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populations that have been listed under the Endangered Species Act. Based upon the information 

 we currently have, it appears that the intent of the President's Plan is to maximize timber 

 harvest, consistent with providing for the viability of the spotted owl. We are very concerned 

 that the Administration envisions national forests cast of Highway 97 as a short-term source of 

 timber to help offset the timber harvest reductions on west side national forests. There is ample 

 data that many east side watersheds have already been severely degraded by past logging, 

 grazing, and mining activities. Maintenance of present levels of logging and grazing will assure 

 the continued decline and likely listing of additional salmon populations. As was stated at the 

 Forest Conference, maintenance of the status quo Is unacceptable. Dramatic changes in 

 management of east side national forests are essential if we are to have a chance of eventually 

 rebuilding depleted salmon runs. Based upon extensive reviews of the technical literature, we 

 have developed several recommendations for managing fish habitat. To properly manage and 

 protect fish habitat, the President's Plan must provide for the following on ALL federal lands 

 containing habitat for Pacific salmon: 



1) Fully protect all riparian areas from removal of vegetation by roads and logging 

 (inviolate no-cut buffers should be at least as large as those identified for the most 

 important watersheds under Option 9); 



2) Eliminate or sharply reduce grazing on sensitive, degraded riparian areas until the 

 vegetation has recovered; 



3) Implement lower impact grazing systems aimed at the rapid recovery of vegetation in all 

 other areas; 



4) Aggressively reduce the road mileage in most watersheds and improve the drainage on 

 all roads that remain; 



5) Reduce logging levels (lengthen timber rotations) and implement lower impact logging 

 systems; 



6) Eliminate logging and road construction in sensitive, unstable terrain; and 



7) Prohibit logging and road construction in roadless areas. 



