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Fallen timber

Repeal of logging law would protect forests

Environmental protection has emerged as a salient campaign issue in 1996. Ron Wyden, a Democrat who recently won a special U.S. Senate election in Oregon, campaigned on environmental issues; many pundits predicted that this platform helped him win. Republicans have begun discussing environmental issues as well. In response, Sen. Bill Bradley (D-N.J.) recently proposed a bill that would repeal the timber salvage rider-logging laws. Congress and the White House should join support this measure -- it is a giant step toward protecting national forests across America.

The timber salvage rider, signed into law last July as part of Congress' Budget Rescissions Bill, has resulted in widespread and irreparable damage to many of America's national forests. Congress ignored the rider at hearings and in public forums; it accompanied the unrelated bill that provided disaster-relief for the Oklahoma City bombing victims -- a no-brainer. Since its passage, activists have demonstrated at ancient forest logging sites. There have been demonstrations by citizens at ancient forest logging sites.

Hundreds of acres of ancient forests have been logged and 4-billion board feet of timber are scheduled to be sold and logged under the rider. Total repeal of the rider is necessary -- healthy forests are being destroyed under the guise of "salvage timber."

In his State of the Union address last month, Clinton said, "We can expand the economy without hurting the environment." The timber salvage rider bill is counterproductive to a collaborative economic and environmental plan. The demand for board feet of timber has decreased over the past year, but the rider encourages mass destruction of national forests without regulation. While ecological damage escalates among fish and wildlife habitats, harming fishing and other industries, only logging industries benefit from the short-term economic gains of massive logging without laws.

Americans will feel the losses from the timber salvage rider. The federal government applies tax money to build roads into heavily forested areas. Public timber is sold at bargain prices at the expense of decades of forests; clear-cutting destroys streams and their ecosystems. Furthermore, restoring the forests in future decades will be more expensive than protecting them now. Only total repeal of the rider will protect both the taxpayer and the forest.

Repeal of the rider -- one of the most anti-environmental bill in history -- will turn the tide of anti-environmentalism in Congress. If this bill exempts industries from all environmental regulations, the legitimacy of current and future environmental protection bills will be lost. As the election approaches, Congress need not become mired in political ploys -- members should protect the environment rather than help to destroy it just for a few votes.