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Protecting and restoring our Olympic forest
and aquatic ecosystems
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Groups ask Rep. Dicks to withhold funding
for spotted owl "death plan"
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The Northern Spotted Owl and its recovery plan has been hurt by the Bush administration's push to weaken protection. Conservationists are joining in a letter to our Congressman, Norm Dicks, to withhold any funding for the "recovery" plan--which would be death to this owl. OFCO joins others in our hope that Congress will refuse to spend money on this bogus plan, while a new plan, based on science, comes forward.
Chairman Norm Dicks
Appropriations Committee
Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies
Dear Chairman Dicks:
The undersigned conservation organizations are deeply concerned about the potential implications of the draft Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Plan and its impacts on the lands protected by the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP). In late August, three independent peer reviews produced unanimous findings that the Northern Spotted Owl draft recovery plan failed to make use of the best available science and will not ensure the survival of the species. The peer reviews, conducted by the Society of Conservation Biology, American Ornithologists’ Union and The Wildlife Society also identified the primary threat facing the owl is the loss of old growth habitat. The peer reviews cited selective use and misinterpretation of science to justify a significant reduction in old growth and mature forest habitat that is now protected under the Northwest Forest Plan.
In light of the forgoing, we urge you to include language to prohibit funds under HR 2463, the Interior Appropriations bill for FY2008, to be used to promulgate any portion of the flawed Northern Spotted Owl Draft Recovery Plan.
Importantly, increased logging of old growth forests is contrary to efforts to stem global climate change. The temperate forests of the Northwest represent a huge store of carbon that needs to be retained, not allowed to be released into the atmosphere due to logging. Logging releases the vast majority of the stored carbon on the site, with a large portion of that loss coming from soils. With deforestation now accounting for 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions world wide, permanently protecting our nation’s greatest carbon storehouse is essential.
We respectfully request that you ensure that this flawed proposal not move forward. The owl recovery plan should be withdrawn to allow for an independent team of owl scientists to develop a new plan that is based on sound science.
Signed,
American Lands Alliance
Environmental Protection Information Ctr (EPIC)
Audubon Society of Portland
Friends of the Kalmiopsis
Audubon Washington
Gifford Pinchot Task Force
California Wilderness Coalition
Klamath Forest Alliance
Cascadia Wildlands Project
Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center
Center for Biological Diversity
The Lands Council
Conservation Northwest
Olympic Forest Coalition
Earthjustice
Oregon Wild
East Cascades Bird Conservancy
Seattle Audubon Society
Caitlin Love Hills
National Forest Program, Director
American Lands Alliance
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