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CLEAR Temp: 77 °F Wind: NNW at 8 mph Tuesday, June 17, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 4, 2003 Coalition lists local forest most endangered By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune The Bureau of Land Management’s Medford District has been cited by a national environmental coalition as the most endangered forest outside the national forest system. In a report released Tuesday, the 120-member National Forest Protection Alliance and Greenpeace listed the 10 most endangered national forests, including the Umpqua National Forest in southwest Oregon. The BLM district was named as well in part because it has been the focus of the Bush administration’s Healthy Forests Initiative in which fire hazard reduction is used, the report alleges, as an excuse to cut large trees. Called "Endangered Forests, Endangered Freedoms," the report also notes that Interior Secretary Gale Norton viewed the Medford District as a model for a fire hazard reduction program. Advertisement "The Medford BLM provides an excellent opportunity to expose the so-called ‘model’ for what it truly is: a plan to deny citizen involvement and increase commercial logging on public land," the report said. But Rob Shull, acting associate district manager, rejects the claims. "We’re proud of the diversity of interests and balance we provide in this district," he said, noting that includes everything from timber and recreational opportunities to wilderness protection. "We don’t feel our forest is endangered at all," he said. The only way it could be perceived as endangered is if someone intended to preserve every acre, he added. Nor is there any attempt to "hide" commercial timber sales in fire hazard reduction projects, he said. "We are administering these lands in an open, honest fashion while providing an opportunity for public involvement," he said. But George Sexton, executive director of the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center in Ashland, disagreed. His group is in the alliance. "No one in Oregon even comes close to matching the amount of ancient forests that the Medford BLM destroys every year," he said in a prepared statement. "They are the number-one old growth liquidators. "When Medford BLM timber planners say the words ‘healthy forests’ they are envisioning young fiber plantations as far as the eye can see, whereas most Oregonians know that the real ‘healthy forests’ are our last stands of biologically diverse old growth," he added. But Joseph Vaile, campaign coordinator for the center, noted district employees do well in fuels reduction projects, watershed restoration and are now involved in "community forestry" projects. "It’s just the thousands of acres of habitat for the northern spotted owl that are being degraded or removed that makes this area so endangered," he explained. The Umpqua forest was listed because of plans to salvage fire-killed trees from last year’s wildfires as well as the Bush administration’s proposed changes to environmental laws. "What they see as endangered national forest, we see as our environment, which we are managing," Umpqua forest spokeswoman Cheryl Walters told the Associated Press. In addition to the Umpqua, the Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon was named. The forests were selected based on several criteria, including water quality, road construction, the presence of endangered and threatened species, timber sale volume and economics, and the percentage of remaining old-growth and roadless areas. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times