home of the wildlife conservation environmental and freedom activist

Natural Resources Defense Council's

CALIFORNIA ACTIVIST NETWORK SPECIAL ALERT

NRDC's California Activist Network was formed to mobilize and provide
action tools to Californians and others concerned with protecting the
state's extraordinary wealth of natural treasures and the health of
its citizens.

July 16, 2002
========================================

SPECIAL ALERT FOR CALIFORNIA ACTIVIST NETWORK MEMBERS:
**Urge Governor Davis to sign California's landmark clean cars bill**
Take action now at
http://www.nrdcaction.org/index.asp?step=2&item=1284

========================================

Thanks in large part to the efforts of NRDC's California Activist
Network and other concerned citizens, California's historic clean
cars bill is awaiting Governor Davis' signature. AB 1493 (formerly AB
1058) passed the Senate on June 29 and the Assembly on July 1,
despite an intense, expensive lobbying campaign by the auto industry.

The clean cars bill would create the nation's first restrictions on
global warming pollution from automobiles. The bill would authorize
the California Air Resources Board to regulate carbon dioxide and
other global warming emissions from passenger vehicles (including
SUVs and minivans), light-duty trucks and all other personal vehicles
in California, while allowing automakers flexibility in meeting these
requirements (the bill prohibits the outlaw of vehicle types, so
automakers' claims that AB 1493 would ban SUVs in California are
simply untrue). Scientists agree that existing technologies can cut
these emissions while actually *reducing* vehicle operating costs,
and without sacrificing the safety and size of vehicles that
Californians depend on.

The bill will not become law, however, unless Governor Davis signs
it, and every day the auto industry is increasing the pressure on him
not to do so.

== What to do ==
Send Governor Davis a message *today* urging him to stand firm
against industry pressure and sign AB 1493 into law.

== For background ==
California's Clean Car Legislation
http://www.nrdc.org/air/transportation/fcacars.asp

== Contact information ==
You can send an email or fax to Governor Davis directly from NRDC's
Earth Action Center at
http://www.nrdcaction.org/index.asp?step=2&item=1284 . Or use the
contact information and sample letter below to send your own message.

Governor Gray Davis
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone:  916-445-2841
Fax:  916-445-4633
Email:  graydavis@governor.ca.gov

== Sample letter ==

Subject: Sign the clean cars bill now!

Dear Governor Davis,

I urge you to sign AB 1493, which would reduce global warming
pollution from cars and light trucks, into law. AB 1493 sets forth a
reasonable program in which the California Air Resources Board would
develop regulations to achieve the maximum feasible cost-effective
reductions of greenhouse gas pollution emitted by passenger vehicles
and light trucks sold in California.

Vehicles in California produce a higher percentage of global warming
pollution than in any other state. At the same time, federal clean
air law gives California unique authority to develop
pollution-control strategies. That's why it makes sense for
California to lead the way in developing innovative strategies to
curb global warming pollution and to protect the state's environment,
public health and economy from the effects of unchecked global
warming. The California Legislature has worked long and hard to pass
a reasonable bill that sets a workable, cost-effective process for
achieving this goal.

California's leadership in controlling vehicle emissions has brought
smart technology to market in the past and can do so again. By
signing AB 1493 into law, you would help protect California's
environment and economy and start Americans down the road of working
together to reduce the threat of global warming.

Again, please sign AB 1493 now.

Sincerely,

[Your name and address]

==================================================

The CALIFORNIA ACTIVIST NETWORK ACTION ALERT is distributed monthly
to members of NRDC's California Activist Network and provides action
tools to Californians and others concerned with protecting the
state's natural resources and the health of its citizens. To change
your subscriptions or update your email address or other information,
go to: http://www.join.nrdcaction.org/profileeditor
To unsubscribe from the California Activist Network Action Alert,
send an email message to wildcalifornia@nrdcaction.org with REMOVE in
the subject line.

==========
About NRDC
==========

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a nonprofit environmental
organization with over 500,000 members nationwide and a staff of
scientists, attorneys and environmental experts. Our mission is to
protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and ensure a safe and
healthy environment for all living things.

For more information about NRDC or how to become a member of NRDC,
please contact us at:

Natural Resources Defense Council
40 West 20th Street
New York, NY 10011
212-727-4511 (voice) / 212-727-1773 (fax)
General email: nrdcinfo@nrdc.org
California Activist Network email: wildcalifornia@nrdc.org
http://www.nrdc.org

Also visit:
BioGems -- Saving Endangered Wild Places
A project of the Natural Resources Defense Council
http://www.savebiogems.org

To: Northeast Activists
From: John Demos
Date:   July 17, 2002

Contact me at demos@americanlands.com

ROADLESS VOTE FINALLY ON THE ROAD

PLEASE USE THE TOLL FREE NUMBER TO ASK CONGRESS TO PROTECT ROADLESS
AREAS -  1-888-569-8906

Last minute wrangling to have the Roadless Area Protection amendment pulled from introduction seems fortunately to have failed. Many in Congress are fearful of a vote because of the recent controversy surrounding the forest fires out West. This despite the fact that the Roadless Rule will not prevent fire treatment and that the roadless areas are least likely to burn.

The vote will be very close.  Those folks in NY please call your Representatives.  Several are still sitting on the fence. Sweeney, Fossella, Grucci, McHugh, Walsh, Reynolds, and Quinn are undecided.

Others can help shore up their Representatives (or in the case of NH express your dissatisfaction).  Calls into Minority Leader Dick Gephardt’s office are also helpful to urge him to take a leadership role.

The Interior Appropriations bill is now coming up today.  We expect that Reps. Inslee (D-WA) and Christopher Shays (R-CT) will offer an amendment
to protect National Forest roadless areas.  Calls are urgently needed in
support of the Roadless Area Conservation Amendment.

This amendment would halt over 50 new development projects being planned
in inventoried roadless areas that would be prohibited by the Roadless
Conservation Rule.  This amendment will build on the support generated
for the Roadless Area Conservation Act by maintaining the moratorium on
roadless projects that has been in place since former Chief Michael
Dombeck announced a "time-out" on new roadless projects in 1999.

PLEASE USE THE TOLL FREE NUMBER TO ASK CONGRESS TO PROTECT ROADLESS
AREAS -  1-888-569-8906

Please urge Your Representative to:

1.  Support the Roadless Area Conservation Amendment which allows for
fire management, and

2.  Support protecting homes and communities from fire by directing fire
funding to the Wildland/Urban Interface and away from roadless areas
which are not a priority for fuel reduction treatments.

