Budget Talks Will Decide Forest Fate

[Ned Daly <ndaly@tap.org>]

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  TAXPAYER ASSETS PROJECT - NATURAL RESOURCES POLICY ADVISORY
  (please distribute freely)
  
  TAP-RESOURCES
  September 23, 1996
  
  	This alert comes from the Western Ancient Forest Campaign. For 
  more details on this effort contact WAFC at: wafcdc@igc.apc.org
  *	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
  
  Subject:  BUDGET TALKS WILL DECIDE FOREST
  FATE
  
       The headline story in today's Congress Daily reports that
  White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta is "pleased" with
  progress in negotiations over the FY 97 omnibus appropriations
  package.  Panetta reports that Hill Republicans are "far more
  willing to cooperate" in reaching agreement than last year because
  "they're anxious to get out of town."  September 27, one week
  from today, remains the target adjournment date for Congress,
  with Congressional leaders hoping to reach agreement with the
  White House and bring the omnibus appropriations bill to the
  floor next week. 
  
       This omnibus bill will consist of the unfinished FY 97
  appropriations bills, including the Interior Bill that funds the
  Forest Service.  A PROVISION IN THIS BILL TO END THE
  LOGGING RIDER AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR (9/30/96)
  IS OUR GOAL.  Negotiations over this bill -- specifically,
  whether the White House asks for Rider repeal and then puts it
  on their "short list" of must-have items -- will determine whether
  the Rider is repealed in the 104th Congress.    
  
       Some good news is that the same issue of Congress Daily
  identifies the Rider as one of several issues that may be brought
  to the negotiations.  "One trouble spot that may arise involves
  the logging issue," Congress Daily reports, citing the letter sent
  by Rep. Elizabeth Furse to the White House yesterday with
  signatures of 105 House Members including four Republican
  committee chairs.
      
       Yesterday, we met together with a group of forest activists
  in town for our "lobby week" at the White House with
  representatives of the White House Office of Political Affairs, the
  CEQ, and OMB.  The White House has officially asked the
  Senate to include Rider repeal in the legislation that funds the
  Forest Service.  But I must say, based on our conversations
  yesterday, that we have some heavy lifting to do to get the
  White House to make Rider repeal a "deal breaker."  The issue is
  on their screen.  They know they have a problem.  They didn't
  try to tell us that sale cancellations would solve all of our
  problems.
  
       This is the time to pull out all the stops to convince the
  White House that they must insist on ending the Rider in the FY
  97 spending bill.
  
       Please activate your phone trees to call the White House
  comment lines, (202)456-1111 and (202)456-6797   The second
  number is Leon Panetta's comment line, the fax is 202/456-2883
  and the email is president@whitehouse.gov  Please ask your
  Congressional friends to call Leon Panetta or otherwise ask the
  White House to include Rider repeal.  Please utilize whatever
  other means you have to get key people to contact Panetta and
  others in the White House.        
  
       Time is short, but we are very close.  An intensive effort
  over this next few days can make the difference in ending the
  worse environmental law of the 104th Congress, and saving some
  of the "last and best" of our Great Forests.
  
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