The Sierra Forest Voice
Web Edition
Vol. 1, No. 1, May 1, 2007
Sierra Forest Legacy Launches!
On March 1, 2007 our organization, The Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign, announced that we had expanded our mission and long-term commitment to conservation solutions, and will now be known as Sierra Forest Legacy. Sierra Forest Legacy will continue to support forest conservation and ecological restoration in the national forests throughout the Sierra Nevada. In addition, we are expanding our partnerships with local communities to ensure fire safety for local residents throughout the Sierra Nevada via our Community Forestry Program. We are very excited about our proactive programs and broader focus and we look forward to working with our partners to ensure lasting protection for the forests of the Range of Light. Read more...
Forest Plan Revision for Lake Tahoe Basin
Despite a recent court ruling which went against the 2005 Planning Rule that the Forest Plan revision process is based on, the Forest Service is continuing the eighteen month process of writing a new Forest Plan for the entire Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. While there are some signs early in this process that the Forest Service could follow a scientifically responsible approach to dealing with the fuel load problem in the Forest (such as noting that the problem is indeed trees under 16" in diameter, CER, Ch. 1 pg. 31) the entire process appears to be another attempt by the Bush administration to weaken the protections for our most treasured natural paces. Read more on this planning process..
Community Forestry Update: The “Evolving West”
One hundred years of over-cutting and fire suppression combined with industry consolidation has left forests and communities in the Sierra Nevada in dire straits. Fire danger and forest restoration costs have both increased over the years, leading to a predicament that leaves all of us who care about the health of Sierra Nevada forests and the communities that call them home uneasy. Sierra Forest Legacy is working hard to help communities develop sustainable enterprises that restore our forests and ensure long-lasting community protection while nurturing the region's social capital. Read more about our vision of protecting and supporting communities and restoring the forests in the "Evolving West" here.
Forest Conservation Update: The Kings River Project
On March 20, 2007 the Forest Service denied Sierra Forest Legacy's and the California Attorney General's appeal of the misguided Kings River logging plan. Phase I of the proposal commands the logging of 13,700 acres over three years in high quality Pacific fisher habitat on the Sierra National Forest east of Fresno, California. In total the Kings River proposal calls for a 131,000 acre project over a 30-year period which is designed to "regulate" forest vegetation by attempting to conform to an out-dated mathematical growth model rather than to rely on current forest ecology research and the expert opinions of wildlife ecologists. Read the supporting documents relating to this unwise project...
Community Protection: Partnering with Firewise Communities/USA
Fire is an integral part of the Sierra Nevada. With more and more people relocating to this beautiful place where mountains meet communities, the risk of natural forest-restoring fires burning our homes is increasing. For this reason, Sierra Forest Legacy, with the goal of protecting Sierra Nevada communities and resources, has adopted the forward-thinking Firewise Communities/USA program. Firewise Communities/USA is a program that provides communities the tools to prepare for wildfires. By adopting Firewise Communities/USA standards we can take responsibility for the protection of our own homes and our communities rather than relying on our hard-working firefighters by ensuring that community protection starts at home. Read more about this exciting program...
Forest Service attempts to sidestep Forest Monitoring requirements
The Forest Service in Region 5 is attempting to sidestep one of the most important tools the public has for gauging management impacts and environmental health. The monitoring of wildlife species including sensitive species and management indicator species one of the few ways land managers can be held accountable for the effects of their decisions. Monitoring has long been the under-funded “step-child” of the forest planning process until recently when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of environmental plaintiffs on two key cases in California. The Red Star Fire Salvage and the Power and Fred’s Fire Salvage cases affirm that forest plan monitoring for habitat and population trends is the law. Region 5 is now attempting to circumvent important monitoring requirements in the 2001/2004 Sierra Nevada Framework by amending the forest plans of the 11 Sierra Nevada national forests to significantly weaken forest monitoring requirements. Read more...
Learn what’s happening on Capitol Hill
Want to find out what is going on in Washington D.C. regarding the environment? The websites for the U.S. Senate and House Committees provide important information regarding planned hearings and legislative action. There are also important search engines for tracking legislation and daily actions of Federal agencies. Read more about these and other resources... (WHERE to put LINK for NEW SITE)