PLEASE USE THE TOLL FREE NUMBER TO ASK CONGRESS TO PROTECT ROADLESS
AREAS -1-888-569-8906

1. STOP THE FREEDOM TO FISH ACT!
Legislation now before the U.S. Congress, with the innocent
sounding title of "Freedom to Fish Act," (FFA) is actually an
anti-conservation bill that will undermine our ability to
protect ocean life. Please respond to this alert and urge
U.S. Representatives to oppose this dangerous legislation.
Click here: http://www.care2.com/go/z/1602

The FFA will:
1) Place the right of people to fish anywhere above the
government's ability to completely protect some Marine
Sanctuaries.

2) Impair federal fishery protection by putting in place almost
insurmountable obstacles before the establishment of marine reserves.

3) Undermine two Presidential initiatives established under the
Clinton Administration and supported by the Bush
Administration: one to establish the Northwestern Hawaiian
Islands Coral Reef Reserve and another to establish a
comprehensive national system of marine protected areas.

4) Leave marine reserves unprotected before national commissions
currently reviewing U.S. ocean conservation policy are able to
announce their recommendations.

WHY WE NEED MARINE RESERVES:
Overfishing and habitat destruction have damaged ocean
ecosystems; currently, nearly one-third of known stocks
are considered overfished and urgently need time to rebuild.
Over two-thirds of  those stocks are still experiencing
overfishing, which means more fish are being removed
than the stock can regenerate.

Strong scientific evidence suggests that fully protected
marine reserves, where all extractive activities such as
fishing and oil drilling are prohibited, are very effective
at restoring damaged and depleted marine ecosystems.
The National Academy of Sciences has endorsed the
increased use of these and other types of marine protected
areas as an important tool for rebuilding fisheries and
enhancing marine biodiversity.
Click here to take action: http://www.care2.com/go/z/1602

2. ACTIVIST TIPS
* Use a chlorine shower filter in your shower. Chlorine levels
are often higher during the summer, and you can be exposed
to dioxin when the chlorine diffuses in the air.

* And while we're on the subject of showers... Save water -- shower
with friends :o)

* Don't use pesticides in your garden. Runoff from pesticides
pollutes our beaches and lakes.

3. INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE
"It is good to realize that...if we can teach our children to honor
nature's gifts, the joys and beauties of the outdoors will be here
forever."
-- Jimmy Carter

After completing a court-ordered review of more than 9 million acres of the Tongass National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service is recommending that none of this spectacular land receive permanent wilderness protection -- a designation that would, among other things, ban new logging and roadbuilding. The Tongass spans much of southeastern Alaska, and is home to huge numbers of grizzly bears, bald eagles and wild salmon. Continued logging would destroy wildlife habitat and could silt up world-class salmon streams in the still-pristine sections of the earth's largest, intact temperate rainforest. But the Forest Service's recommendation, which heavily favors the timber industry, isn't final yet. The agency is accepting public comments on its proposal until August 17. »Tell the Bush administration to protect the Tongass!

MACAL RIVER DAM CHALLENGED IN COURT Belize's Public Utilities Commission acknowledged in court last month that it never approved plans for a hydroelectric dam that would flood the Macal River Valley, a critical wildlife corridor sheltering tapirs, howler monkeys and rare scarlet macaws. The admission was made in response to one of two lawsuits brought by Belizean environmentalists with support from NRDC; the second suit challenges the government's environmental review of the project, which largely ignored the dam's impact on wildlife. In response, environmentalists are continuing to push for the Belizean government and Fortis Inc., the Newfoundland-based backer of the dam, to be held accountable for violating the country's laws. In the meantime, dam opponents are getting some help from Belize's tropical weather: the start of the rainy season means construction will be delayed for several months. LOGGERS PROTEST PERU'S NEW FORESTRY RULES Peru's efforts to reform logging practices and protect indigenous cultures in its lush Tahuamanú rainforest have sparked vandalism and violence in recent weeks by small groups of loggers with ties to larger timber companies. The remote Tahuamanú region is known for its rare animals and plants, including old-growth mahogany and cedar trees that are rapidly being cut down by companies such as U.S.-based Newman Lumber. Despite the skirmishes, Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo remains committed to sustainable forestry practices, which are designed to protect both the forest and the indigenous groups living within it.

To:     All Activists
From: Steve Holmer
Date:  July 16, 2002

Roadless Amendment Not Able to Be Offered Due to House Rules

The amendment we expected to see offered to protect roadless areas is
not being allowed under the House rules.  If a vote had taken place, it
was going to be too close to call.

Despite the lack of a vote this year, we have made tremendous progress
to move the roadless protection effort forward.  A significant number of
offices who have not cosponsored the roadless bill, H.R. 4865, indicated
that they would have supported the amendment, so we continue to build
support.

Many thanks to all of you for all the calls over the last few weeks.  We
would also like to thank Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) for his strong
leadership on the roadless issue.  His number is 202/225-6311.  Rep.
Christopher Shays (R-CT) also deserves thanks for being the Republican
champion of the roadless amendment.  His number is 202/225-5541.

If your Representative indicated their support for the amendment, please
thank them at 202/224-3121.  Rep. Inslee is committed to forcing a vote
on this issue in the House next year.  Please let any uncommitted
offices know that this issue is not going away and that there will be a
vote on this issue next year.

Thanks for all your efforts.

On July 19, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
- on which your Senator serves - will vote on ratification
of the historic Women's Treaty! Urge your Senator to
vote "Yes" on this important issue!

You can take action on this alert either via email
(please see directions below) or via the web at:
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/Womens_Treaty/ee3bxz058tm

Visit the web address below and tell your friends to
take action on this important campaign!
http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/Womens_Treaty/forward/ee3bxz058tm

We encourage you to take action by August 9, 2002

CEDAW Action Alert

----------------------

Thanks to the leadership of Senators Barbara Boxer
(D-CA) and Joseph Biden (D-DE), the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee will soon hold (as early as tomorrow)
a vote on the historic "Women's Rights Treaty." The
treaty, known as the United Nations Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women (CEDAW), was adopted by the UN General Assembly
in 1979 and has been ratified by 170 countries. CEDAW
is one of the most widely accepted international women's
rights treaties. Despite this overwhelming support,
the U.S. remains one of 21 countries that have not
ratified this important treaty! Please contact your
Senator who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee
and urge them to ratify the "Women's Rights Treaty."

