The Loma Prietan
March/April 2002
Letters To The Editor
Sierra Club Director Responds to
Rep. Anna Eshoo on Forests
Dear Editor:
In the last edition of the Loma Prietan, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) responded to a previous article by Doug Bevington which urged Club members to ask Congresswoman Eshoo to co-sponsor HR 1494, the National Forest Protection and Restoration Act. Rep. Eshoo seemed to take exception to the fact that Bevington's article failed to mention that she has done a great many things to protect the forests and the environment. This is a fairpoint, and Rep. Eshoo should be applauded for her many pro-environment votes and actions.
At the same time, one of the Sierra Club's national conservation priority campaigns is to end logging on our national forests nationwide. An important part of this campaign is passage of the National Forest Protection and Restoration Act (NFPRA). The Sierra Club continues to urge Rep. Eshoo to cosponsor this bill, as it is the only legislation in Congress that will completely protect our national forests from logging.
Rep. Eshoo's letter about NFPRA indicated a significant misunderstanding. She noted that the bill would prohibit all "commercial logging" on national forests, but wondered, "what about other types of logging?" The NFPRA defines commercial logging to include any sale of timber—regardless of the claimed purpose for the sale or whether the Forest Service even calls it a timber sale. It also prohibits "goods for services" exchanges and biomass sales, which have been so abused of late. Thus, the timber industry would have no presence on national forests whatsoever when NFPRA is passed, much like national parks.
This is critically important because, while Rep. Eshoo points out her support for protecting roadless areas (another thing for which she should be applauded), the fact is that most of the remaining late-successional/old-growth forests on federal lands are in areas smaller than 1,000 contiguous acres. Thus, even if we were to protect all roadless areas over 1,000 acres, most of our unlogged old-growth forests would still be in danger. Until we pass NFPRA and end all commercial logging on ALL of our federal public lands—not just portions of them—our national forests will still be in serious jeopardy.
Chad Hanson
National Board, Sierra Club
More Thanks to Volunteers
Dear Editor:
I enjoyed seeing the "Thank You to the Year 2001 Volunteers" on the back page of the February Loma Prietan. However, I think you missed a significant number of volunteers. In particular, I didn't see any mention of the many folks who contribute so much of their time and energy to the Chapter's outings programs. They deserve similar recognition for their contributions, enthusiasm, and for welcoming so many new people into the club.
David McCracken
Reply from Dan Kalb, Chapter Director:
Thank you for reminding us of all the volunteer time that so many Sierra Club members put in while organizing and leading outdoor activities for the Chapter. From hikes to ski outings to backpacking trips and more, there were well over 100 people last year who deserve our thanks for having helped plan or lead these recreational activities. And very special thanks to the volunteers of the Inner City Outings group who provide wilderness adventures for urban youth of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience the richness of the outdoors.