231 



WASHINGTON STATE FORESTS AT RISK 

 FROM THE RESaSSIONS LOGGING RIDER 



PubUc Law (104-19) 

 July 19, 19% 



Introduction 



Since the signing of the Rescissions Act Timber Rider on July 27, 1995, 

 forest defenders have put up a fierce fight to stop bad sales under the rider and 

 convince the American pubhc, the Congress, and the President that the rider 

 must be repealed. We nave suffered some difficult losses. In Washington State, 

 the Rocky Brook and Carico Cat sales on the Olympic NF, and a number of 

 units in Ecist Side sales have been logged in spite of the protests of thousands 

 and arrests of over one hvmdred citizens at Rocky Brook. 



At the same time, the threat of dearcutting the "last and best" of our 

 nation's Ancient Forests has rallied the support of citizens across the country. 

 The bill filed by Rep. Elizabeth Furse (HR 2745) to repeal the rider has 147 

 cosponsors, more by fair than any other environmental bill in the Congress. 

 President Clinton has moved to a position of support for repeal of all or part of 

 the rider and has said he will use nis administrative authority to caincel 

 destructive sales. (Regrettably, none have been cancelled or vwthdrav^m in 

 Weishington State yet). 



In Washington, as in most parts of the country, the overwhelming 

 majority of the sales that could be cut under the "logging without laws 

 Rescissions Act rider have not yet been cut and some have not been sold. This 

 report documents what's at stake in Washington State if action is not taken soon 

 to repeal the rider, and cancel destructive rider sales. 



Washington State Forests At Risk 



Washington State has much to lose from the further implementation of the 

 logging rider. Proponents of the rider used the threat of catastirophic fires to 

 justify suspending environmental laws and banning citizen appeals. But a closer 

 look reveals that most of the logging in Washington is occurring in healthy 

 Andent Forests that are not susceptible to destructive burns. Although the 

 marbled murrelet dedsion of the Ninth Circuit stopped a number of sales in 

 Washington State there are still significant salvage and Option 9 sales that 

 remain. 



Sales under the Northwest Forest Plan (Option 9) no longer have to 

 comply v«th the Plan's requirements, because dtizen appeals and court 

 challenges are banned by the rider. 



The salvage portion of the rider is also damaging Washington's Eastside 

 forests. Forests on the Eastside of Washington are fire adapted, and need 

 regular bums to dear out the underbrush. But the rider only expedites salvage 



