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Allegheny Nat'l. Forest Under Attack
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TAXPAYER ASSETS PROJECT - NATURAL RESOURCES POLICY ADVISORY
(please distribute freely)
TAP-RESOURCES
August 2, 1996
This post was prepared for TAP distribution by the
Environmental Resources Information Network on
behalf of Allegheny Defense Project (ADP). Thanks
to Ned Daly and the folks at ADP for their assist-
ance. -Arthur Clark, ERIN Project Coordinator
INTRODUCTION
The Allegheny National Forest is the only national forest in
Pennsylvania. As such, it is of great concern to forest advocates of
the Commonwealth. Like other national forests, its management by the
U.S. Forest Service is far from ecologically sound.
The Allegheny Defense Project (ADP) is a grassroots group of
forest defenders dedicated to fighting for the land and creatures of
the ANF. ADP is a small, low-profile operation, so few people outside
of the area around the ANF have ever heard of it. Until now, ADP has
never sent out a call for outside assistance. However, the situation
that ADP and the creatures of the ANF now face is very grave. We
urgently ask that everyone who can do so to help us study, challenge,
and defeat the monstrous timber sale proposal currently being planned
by the Forest Service for the ANF. Below is a short description of
the sale, followed by what you can do to help defend the Alleghenies
against this devastation.
The "Forest Health" Scam Comes to Pennsylvania
Under the guise of "treating" stands to counter the effects of
"forest decline," the U.S. Forest Service is planning a massive 31
million board-feet (MMBF) timber sale project in Pennsylvania's
Allegheny National Forest. The project is called "Mortality II."
It is the second phase of the ANF plan to supposedly improve
forest health by cutting both green and dying trees using
clearcutting, salvage thinning, and commercial thinning methods.
The first phase of this plan, the Mortality I project, is already
being implemented after approval in June 1995.
The Mortality II project calls for an initial 20.3 MMBF of
timber, cut from over 5,000 acres. The cutting will occur in ten
delineated "Treatment Areas" throughout the Forest. Additionally,
the project calls for over 10 MMBF of timber cutting on 2,000
acres, once regeneration is established in previously logged areas.
Many of the Mortality II Treatment Areas are adjacent to areas to
be cut under the Mortality I project. The close proximity of many
areas to be cut calls into question whether either the Mortality I
or Mortality II analysis can possibly evaluate what is essentially
one enormous project. Last year's total annual cut on the ANF was
approximately 55 MMBF, less than twice the volume of the Mortality
II project alone.
One might imagine that in planning such a massive project with
such an obviously significant level of impact, that the Forest
Service might dispense with the formality of preparing an
Environmental Assessment (EA) to determine whether an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) or a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
is in order. Not a chance. In fact, the Mortality II EA issued by
the ANF was only 45 pages in length, excluding maps and appendices.
A preliminary examination of the EA by the ADP revealed
extremely serious problems with the information provided and the
project itself. The following are but a small sampling of these:
* clearcutting and salvage thinning of previously protected
old growth stands
* highly suspect "tiering" of the Mortality II EA to the
inadequate Mortality I project EA
* project impacts on Pennsylvania-designated High Quality
(Tier 2) Cold Water Fishery trout streams, so designated
pursuant to the CWA
* possible NEPA violations, including exclusion of scoping
comments submitted by ADP activist Jim Kleissler and failure
to respond to comments submitted by others
* false and misleading descriptions and tables concerning
Present Conditions and Forest Plan-prescribed Desired Future
Conditions (DFCs) of the forest, used to justify the proposed
logging activities
WHAT YOU CAN DO
ADP urgently needs assistance in evaluating this project. The
COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE EA ENDS AUGUST 19. Due to the terrible
inadequacy of the information provided to the public in the
scoping letter and EA, ADP will be conducting a massive file review
of the Mortality I and Mortality II project files from August 12
through August 16. Anyone who can travel to north-western
Pennsylvania to help is urged to come. Please contact ADP as soon
as possible to make the necessary arrangements. (see "CONTACTS"
section below)
All other people willing to help should also contact ADP
immediately. We can use all the help we can get, in-person or on a
consultation basis, with all of the following and more:
* mailing or faxing letters about the sale: write/fax
and tell ANF Forest Supervisor John Palmer that an
EIS is needed to properly study and document a
project of this size and potential impact; also
tell him there should be no logging of old growth
areas, whether or not they are "officially"
protected (see "CONTACTS" section below)
* legal consultation on NEPA, FOIA, NFMA and ESA issues
* guidance on interpretation of CIR (G R IR -> B G R)
1:12,000 aerial photos
* fieldwork and consultation on locating listed or candidate
species (both plants and animals, e.g. hellbender, n.
goshawk, eastern small footed shrew, small-whorled
pogonia, etc.)
CONTACTS
To help:
Jim Kleissler
Susan Curry
ADP
P.O. Box 245
Clarion, PA 16214
(814) 226-5224
(814) 678-2404 fax
<mortality@essential.org>
(scientific, legal and policy experts please contact ERIN at
814-678-0007, 814-678-2404 fax or <aclark@essential.org> if
you are inquiring during normal business hours Mon. - Fri.)
To write letters to:
John Palmer
Forest Supervisor
Allegheny National Forest
P.O. Box 847
Warren, PA 16365
(814) 723-5150
(814) 726-1465 fax
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