadless Areas in National Forests

Jan. 7, 2001 - At a ceremony on October 13 at the George Washington National Forest in Virginia, the President instructed the Forest Service to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement concerning the preservation of roadless areas in National Forests across the nation. The initiative may protect as many as 60 million of the 192 million acres in the national forest system from logging and other commercial development.

An intensive grassroots organizing effort spearheaded by the Heritage Forests Campaign resulted in the President's announcement. COEJL activists participated in the campaign by signing a letter from people of faith over the summer urging the President to protect roadless areas.

COEJL looks forward to supporting the Administration's efforts over the coming months to develop a policy which maximizes the acreage of old growth forest habitats that will be off limits to logging, mining, oil drilling, road-building, and other activities which damage forest ecosystems.

The Home Depot Agrees to Phase Out Sale of Old-Growth Timber

After several years of pressure from environmental groups spearheaded by Rainforest Action Network, The Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement retailer, agreed in August to phase out all sales of wood from endangered forests by 2002. The company will give preference to wood certified as sustainably harvested by the Certified Forest Products Council. Home Depot is now encouraging other lumber retailers to follow suit.

The company's two chief executives, Arthur Blank and Bernard Marcus are both leaders in the Atlanta Jewish community. Mr. Marcus served as international chair of United Jewish Communities' General Assembly in Atlanta in November, 1999.