----------------------

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA THE WEB:
If you have access to a web browser, you can take action
on this alert by going to the following URL:

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/Womens_Treaty/ee3bxz058tm  

INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL:
Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email
program, and edit the letter below as you wish. Do
not delete "-YOU MAY EDIT THE LETTER BELOW-" and "-END
OF LETTER-". Please do not add your name and address
to your letter. Our system automatically does this
for you.  

We STRONGLY encourage you to make edits directly to
our sample letter below, and put the alert talking
points into your own words. An individualized letter
is worth ten computer generated letters. Of course,
hundreds of unedited letters will still create a large
impact, so please reply even if you don't have time
to personalize the letter.

Your letter will be addressed and sent to:
Senator Jesse Helms


-------YOU MAY EDIT THE LETTER BELOW---------

When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee takes up
the Treaty for the Rights of Women, also known as CEDAW,
I urge you to vote yes in support of this important
treaty. It is a shocking that 170 other nations have
ratified this treaty and the United States remains
the only industrialized nation that has not done so.


Since its adoption by the U.N. General Assembly in
1979, women all over the globe have used CEDAW as a
tool to build partnerships with their governments in
order to improve the status of women. The treaty has
helped to secure educational opportunities, elected
office, healthcare services, and legal protection for
women and girls.  

By not ratifying the Women's Treaty, the United States
is put in a weaker position when criticizing foreign
governments for human rights abuses. By signing the
Treaty for the Rights of Women, the U.S. will lead
by example as it has in ratifying treaties pertaining
to torture, genocide, and civil rights.  

Again, I urge you to support the Treaty for the Rights
of Women. I look forward to hearing your views on this
issue.

-------END OF LETTER-------------------------

If you are a World Wildlife Fund Conservation Action Network member,
you can take action by following the simple steps below.  If you
received this email from a friend, visit
http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/action.asp?step=2&item=1712 to
take action.  If you are from Florida, please respond to both this
alert and the other Everglades alert we sent you.

Action deadline:  July 22, 2002

Dear Margie:

Restoration of the world class Everglades ecosystem is in serious
jeopardy.  Recently a U.S. House congressional committee chose not to
resolve a longstanding obstacle to restoring life-giving water flows
to the Everglades and Florida Bay.  

There's still a chance the resolution could be included when the
Senate takes action on the Interior appropriations bill within the
next few days.  We need your help to urge Secretary of the Interior
Gale Norton to push Congress to include the language as the bill moves
forward.  

Roseate spoonbills, Florida manatees, and American crocodiles are just
a few of the many species dependent on a healthy Everglades and
Florida Bay. Two years ago, Congress gave restoration of the
Everglades a big boost by approving the first phases of an $8 billion
restoration -- the world's largest environmental restoration project.
Without adequate water flow, however, the Everglades and Florida Bay
will continue to decline.  Once known for its clear waters, lush
seagrass beds, abundant fish and game, and famous wading bird
populations, the Florida Bay ecosystem collapsed in the late 1980s,
primarily due to lack of freshwater flow.

Please forward this email to your friends and urge them to take
action.

**************************TAKE ACTION NOW! ************************

TO TAKE ACTION QUICKLY -- hit "reply" to this email and then "send"
and we will automatically send the message below, as is, to Secretary
Norton.

MUCH BETTER YET, ADD YOUR OWN THOUGHTS AND GREATLY INCREASE YOUR
IMPACT -- Log in to your Personal Action Center --       
http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/login.asp -- with your email
address (alerts@earthhopenetwork.net) and your password.  Once you are in your
Personal Action Center, click on "Save the Everglades" and follow the
instructions for adding your own thoughts to your message.

If you have any questions or problems with taking action, contact us
at actionquestions@takeaction.worldwildlife.org for help.

****************************LETTER TEXT******************************

Dear Secretary Norton:

I write to urge you to communicate to key members of Congress that the
Department of the Interior strongly supports the restoration of
freshwater flows through the Everglades to Florida Bay.  Such flows
are needed to save this irreplaceable international treasure.  

Specifically, I ask that you urge Congress to include in the Interior
appropriations bill legislative clarification to technical aspects of
a carefully crafted compromise ("alternative 6D") regarding water flow
restoration (the Modified Water Deliveries Project) for the Everglades
and Florida Bay.  It is vitally important that Congress hear from you
with this message of support.

In order for the massive Everglades restoration - the world's largest
environmental restoration initiative - to be successful, the Modified
Water Deliveries Project must be implemented to reestablish hydrologic
connections between key parts of the ecosystem and restore flows to
Florida Bay.  In 1989, Congress endorsed restoring flows to Florida
Bay while also providing flood control for all of what is known as the
8.5 Square Mile Area.  Unfortunately, those two goals proved to be
mutually exclusive.  After years of contentious debate, Alternative 6D
was developed as a compromise.  It provides flood protection to most
of the area's residents, requires a relatively small proportion of
land to be purchased by the government, and achieves substantial
restoration of historic water flows.

I appreciate your past support for restoration of the Everglades.  
Now, I ask that you please send a strong message to Congress regarding
your support for the Modified Water Deliveries Project and Alternative
6D.  Without congressional action, Everglades restoration will be
paralyzed and this globally outstanding resource will be lost.  

Sincerely,

Your name and address
will be inserted here

***********************END OF LETTER TEXT*********************

______________________________________________________________________
Direct any questions about the WWF Conservation Action Network to
actionquestions@takeaction.worldwildlife.org
______________________________________________________________________
The Conservation Action Network is sponsored by World Wildlife Fund-
US.  Known worldwide by its panda logo, WWF is dedicated to
protecting the world's wildlife and the rich biological diversity
that we all need to survive.  The leading privately supported
international conservation organization in the world, WWF has
sponsored more than 2,000 projects in 116 countries and has more than
1 million members in the United States.  WWF calls on everyone --
government, industry, and individuals -- to take responsibility by
taking action to save our living planet.

World Wildlife Fund
1250 Twenty-fourth Street, NW
Washington, DC  20037
http://www.worldwildlife.org
http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org

To:  All Activists
From:   Steve Holmer & Matthew Koehler, Native Forest Network
Date:    July 17, 2002

Subject: CORRECTION: Fire Sign On Letter Will Be Sent Tomorrow  Please
Respond to mailto:koehler@wildrockies.org

Howdy Folks, Sorry for the error.  If your group has already responded
but your name is not on the list, please resend, your email may have
bounced since I had an incomplete address on our alert.

Enclosed is a sign on letter endorsed by 103 conservation organizations
that will be sent to the Forest Service and released to the media
tomorrow.  There is still time to sign your group on. Please contact
Matthew Koehler (ASAP) at mailto:koehler@wildrockies.org or (406)
542-7343 to add your group.

Chief Dale Bosworth
USDA - Forest Service
P.O. Box 96090
Washington, DC 20090

July 18, 2002

Dear Chief Bosworth:

In recent weeks, some politicians and some U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
officials have repeatedly misrepresented the conservation community's
position on wildfires, home protection and fuel-reduction. It is our
hope that this letter will clarify our position on these issues of
critical importance.

First, let us state that the conservation community has always supported
common sense approaches designed to effectively protect homes and
communities from fire. The USFS's own fire experts have found that a
home's survival rate depends almost entirely on its location, its
condition and its immediate surroundings, not on more commercial logging
and roadbuilding in the backcountry.

To help support the goal of effective home and community protection from
forest and grassland fires, the conservation community has taken a
leading role in educating homeowners about the importance of treating
flammable material adjacent to homes and communities.

For example, The Lands Council in Spokane, Washington received a
National Fire Plan (NFP) grant to educate rural homeowners about
effective methods they can use to protect their homes and property from
fires. Another broader coalition of twelve environmental groups
distributed a publication about fires and home protection to 50,000
households in Montana and Idaho.

Furthermore, on countless occasions, representatives of the conservation
community have sat down with USFS officials to discuss plans and
projects that will effectively protect homes and communities from
fires.  Unfortunately, the USFS's has chosen to focus their priorities
largely on commercial logging projects far removed from communities, not
on effectively protecting communities.

Over the last two years, conservation groups have been advocating that
Congress should increase funding for community protection and fire
education, and that Congress should continue to direct the agencies to
spend National Fire Plan money to protect communities at risk in the
wildlands urban interface.

For example, in American Lands Alliance's 2003 Appropriations
Initiative, over 70 conservation organizations have proposed that
Congress increase spending for the Cooperative Fire Protection program
by $200 million in 2003 and direct fuel-reduction funds to be spent in
the wildlands urban interface, not on more commercial logging in
backcountry forests. As you know, the Cooperative Fire Protection
program provides technical and financial assistance to states and local
fire agencies to promote efficient wildland fire protection with a focus
on mitigating hazards and protecting homes in the wildland urban interface and
reducing suppression costs. This program has the potential to direct
funds to help homeowners fireproof their homes.

While we are supportive of effective home and community protection
efforts, what we are finding "on the ground" is that National Fire Plan
funds have been misused by the USFS to promote commercial logging, have
not been targeted towards the highest risk areas, and have failed to
effectively protect homes and communities from fires.

For example, according to a November 2001 report released by the
Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector General (OIG), the USFS
inappropriately used NFP funds intended for fire restoration to conduct
commercial timber sales - including the nation's largest timber sale on
the Bitterroot National Forest in Montana. That OIG report also stated
that, "commercial timber sales do not meet the criteria for forest
restoration."

In April, a report by the John Muir Project revealed that 83% of all
USFS projects funded by NFP brush reduction funds in the Sierra Nevada
are actually commercial timber sales. Congress provided these funds to
reduce flammable brush adjacent to communities, however the USFS has
misused these funds for commercial timber sales located an average of 6
miles from the nearest town. Equally alarming, nearly 75% of these
NFP-funded timber sales focus on the removal of large, fire resistant
trees, and 94% of the timber sales take place within suitable habitat
for imperiled species such as the California spotted owl, northern
goshawk, Pacific fisher and Bald Eagle.

This blatant USFS abuse of NFP funds is occurring despite NFP warnings
that the agency's wildland fire policy "should not rely on commercial
logging or new road building to reduce fire risks." The NFP also states
that "the removal of large, merchantable trees from forests does not
reduce fire risk and may, in fact, increase such risk."  Unfortunately,
the USFS has not heeded the advice of the NFP, but instead is pushing
forward with commercial logging projects in the backcountry that target
large, fire resistant trees.

Even though the GAO reported that the greatest fire threat is found in
the West, so far this year, 80% of all prescribed fire acres have
occurred in the southeast. While the conservation community supports
appropriate prescribed fires in the southeast's fire dependent
ecosystems, we are concerned that the appropriate use of prescribed
fires for fuel-reduction is not being effectively utilized in the West.

Further, the General Accounting Office (GAO) reported in February 2002
that the USFS and Department of Interior have failed to identify
communities that face a high risk of wildfire, and have not reported on
what was accomplished with appropriated funds. The GAO report also
criticized the USFS and Interior Department for failing to effectively
coordinate their activities.

We would also like to call your attention to the results of an
independent assessment of the Rodeo-Chediski fire in Arizona conducted
by Pacific Biodiversity Institute. The assessment highlights two basic
facts that contradict statements blaming the fires on environmental
organizations. First, that the fires started and burned extensively on
tribal land before entering the national forests -- most of the land
burned by the fires (60%) is on tribal land, only 37% is in National
Forests and 3% is on private and state land.

And second, that much of the area burned by these fires is land that has
been subjected to extensive commercial logging and road building over
the last 50 years. For example, the assessment identified more than
2,100 miles of logging roads in the fire area. If commercial logging and
roadbuilding prevents fires - or at least reduces their intensity - as
the Forest Service claims, then why did the Rodeo-Chediski fire burn so
fiercely?


The assessment also highlights the national wildfire situation and calls
attention to the fact that most wildfires nationwide are burning on
private, tribal, and state land - not on national forest land as
commonly believed.  Federal wildfire statistics reveal that over the
last decade, less than 18% of the nationwide wildfire burn area is in
the national forests. It is also important to note that over the past
ten years nearly 90% of all wildfires were started by people - usually
on or adjacent to a road. The full assessment is available on-line at
www.pacificbio.org/wildfire2002.html.

When it comes to restoring the ecological integrity of our nation's
national forests, the conservation community again has been at the
forefront of developing a new approach - including safely restoring fire
to fire-dependent ecosystems outside of the wildland urban interface.

During the past year, the conservation community - together with input
from forest practitioners and community forestry groups - has drafted
Restoration Principles to promote ecological forest restoration and to
implement ecologically sound restoration policies and projects on
national forests. The Restoration Principles clearly distinguish
hazardous fuel-reduction projects designed to effectively protect homes
and communities from fuel-reduction projects designed to restore
ecological integrity in fire-dependent ecosystems, a distinction
overlooked by the USFS.

As you can clearly see, the conservation community is deeply committed
to the protection of homes and communities. We will continue to expand
our efforts to safeguard communities, while at the same time, promote
and support ecologically-based restoration projects on our national
forests. If the Forest Service supports these goals, we feel strongly
that we can work together. However, if the Forest Service continues to
misuse National Fire Plan money, the conservation community will
continue to hold your agency accountable. The American people and our
nation's public lands deserve no less.

Sincerely,


Alabama Wilderness Alliance (AL)
Alaska Center for the Environment (AK)
Allegheny Defense Project (PA)
Alliance for the Wild Rockies (MT)
Ambience Project (MT)
American Lands Alliance (DC)
Appalachian Voices (NC)
Bark (OR)
Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project (OR)
Big Wild Advocates (MT)
Biodiversity Northwest (WA)
Boulder Environmental Activists' Resource (CO)
Bradford Environmental Research Institute (WY)
Buckeye Forest Council (OH)
Cascadia Fire Ecology Education Project (OR)
Cascadia Forest Alliance (OR)
Center for Biological Diversity (AZ)
Central Oregon Forest Issues Committee (OR)
Cherokee Forest Voices (TN)
Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers (MT)
Colorado Wild (CO)
Columbia Gorge Audubon Society (OR)
Columbia Lands Institute (WA)
Committee for Idaho's High Desert (ID)
Concerned Friends of Ferry County (WA)
Cooperative Resources and Services Project (CA)
CU Sinapu (CO)
Deerlodge Forest Defense Fund (MT)
Dogwood Alliance (NC)
Endangered Species Coalition (DC)
Flagstaff Activist Network (AZ)
Forest Watch (VT)
Forest Conservation Council (NM)
Forestry Monitoring Project (CA)
Friends of the Bitterroot (MT)
Friends of the Clearwater (ID)
Friends of the Earth (DC)
Gifford Pinchot Task Force (WA)
Green America (FL)
Headwaters (OR)
Heartwood (IN)
Hells Canyon Preservation Council (OR)
High Uintas Preservation Council (UT)
Idaho Conservation League (ID)
Idaho Sporting Congress (ID)
Indiana Forest Alliance (IN)
John Muir Project (CA)
Kentucky Heartwood (KY)
Kettle Range Conservation Group (WA)
Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center (OR)
Kootenai Environmental Alliance (ID)
Last Great Wilderness Project (NC)
League Of Wilderness Defenders (OR)
Leavenworth Audubon Adopt-a-Forest (WA)
Los Angeles Eco-Village (CA)
Michiana Watersheds (IN)
Mt. Baker Group, Sierra Club (WA)
National Forest Protection Alliance (MT)
Native Forest Network (MT)
Native Forest Network - Southwest (NM)
North Group, Redwood Chapter, Sierra Club (CA)
Northwest Ecosystem Alliance (WA)
Northwest Environmental Defense Center (OR)
Northcoast Environmental Center (CA)
Northwoods Wilderness Recovery (MI)
Payette Forest Watch (ID)
Pilchuck Audubon Society (WA)
Regional Association of Concerned Environmentalists (IL)
Religious Campaign for Forest Conservation (CA)
Santa Fe Forest Watch (NM)
Santiam Watershed Guardians (OR)
Selkirk Conservation Alliance (ID)
Sequatchie Valley Institute at Moonshadow (TN)
Sequoia ForestKeeper (CA)
Sequoia Forest Alliance (CA)
Sinapu (CO)
Siskiyou Project (OR)
Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project (NC)
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (UT)
Sublette Riders Association (WY)
Superior Wilderness Action Network (MN)
Taxpayers for Common Sense (DC)
The Ecology Center (MT)
The Lands Council (WA)
The Society for Natural Resources Conservation (NY)
Tule River Conservancy (CA)
Ventana Wilderness Alliance (CA)
Virginia Forest Watch (VA)
Umpqua Watersheds (OR)
Upper Columbia River Group, Sierra Club (WA)
Utah Environmental Congress (UT)
Washington Wilderness Coalition (WA)
Western Fire Ecology Center (OR)
Western Nebraska Resources Council (NE)
Western North Carolina Alliance (NC)
Wild Alabama (AL)
Wild South (AL)
Wild Wilderness (OR)
Wilderness Study Group (CO)
Wilderness Watch (MT)
Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads (MT)
WildLaw (AL)
Wisconsin Environmental Jewish Initiative (WI)
World Stewardship Institute (CA)

AIR                      FORESTS                      HEALTH             & COMMUNITIES                      INTERNATIONAL                      OCEANS                      PUBLIC             LANDS                      WATER                      WILDLIFE IN                   THIS ISSUE:    Scientists get in on the Act   Alabama breathes a sigh of relief    Sea turtle plan holds great potential    Cows feeding at the public trough? BOO-OOO    Take action to protect the Tongass!    Into the woods with Buck Parker    Leading the charge in Alaska    Match extension! Double your gift today!    Tom's Turn: E-mail, I get e-mail ABOUT EARTHJUSTICE Founded as the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund in 1971, Earthjustice is the non-profit law firm for the environment. Earthjustice represents hundreds of environmental organizations, large and small, from nine offices across the country. We do not charge our clients for our services.  Visit our site.                 CHECK                 OUT OUR SUPPORTER CENTER! Get                 inside scoop, recent victories, and more at the Earthjustice                 Supporter Center.                                  Click here to see what all                 the buzz is about. TELL A                   FRIEND! Spread                   the word about Earthjustice!                   Click here to tell a friend.   EARTHJUSTICE  E-BRIEF                      JULY                     2002 Thanks for taking time for the latest environmental news in this month's Earthjustice e-Brief, friend! What's new this  month? The Endangered Species Act is, well, endangered; a sneaky proposal that would increase overgrazing damage is making its way through Congress; and Tom Turner responds to your questions and comments. Read on!    Scientists get in on the Act. . . ...the Endangered Species Act, that is! GOP-led legislation that would limit the ability of scientists to use the best available science to conserve endangered species has provoked outrage  among scientists across the country. In a letter to Congress, more than 300 scientists note that "there are many species hovering on the brink of extinction and they need scientifically based action to help in their recovery." Find out more about this latest threat to wildlife.     Alabama breathes a sigh of relief Smoggy air in Birmingham has violated federal health standards for years,  but the EPA has dragged its feet in requiring stronger ion controls. Not anymore! A recent federal court decision will force the EPA to decide whether to reclassify the area to a stricter air pollution category. "This sort of delay threatens people's health and flouts the Clean Air Act," said Earthjustice attorney David Baron. "Children, asthmatics, and others with lung ailments should not have to wait years for EPA to make these decisions."                  More...    Sea turtle plan holds great potential Sea turtles are on the verge of extinction because of human activities such as shrimp fishing, hunting for meat and eggs, and trade in tortoise shell luxury items. Now, an international treaty has great potential to protect sea turtles - and even set precedent for the way in which modern societies collaborate on environmental issues. Will it work? We're hopeful. More...    Cows                 feeding at the public trough? BOO--OOO!   A sneaky proposal buried deep within the 2003 Interior Appropriations bill would allow cattle ranchers and corporations to overgraze some of America's most valuable natural public lands. Citing overgrazing as the primary cause of wild species loss in  parts of the Southwest, Earthjustice has joined every major environmental organization in opposing the measure. Get the scoop   on this latest example of special interest influence.     Take action to protect the Tongass!                                     Here's the action you've been waiting for:                                     tell the U.S. Forest Service what you think                                     about its decision that not a single acre of                                     precious, old-growth forest in the Tongass                                     is worth protecting as federally designated                                     wilderness. We've said it before: your                                     comments matter! Click here  to take action today.     Into the woods with Buck Parker What happens when an environmental leader gets up close in the Tongass National Forest? Find out  about the seals, sea lions, humpbacks, orcas, porpoises, and eagles Earthjustice Executive Director Buck Parker encountered on his recent trip - and how he returned with a renewed sense of  purpose in protecting the untouched grandeur of the Tongass.     Leading the charge in Alaska! As we continue our efforts to protect Alaska's Tongass National Forest, it's good to know the lwyers leading the charge. "I am struck by a feeling of wonder for this place and gratitude that I get to spend my days trying to protect it," says Eric Jorgensen, managing attorney of Earthjustice's Juneau office, as he contemplates what keeps him                 going in the fight to preserve some of our last wild places. More...     Match extension! Double your gift today! Threats to endangered species, preserving public lands, protecting public  health...today's e-Brief  contains many good reasons why making a gift to Earthjustice  makes sense. Here's another: our matching gift deadline has been extended to July 31st! That means your gift of $35 is worth $70,  $50 is worth $100 and so on. Thank you to those of you who've already responded...now you can tell a friend! And if you haven't participated yet, now's your chance! Click here   Tom Turner is Earthjustice's                 Senior Editor, and our newest e-brief columnist. E-mail him at                                   tturner@earthjustice.org.  E-mail, I get e-mail. . . And now for something completely different: your comments and                 questions in response to my past columns. "Thanks for the heads-up on the nomination of Judge Smith. I am                 offended that my own senator, John Edwards, voted in committee                 to approve the nomination. He also voted Yea on the FTAA even                 though the Chapter 11 ruling was not removed, as well as on the                 bankruptcy bill, which is really designed to stick it to the                 little guy. And I thought he was going to vote for the people! I                 intend to express my disapproval on this issue as well. Thank                 God for people and organizations like you and yours. The world                 needs more of them." -Barbara Coulson Tom: Thank you. The world needs lots more people like you all                 as well. "Just a short note to thank you for your concise summary on                 Bush's judicial appointments. All I can say about Bush is we                 might as well be living on Mars for all he and a majority of his                 cabinet care about the health of Earth. That said, I have been                 spending most of my time trying to get Iowans to talk to their                 legislators about manure and fertilizer spills here in Iowa.                 I've enjoyed fishing for nearly four decades but won't buy a                 license or fish this year because I don't get any pleasure from                 catching and stressing a fish I won't keep because of the toxins                 we have poured into its home waters. Our global environment is a                 closed system from Everest to the Amazon and all of us are                 downstream somewhere in the cycle. Thanks again for keeping us                 informed of issues which affect all of us for decades." - K.R. Cox Tom: And thanks to you as well. Keep beating on those Iowa                 legislators.   "I understand that Smith was passed by the Senate Judiciary                 committee because of the defection of three democrats. It must                 be impressed upon everybody that these are lifetime                 appointments. That once these fanatics gain their judgeships,                 this country will be in a world of hurt. I am not a religious                 man but God help us all." - Walter Barbuck, Jr. Tom: It may not be too late to stop the Smith nomination.                 Please be sure your senators know your feelings on this                 nomination. Click here                            to send your senator a letter. "I read in the paper that the Supreme Court recently ruled                 against the "takings" concept. (The Lake Tahoe case.) Does that                 mean the concept is dead? Or was that just for that one case?                 Can other plaintiffs try the concept again in other courts?" - Sheila Ferrari Tom: The takings decision by the Supreme Court was very                 encouraging, and should eliminate some of the more extreme                 claims that have been rattling around in the lower courts for                 many years. The battle is by no means over, however. There's                 little question the takings zealots will be back to try again.                 And again. "Well I sure hope that Earthjustice's attorneys are successful                 in opposing the current Forest Service's no-wilderness-in-the-Tongass                 proposal. There's absolutely nothing I as a voter can do since I                 live in Idaho, which has one of the worst congressional                 delegations in the USA so far as the environment is concerned.                 They are all FOR opening up wilderness and cutting it all down.                 As a resident of Idaho I have no voice at all on the level of                 federal laws and appointments." - Jo Kirkpatrick Tom: Hang in there, Jo. We need allies in Idaho. Especially                 in Idaho. And your comment to the Forest Service carries just as much weight as anyone else's, whether you're                 from Idaho, California, Alaska, or Texas. Even Texas. Keep those comments coming to tturner@earthjustice.org. Thanks,   and talk to you next month.   - Tom Turner, Senior                     Editor                   tturner@earthjustice.org 2002             Earthjustice | 426 17th St., 6th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612 |           510-550-6700 |             enews@earthjustice.org

Good Morning,

Here is more information I received regarding the wolf situation in Norway.

Thank you,
Donna


Ranchers howl over rise in wolf attacks
Wolves have killed four times as many freely grazing sheep in Norway as
they did last year at this time. Ranchers are up in arms, while state
officials are urging them to fence in their flocks.

Norway's actual wolf population is believed to have been cut in half,
because of natural migration into Sweden and controversial wolf hunts.
The last counts indicate 11 to 16 in Norway and 60 to 69 in Sweden, with
another 22 roaming over both sides of the border.

"We're a bit unsure exactly how many wolves are out there right now,"
said wildlife official Erling Maartmann for the county of Hedmark in
eastern Norway.

Those remaining, however, have attacked 91 sheep in Hedmark, 77 in
Oppland, 50 in Oestfold, two in Akershus and 15 in the East and West
Agder. All told that's less than 1 percent of the sheep that disappear
every year, but the documented wolf attacks have shaken ranchers in
affected areas.

"Here in Oppland, we hardly had any wolves earlier, so the attacks are
interpreted as a lot," wildlife management official Egil Soglo told
newspaper Aftenposten.

The sheep, vulnerable because of an age-old tradition of open grazing in
Norway, also are attacked by other predators including foxes and lynx.
And on Tuesday one rancher in Trysil found 20 of his flock lying dead
under a tree, apparently killed by lightening during a fierce electrical
storm last week.

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article.jhtml?articleID=365687

Dear U.S. PIRG supporter,

I'm writing to let you know the latest on the post-Enron accounting and corporate responsibility reforms in Congress.

This week, thanks to intense pressure from small investors upset with news of the latest corporate scandals, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the Sarbanes-Leahy Accounting Reform Bill.  The Senate bill is much stronger than the companion House legislation.  Although not all of the strengthening amendments we sought were added, the Senate bill is landmark legislation, and it is remarkable that such a strong bill has gotten this far.  Now we need to make sure that the bill isn't weakened.

Unfortunately, accountants, the Chamber of Commerce and others powerful interests are working with Congressional opponents of reform, led by Senator Phil Gramm of Texas, to weaken the bill.  They've decided to delay their efforts until the bill gets to a conference committee.

Conference committees are where the House and Senate negotiate differences between bills each has passed and where negotiations on the final shape of the accounting reform bill will take place.  While the conference committee has a token open session, that usually occurs after all the deals are cut behind closed doors.  Special interest lobbyists are hoping to convince conferees to drag out deliberations for months, in the hope that the public will forget about Enron, forget about WorldCom, and forget about all the other scandals on the front pages today.

For real reform to happen, we need to keep our reform platform moving quickly toward the President's desk.  Already, some House Republicans are urging the House leadership to accept the Senate bill as an alternative to going to conference.

Please take a moment to ask your representative to tell the House leadership to hold a House vote on the Senate Accounting Reform bill now instead of going to a slow, special-interest dominated conference committee process.  Follow the link below to go to a web page where you can e-mail your representative.
http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=315&id4=ES


BACKGROUND

In the wake of the 2001 Enron scandal, Congress began to consider legislation to reform accounting oversight and guarantee corporate responsibility. Then, in April 2002, the House passed a weak accounting reform bill. Following new revelations about more corporate scandals, particularly the $3.8 billion WorldCom fiasco, the full Senate took up both accounting and corporate responsibility legislation in July and passed a broad reform package. Both the House and Senate bills separate the auditing function of accounting companies from their consulting operations and establish a new public oversight board for the accounting industry. The Senate bill also includes a number of anti-fraud provisions championed by Senator Leahy and the Judiciary Committee. It includes whistleblower protections, creates new securities fraud crimes, and lengthens the amount of time defrauded investors can sue companies that cook the books.

Following passage of the Senate bill, the House moved quickly this week to pass its own weaker anti-fraud bill. While the House is claiming its securities fraud penalties are much longer (20 years instead of 10 years in the Senate bill) the House has also erected numerous hurdles that will make it nearly impossible to win a lawsuit, so no one would serve those longer terms. If the bills go to conference, the two House bills will be negotiated with the broader Senate bill.

On the other hand, the House could simply vote to pass the Senate bill. When both the House and Senate pass the same bill, it can go right to the President without a conference committee. In several speeches this week on corporate responsibility, the President has indicated he will sign either bill.

So, it is critical that House members join the call urging their leadership to bring the stronger Senate bill up for a vote. Alternatively, the House could hold a vote "instructing" its conferees to accept certain parts of the Senate bill that are stronger. But the best solution is not to have a conference in the first place. Behind the closed doors of a conference committee, pernicious amendments written by industry lobbyists are routinely inserted into legislation that should have been voted on in the light of day. As the distinguished Justice Louis Brandeis said: "Sunlight is the best disinfectant; the electric lightbulb the best policeman."

The Senate bill isn't everything we want. The Senate refused to allow Senator Carl Levin a vote on his amendment to force companies to treat stock options as expenses. The Senate refused to allow Senator Richard Shelby a vote on his amendment to make it possible for defrauded investors to sue lawyers and accountants who act as accomplices to corporate crooks. And the Senate failed to consider several amendments by Senators McCain, Boxer, Dorgan and others to strengthen the bill's auditor independence standards to better guarantee that audit firms act as public watchdogs instead of management lapdogs. Nevertheless, the Senate bill is landmark legislation and it is remarkable that such a strong bill has gotten this far. We need to ensure that it is not weakened further; that's why a conference committee is a bad idea.

Please take a moment to ask your representative to support a House vote on the Senate Accounting Reform bill now instead of going to a slow, special-interest dominated conference committee process.  Follow the link below to go to a web page where you can e-mail your representative.
http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=315&id4=ES

Sincerely,
Gene Karpinski
U.S. PIRG Executive Director
http://www.USPIRG.org

JUST IN:

A wolf was shot today in Stor Elvdal municipality. The man who shot it
claims it was when the wolf attacked a sheep. Then it's legal to kill
wolves in Norway. It was a 1 year old male . The Police confirm this,
and the wolf will be taken to a local high school , where experts will
look at it !

Donna

Natural Resources Defense Council's

LEGISLATIVE WATCH

July 18, 2002

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Contents:

1) Legislative Watch
2) About Our Bulletins/How to Subscribe & Unsubscribe
3) About NRDC/How to Contact Us

The information in this bulletin is also available on our website at
http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/legwatch.asp The web version links
to the text of bills and congressional web pages. To take action on
these and other environmental issues, visit NRDC's Earth Action
Center at http://www.nrdc.org/action, where you can use our online
activism tools or subscribe to Earth Action, our biweekly activist
bulletin.

1) LEGISLATIVE WATCH

This is a status report on congressional action on the environment.
To make new or updated sections easy to find, we've highlighted them
with:
= N O T E ! =

7/18/02

Congressional attention is currently focused on homeland security
legislation that includes a provision that could weaken enforcement
of environment and public health laws. Funding bills are moving
rapidly, with the House finalizing the Interior Department bill,
which funds parks and land conservation. Also, a House-Senate
conference committee is continuing to negotiate differences in the
energy bill.

...

Budget/Appropriations

= N O T E ! =
The Bush administration is working with congressional leaders to
strike a deal that would limit funding for the supplemental spending
bill. The Senate version of the bill (S. 2551) primarily addresses
defense and emergency spending priorities, but also includes funding
for hazardous materials management, drinking water system
vulnerability assessment programs, and economic assistance for New
England fishing communities. The House bill (H.R. 4775) includes a
provision written by Rep. Kolbe (R-AZ) that would exempt the
Department of Defense from complying with the Endangered Species Act
when species or their habitats are threatened by increases in water
consumption in areas surrounding military installations.
Environmentalists are concerned that the language could specifically
allow over-use of water from the San Pedro River in Arizona, harming
reptiles, mammals and migratory birds that depend on the river. The
Senate bill does not include this language.

= N O T E ! =
On 7/17, the House passed the Interior Department's FY 03 funding
bill, H.R. 5093. The House added modest funds for conservation
programs -- most of which were allocated to state wildlife grants and
cooperative endangered species programs -- and for fire management.
Rep. Hinchey (D-NY) added a provision that would prohibit funding of
oil and gas drilling in the Finger Lakes National Forest in New York.
A few environmentally-friendly amendments were adopted, including a
provision offered by Rep. Capps (D-CA) and Rep. Rahall (D-WV) to
prevent federal funds from being used to develop 36 California
offshore drilling leases. An amendment from Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR) to
ensure that commercial farmers who lease land in national refuges
reduce their use of pesticides and comply fully with refuge
regulations was defeated. The Senate version of the Interior bill (S.
2708) was approved in committee on 6/27. Both bills contain language
that would expand damaging grazing practices on public lands.
Environmentalists want the final bill to include increased funding
for the Land Conservation, Preservation, and Infrastructure
Improvement program, and are hoping to prevent money slated for the
Land and Water Conservation Fund from being siphoned off to cover
other expenses.

= N O T E ! =
On 7/17, under pressure from fiscal conservatives, the House
Republican leadership decided to revisit the spending allocations in
the budget plan passed by the House Appropriations Committee on 6/23.
Environmentalists are concerned that the decision increases the
likelihood that environmental spending will be further reduced in
future bills.

= N O T E ! =
On 7/11, the House Appropriations Committee approved a bill to fund
the Agriculture Department. The bill would restore funding for
watershed protection initiatives that was cut in President Bush's
budget request, but would limit a new program that would pay farmers
for implementing conservation practices and setting up wetland
reserves.

= N O T E ! =
On 6/27, the House approved the FY '03 Department of Defense spending
bill (H.R. 5010) by a vote of 413-18. The bill includes money for
departmental pollution prevention programs as well as the cleanup of
contaminated DoD sites.

See NRDC's analysis of the Bush budget.
http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/abudget03.asp

For a step-by-step guide to our annual odyssey through resolutions,
reconciliations and appropriations, see NRDC's budget process fact
sheet.
http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/fbudg.asp

...

Clean Air and Energy

= N O T E ! =
House-Senate energy conference committee meetings started slowly
during the July 4th recess, initially taking up less controversial
provisions of the energy bill dealing with Indian energy production,
low-income home energy assistance, and nuclear research and insurance
subsidies. During August and September, the committee plans to take
up the more controversial provisions relating to renewable energy and
energy efficiency, electricity deregulation, climate change, ethanol
mandates, fuel economy standards, and oil drilling in the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge. While the Senate defeated attempts to
include provisions for Arctic drilling in its version of the bill (S.
517), the House bill (H.R. 4) would allow drilling in the refuge.
Unlike the House bill, the Senate bill includes a provision
increasing the use of renewable fuels -- mostly ethanol -- in
gasoline by five billion gallons by 2012. The Senate bill also would
ban MTBE (a gasoline additive that has contaminated drinking water),
require companies to report their emissions of greenhouse gases, and
require electric providers to produce 4-5 percent of their energy
from new, renewable resources. The House bill includes over $33
billion in tax incentives that are largely for the oil, coal, and
nuclear energy industries. The Senate bill includes $15 billion in
incentives, about half of which would be available to improve energy
efficiency in vehicles, appliances, and buildings, as well as to
increase the use of solar, wind, and other cleaner alternative energy
sources.

= N O T E ! =
On 7/16, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a
joint hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee on the Bush
administration's recent proposed changes to the "New Source Review"
provisions of the Clean Air Act. Witnesses included high-level
representatives from the EPA and the Department of Justice and the
New York Attorney General. On 6/27, the committee postponed a vote on
issuing a subpoena to the EPA to gain access to documents related to
the New Source Review changes. Power plants are currently required to
install pollution-control devices when they modernize, but the rule
change weakens these protections and would allow old, dirty power
plants to generate more pollution than under the existing rules.

On 6/27, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved
S. 556, a bill co-authored by committee chair Sen. Jeffords (I-VT)
and Sen. Lieberman (D-CT), by a vote of 10-8. The bill seeks to
reduce four types of power plant emissions by imposing mandatory cuts
in carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and mercury
emissions. No action has been taken on the House companion bill (H.R.
1256), which was introduced on 3/27/01 by Rep. Waxman (D-CA) and Rep.
Boehlert (R-NY). The Bush administration opposes regulating carbon
dioxide emissions, arguing that the costs on the economy would be too
high. The administration has announced a proposal that would regulate
only three of the four worst power plant pollutants, reversing a Bush
campaign promise to regulate carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas
that contributes to global warming.

NRDC has detailed an energy policy that would provide a secure energy
future without destroying wilderness or rolling back environmental
safeguards in reports including Dangerous Addiction: Ending America's
Oil Dependence (http://www.nrdc.org/air/transportation/oilsecurity/securityinx.asp)
and A Responsible Energy Policy for the 21st Century
(http://www.nrdc.org/air/energy/rep/repinx.asp).

...

Clean Water

On 6/6, the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean
Air, Wetlands, and Climate Change held a hearing to ex