* puts 'for sale' sign on America's largest national forest

[babylonsister]

Bush Opens Roadless Tongass National Forest to Logging


JUNEAU, Alaska - Yesterday, the Bush administration put a “for sale” sign on trees in pristine roadless areas of the Tongass rainforest in Alaska - America’s largest national forest.

This move by Bush officials to reverse roadless area protections parallels two others made recently in national forests located in Idaho and Colorado.

Conservationists from across the country are indignant that roads will be punched through some of the nation’s last, best roadless areas to allow private corporations to log America’s public lands.

“The few remaining roadless areas of our national forests are some of the only safe harbors for America’s wildlife,” said Mary Beth Beetham at Defenders of Wildlife. “As global warming threatens to dramatically change the landscape we must have the foresight to preserve these last remaining pristine forests for future generations. It’s folly for the Bush administration, in its last few months, to work to destroy these areas.”

In December 2003, Bush officials “temporarily” exempted Alaska’s Tongass rainforest from the Clinton era Roadless Rule, designed to protect 58 million acres of roadless wild forests in 39 states.

The Bush administration’s new management plan for the Tongass National Forest will raise no revenue for the U.S. government, as the U.S. taxpayers will have to pay to build the roads the timber companies need to access the forest. :grr:

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/01/26/6648/

[HowHasItComeToThis]

1. GET OUT GEORGE, JUST GET OUT... SUCH A SLIME

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[Hydra]

2. That's so like *

Not only do we get royally screwn, we have to pay for it, too!

[MikeNearMcChord]

3. Or is this how we will pay off our debt to foreign investors?

Our federal lands are just right for the pickings too! Despite the Hillary/Obama wars, this is just one of many reasons why we need to rid the government of the Bush/Reagan/neoconservative/free market crime syndicate and vote out the Repugs and keep them out until that strain is eradicated!

[sellitman]

4. Monsters of the 1st order.

I don't believe in Heaven Or Hell but if I did the bushies all belong where its very hot.

Kicked and rated for disgust.

[1620rock]

6. He sold his soul, why not the forests.

[mod mom]

5. Isn't it up to congress? These aren't *'s private lands to sell!

[jody]

7. Bush is systematically bankrupting the U.S. and looting its treasures. I wonder where are those

who hunt and fish and make their living guiding on this issue?

[tabasco]

8. I hope the Democrats can stop some of this destruction.

There is no doubt the corrupt republican regime will only accelerate its looting and destruction as puppet Bush's term nears an end.

[samdogmom]

9. GRRRR! Words just fail me right now!

What a jackass! He has truly doesn't have any inkling on how to establish a legacy! I hope there's a note on this forest that Dubya sold it out!

[Joanne98]

10. GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

[gateley]

11. Was there some kind of vote on this does anybody know?

Is there anything we can DO to prevent this???

HELP!

[babylonsister]

14. I really don't know. I don't recall a thing about this until I saw the article. And

"HELP" is right! x(

[belpejic]

12. Truly and absolutely disgusting

We should be encouraging our fellow US citizens and citizens of the world to conserve. And if we are going to open these forests our government should set a market price for the right to harvest and strict environmental guidelines to govern the harvest. Anything else is just a bass ackward giveaway to greedy and irresposible interests.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. If he were facing impeachment proceedings, he'd be too busy for this

mischief.