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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Guide Weather Subscribe Contact Us February 9, 2005 Logging the Biscuit: enough already By Shelly Elkovich Ashland Private companies have been taking advantage of huge subsidies and logging public lands in the Biscuit under a so-called "salvage" logging plan. Right now, the fourth active timber sale in the Biscuit (Briggs Cedar) is being logged. Already an estimated 37 million board feet of lumber has been taken from this fragile ecosystem. The annual prescribed cut for the entire Siskiyous is about 28 million board feet. Still the Bush Forest Service is determined to cut even more. Old-growth reserves are special places normally set aside from logging to provide a habitat safety net for sensitive wildlife like the Northern Spotted Owl. An injunction against logging in the old-growth reserves has been lifted. As a result, these heritage reserves are now imminently threatened by the Fiddler, Steed, Berry, Wafer, Hobson, Lazy, and Briggs Six logging sales. The court date to determine legality of cutting in these reserves has been scheduled to begin on March 22. The Forest Service is allowing contractors to plow the snow-covered roads to these logging sales and mark trees in their rush to expedite logging of the old-growth reserves. If logging proceeds, it could be completed before the court decides whether the logging is legal or not. These at-risk old-growth reserves include special places we cannot afford to lose. The Fiddler Mountain area, with native, unroaded forests, rare flowers, scenic views and hiking trails is an important example. Loved and well-used by local residents and people across the region, Fiddler Mountain, and the T.J. Howell Memorial Drive that runs past it, are flagships for the area's growing tourism economy. In addition, the watersheds around Fiddler feed the fish-rich Wild & Scenic Illinois River. Fiddler Mountain, and the other special places threatened by the Berry, Steed, Wafer, Hobson, Lazy, and Briggs Six logging sales should not fall to the saw. Fiddler is on the east side of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness at the trailhead to Babyfoot Lake and home to amazing springs and botanical areas. The Forest Service wants to log 6,000 acres (14.7 million board feet) from this old-growth reserve. This devastation would fill 2,940 logging trucks, stretching in a continuous line for nearly 40 miles. Field reports indicate that logging could start this week. The Bush Forest Service put Fiddler Mountain on the chopping block and sold it for a minimum, subsidized bid price. As a whole, the Biscuit logging project is running far over budget, costing taxpayers much more than the Forest Service originally forecast. The larger Biscuit logging project threatens to cost taxpayers between $10 and $30 million. You can call the Forest Service and tell them not to log these old-growth reserves before the scheduled court hearing in March. Logging in advance of the judge's ruling is unfair and underhanded. Call Scott Conroy in Medford at (541) 858-2200 and tell him not to allow logging until the judge can rule on the legality of the logging plan. You can call your elected representatives on behalf of the Biscuit. Call Sen. Ron Wyden, Gov. Ted Kulongoski and U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio. Tell them to: 1. Publicly ask the Forest Service not to allow logging in old-growth reserves in the Siskiyou until the scheduled court case can be heard. 2. Create a Siskiyou Wild Rivers National Conservation Area to protect and restore this special part of Oregon for future generations. Senator Ron Wyden Portland: (503) 326-7525 Washington DC: (202) 224-5244 Governor Ted Kulongoski Phone: (503) 378-4582 Congressman Peter DeFazio Phone: (541) 465-6732 toll-free in Oregon: (800) 944-9603 Washington DC: (202) 225-6416 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 Slippers Women's & Men's Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks heloc libor rate Calenders 2005 Calender 2005 Accelerate Weightloss Products Memory Foam Mattress afsa studentloans home equity loans teleconferencing W2 Forms fasa student loans Matchmaking & Dating Scripts African Safari Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems student loan consolidation wholesale diamonds Currancy Exchange web conferencing Online Casinos Community Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams