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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us Editorial: Senate defeats suggest more than firefighting We must be careful as we turn on the nightly news to the horrific scene of wildfires scorching southern California right now. Politicians, hellbent on opening up more forest lands for logging have already begun to use the emotional pull of homes in flames to pass troubling legislation on Capitol Hill. In simple terms, a great debate resides on how to control these wildfires. Environmentalists say remove small trees and underbrush around the outskirts of forest areas, closer to people's homes. Much of the current legislation suggests clear-cutting areas for breaks in the fuels that propel wildfires. Thursday as the fires continued their tragic attack on quaint mountain resort communities like Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, lawmakers crushed environmentalist attempts to curtail a fuel reduction bill rapidly making its way towards a president with an itchy bill-signing finger, determined to open season on old growth forest. Several pro-environment senators sought to amend the latest fuel reduction bill, HR 1904. The news is particularly bleak: Senator Bingaman offered an amendment to require the treatment of slash and other long term fuels management for hazardous fuels reduction projects, which was rejected by a vote of 36-58. Senator Leahy's amendment to strike the judicial review and administrative appeals sections of the bill, was tabled, and therefore defeated, by a vote of 62-33. Senator Boxer offered an amendment to dedicate 70 percent of funding to the WUI. This amendment was tabled, and therefore defeated, by a vote of 61-34. Senator Murray offered an amendment to protect old growth. This amendment was tabled, and therefore defeated, by a vote of 62-32. Senator Cantwell offered her NEPA amendment. This amendment was tabled, and therefore defeated, by a vote of 57-34. Each of these were designed to minimize the impact of logging on these so-called fuel reduction bills. Each went up in flames. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and our own Ron Wyden claim these are not logging bills. But the demise of mediating amendments like Sen. Murray's protection of old growth suggests otherwise. Wildfires are not the enemy. But lawmakers intent on turning the scant remaining old growth forests into monocultural tree planations are. Using tragedies like the southern California wildfires as fuel for political and financial gain is beyond the realm of acceptability. Now is a good time to let Congress know we disapprove. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Free Musick Downloads Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks Heloc Calenders 2005 Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Memory Foam Mattress tcg student loan consolidation Home Equity Loans teleconferencing W2 Forms cortisol weight loss Diamonds Paris Hilton Mesothelioma Free Home-Loan Referrals Tatoos Website Design & Marketing Student Loans African Safari Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems Helzberg Diamonds Currancy Exchange Online Casinos Community Student Loans Tatoo Poker Games Homeschooling Auto Insurance Mortgage Calculator Mailing Lists Payday Loans Click Here .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams