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On February 13, 2003, a hunter shot and killed an endangered California condor on the Tejon Ranch in southern California. The hunter was participating in the Pig-O-Rama, a pig hunt organized and sponsored by the Tejon Ranch Company (TRC). Although the hunter was nominally fined, no action was taken regarding TRC, even though they might be liable for the killing under state and federal law. TRC has long opposed the condor recovery program. In 1997, TRC filed a federal lawsuit to halt condor reintroduction and to remove protections for condors. Now they are seeking an Incidental Take Permit that would allow them to kill or harm California condors on Tejon Ranch. If granted, this would be the first such take permit ever issued for the condor, which is perilously close to extinction even after years of recovery efforts. Allowing killing, harm, or harassment of a single condor is unacceptable. Instead of being rewarded for their efforts to thwart the condor's recovery, TRC should be investigated and possibly prosecuted for the condor's death. Write to the California Attorney General and California EPA and urge them to investigate Tejon Ranch Company's culpability in the death of condor AC-8, and insist that they prevent further killing or harm of California condors. You can take action on this alert via the web at: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/condor2/8gxg5d2fjw6375 Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this. http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/condor2/forward/8gxg5d2fjw6375 We encourage you to take action by January 10, 2005 Investigation Needed into Condor's Death 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/condor2/8gxg5d2fjw6375 Your letter will be addressed and sent to: Attorney General Bill Lockyer Deputy Secretary Lisa Brown ----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME---- Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here], I am writing to request that you investigate the possible illegal activities of Tejon Ranch Company (TRC) related to the death of an endangered California condor last year. Condor AC-8 was killed on Tejon Ranch during a TRC-sponsored commercial hunt, by a hunter authorized and permitted by TRC. AC-8 was vitally important to the condor recovery effort, being one of the last wild condors captured for the captive breeding effort. AC-8 possessed vital knowledge and wisdom for living in the wild that would have been invaluable to young captive-reared condors. AC-8 was a threat to the development interests of Tejon Ranch. TRC has long resisted the reintroduction of condors and is actively fighting their reintroduction now. The hunter that killed AC-8 was only lightly punished, while no action was taken against TRC. TRC is now seeking a permit to kill or harm more condors. California condors are too close to extinction, despite the tremendous efforts of the condor recovery team, to allow another single deliberate condor death. TRC should not be rewarded for their hostile actions against the condor by the issuance of a take permit - instead, they should be investigated and prosecuted if necessary for the death of AC-8. The people of California demand accountability for harm to one the state's most imperiled species. Please open an investigation as soon as possible into TRC's role in the death of AC-8, and fully prosecute the company if appropriate. ----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
Action deadline: August 11, 2004 You have a rare opportunity to help protect one of the last large, intact marine ecosystems in the world. Known as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, this enormous ecosystem stretches across more than 1,200 nautical miles northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands, and is a remarkable and remote string of islands, reefs, and atolls. It encompasses almost 70 percent of the coral reefs under United States control, as well as endangered Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles, huge schools of large fish, and myriad bird species. Although largely untouched, this coral reef ecosystem has suffered from unsustainable use. Lobster fisheries took more animals than the ecosystem could produce, and the fisheries were closed by court order after the number of lobsters plummeted. Other fisheries caused the accidental deaths of sea turtles and were also closed within 50 nautical miles of the islands. To provide immediate protection, in 2000 President Clinton created a Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve. Clinton and Congress also called for consideration of the area as a national marine sanctuary -- a more established means for marine protection, in terms of enforcement, education, research and monitoring, and funding. During the next year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which runs the marine sanctuary program, will develop a draft management plan for the proposed sanctuary. As a result, important decisions will soon be made about what the sanctuary designation will mean and to what extent the ecosystem will be protected from the damaging activities that have so harmed marine ecosystems elsewhere. FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW TO PUSH FOR A STRONG SANCTUARY THAT PROTECTS THE ECOSYSTEM'S NATURAL CHARACTER. Please forward this alert to your friends and colleagues. **************************TAKE ACTION NOW!********************* POWERFUL OPTION: Personalize your letter. Go to http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/ctt.asp?u=26681&l=48580 and follow the instructions for adding your own thoughts to your message. Decision makers pay much more attention to personalized messages. QUICK OPTION: If you only have a minute, send the message below, as is, by simply replying to this email. (This option works only if you received this email directly from the Conservation Action Network.) If you have any questions or problems with taking action, contact us at actionquestions@takeaction.worldwildlife.org for help. ***************************LETTER TEXT************************** Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr. Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere Department of Commerce 14th Street and Constitution Avenue Washington, DC 20230 Dear Admiral Lautenbacher, I am deeply concerned about the future of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands' remarkable coral reef ecosystem. Given the damage that human activities have inflicted on most U.S. ocean ecosystems, it is critically important that this ecosystem be spared a similar fate. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands may be our country's last opportunity to protect a nearly intact coral reef ecosystem, and to repair the damage inflicted to date. Sadly, many of the existing national marine sanctuaries have so far proven insufficient to protect the species and habitats within from the adverse effects of overfishing, pollution, poorly managed tourism, and other activities. If the same approach is taken in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, damage to this nearly pristine ecosystem is inevitable. The proposed Northwestern Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary must provide lasting and comprehensive protection for the ecosystem. I urge you to ensure that: * The overarching goals and objectives for the sanctuary give top priority to protecting the ecosystem's natural character. Nothing less will prevent future damage and provide a solid foundation for restoring fish and wildlife. * The preferred management measures protect the ecosystem's natural character, facilitate the recovery of depleted resources, and prevent any harm to this unique place. Specifically, I urge you to disallow the taking of corals within the sanctuary and to keep the lobster fisheries closed, to ensure that this important prey item for the highly endangered Hawaiian monk seals is not jeopardized again by human activities. I also urge you to prohibit new or expanded fisheries because there must be some places to study and observe an intact ecosystem, in order to better understand and more effectively manage fisheries elsewhere. * The sanctuary reinforces, supplements, and complements existing protections provided by the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve, which prohibits the taking of corals and any increase in fishing activity, and establishes permanent reserve preservation areas within which fishing is prohibited or tightly restricted. * The existing protections provided by the Reserve are fully adhered to and enforced. The sanctuary designation is unlikely to be complete until at least 2006, and considerable damage could occur by then if the current protections are not implemented in the interim. I also urge you to heed the advice of the Reserve Advisory Council. The Council was established to provide you with recommendations about the goals, objectives, and preferred management approaches for the proposed sanctuary. A diverse group, it includes scientists and representatives of environmental groups and the ocean-related tourism, commercial fishing, and recreational fishing industries, as well as three Native Hawaiian representatives. Despite their different perspectives, the Council members have come together to call for strong protections for the sanctuary. Please do all you can to protect and restore the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands ecosystem. Sincerely, Your name and address will be inserted here **************************END OF LETTER TEXT*************************
Earlier this year you received information on the Cumberland Island National Seashore Wilderness Boundary Act of 2003 (S. 1462), a bill sponsored by Georgia Senators Saxby Chambliss (R) and Zell Miller (D) that will split this already small Wilderness area in two by removing the existing Wilderness protection from large corridors for vehicular access, and establishing motorized concession tours. In 1972 Cumberland Island was set aside as a National Seashore to "be permanently preserved in its primitive state." Ten years later, the northern half of the island was designated as Wilderness or potential Wilderness. Now, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of The Wilderness Act, S. 1462 and companion legislation introduced by Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) are poised for congressional action; either as a stand-alone bill or as a rider on an Omnibus package. Take Action >> This bill is currently being discussed in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee - which your senator is a member. It is very important that they hear from you! In fact, many members and staff may be visiting this park on a congressional trip in the coming weeks and your letters will help provide them with important information to prepare them for the trip. Please visit http://www.npca.org/aa.asp?ID=354 to learn more about this important issue and write your senator today. Thank you for your continued dedication to protecting the wild places at Cumberland Island and throughout the national park system. Members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee: Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Jon L. Kyl (R-AZ) Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) Bob Graham (D-FL) Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) Larry Craig (R-ID) B. Evan Bayh (D-IN) Jim Bunning (R-KY) Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA) Jim Talent (R-MO) Conrad Burns (R-MT) Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND) Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) Don Nickles (R-OK) Gordon H. Smith (R-OR) Ron Wyden (D-OR) Tim P. Johnson (D-SD) Lamar Alexander (R-TN) Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Craig Thomas (R-WY) Thank you for your time and dedication to helping enhance and protect our national parks for present and future generations, NPCA Grassroots Staff ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * National Park Lines is a publication of the National Parks Conservation Association's Park Action Network. To learn how you and your friends can become more involved in national park advocacy, contact our grassroots staff at TakeAction@npca.org. NPCA's park protection work is made possible by the generous support of people like you. Membership is just $15, and includes a subscription to our award-winning National Parks magazine. Join us today! https://www.npca.org/support_npca Visit us online at http://www.npca.org.
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Under the Clinton administration, the Environmental Protection Agency created the “Roadless Area Conservation Rule” that restricted road-building and commercial logging and drilling on 58.5 million acres of national forests. Now the Bush administration wants to gut this Clinton-era policy and cater to corporate logging interests instead. Over one million citizens wrote the Clinton administration in support of a strong Roadless Rule. Apparently Bush wants to throw these public comments out the window in favor of an industry handout. Write the Bush administration and tell them that you won’t be excluded from creating sensible environmental policies and you oppose any rollbacks to the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The deadline for comments is September 14, so don't forget to write before the summer is over! Best, Tom and
Rebecca Tell A Friend! http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/2020vision/thankYou.jsp?campaign_KEY=103 Sign Up For alerts! http://democracyinaction.org/2020vision/signUp.jsp |
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Action deadline: September 14, 2004 We've gone from bad to worse. Over the past four years, the Bush administration has systematically undermined the Clinton-era rule that protected our nation's 58 million acres of wild and pristine national forest roadless areas from road building and logging. Now, the Forest Service wants to throw the roadless rule out and not protect these areas unless governors successfully petition the federal government to have the areas off limits. If they want, governors can request more roads and logging than the federal government is already planning. The end result would be an unprecedented give-away to the timber industry. The Forest Service will accept public comments until September 14 before coming up with a final rule. This is your chance to let the administration know how important protecting roadless areas is to you. Our nation's roadless areas shelter wildlife, protect freshwater supplies for local communities, and provide many other priceless benefits. A World Wildlife Fund-led analysis showed that three-quarters of our nation's roadless areas have the potential to conserve threatened, endangered, or imperiled species. Sadly, the U.S. national forest system is already crisscrossed by 380,000 miles of roads totaling more than eight times the national interstate highway system (and enough to circle the planet more than 16 times). These forest roads break up habitat, cause soil erosion, and leave fragmented stands of timber vulnerable to disease and unnatural fire events. The Forest Service estimates that without the roadless rule, Americans could lose as much as 6 million acres of roadless forestland over the next 20 years. FOLLOW THE STEPS BELOW TO SEND A FREE LETTER TO THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE. Please forward this alert to your friends and colleagues. **************************TAKE ACTION NOW!********************* POWERFUL OPTION: Personalize your letter. Go to http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/ctt.asp?u=26681&l=48216 and follow the instructions for adding your own thoughts to your message. Decision makers pay much more attention to personalized messages. QUICK OPTION: If you only have a minute, send the message below, as is, by simply replying to this email. (This option works only if you received this email directly from the Conservation Action Network.) If you have any questions or problems with taking action, contact us at actionquestions@takeaction.worldwildlife.org for help. *********************LETTER TEXT****************** Content Analysis Team ATTN: Roadless State Petitions USDA Forest Service P.O. Box 221090 Salt Lake City , UT 84122 Dear Content Analysis Team: I strongly object to the proposed new roadless area rule. Instead, I urge you to reinstate the original roadless rule as it was issued in January 2001, which called for the protection of 58 million acres of national forest roadless areas. The proposed new rule would be extremely damaging: It provides no roadless area protection unless governors can successfully petition for it and allows governors to request more road building, logging, and energy development than currently included in forest management plans. The proposed rule abdicates important federal responsibility: Protecting our national forests is the job of the Forest Service, not the responsibility of governors who don't have the staff or expertise. The new rule will result in inconsistent and piecemeal approaches to the protection of valuable federal resources. The American public has long made known its strong support for roadless areas. Ninety percent of the 2.2 million comments the Forest Service received during its extensive outreach effort on the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule supported the strongest protection possible for these wild lands. Roadless areas in our national forests are vital resources that must be protected. They provide refuge for wildlife, reservoirs for plant life, and protection for freshwater supplies for local communities. Contrary to what some have suggested, forest fire prevention is not a reason to override protection of roadless areas. Roadless areas are not a priority for forest fire fuels treatment since the risk of unnatural fires is much lower in these regions and most are miles from urban areas where fuels reduction treatments are urgently needed. Please do all you can to safeguard our nation's wild roadless areas. Sincerely, Your name and address will be inserted here ***********************END OF LETTER TEXT********************* BACKGROUND How has the Bush administration responded to the landmark Clinton administration forest conservation rule that prevented new road building and logging within 58 million acres of wild national forest lands and was overwhelmingly supported by the public? First, the Bush administration refused to implement the rule or to defend it against an industry-inspired court challenge, leaving it to environmental groups to stand up for the rule in court. Then, it exempted 15.5 million acres in Alaska from the rule's protections. And, recently it decided to allow the logging of 8,000 acres of ecologically valuable roadless land -- the largest entry into roadless areas since the enactment of the rule -- as part of the Biscuit Fire salvage logging project in southern Oregon. Now, the administration has proposed throwing the rule out altogether and allowing federal plans for road building and logging in roadless forests to go forward unless governors petition to block these actions (with the proviso that the administration can overrule the governors' requests). Please send your comment to the Forest Service today. 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
Last month, we contacted you and asked you to contact the National Marine Fisheries Service -- they were considering regulations to protect corals from the destructive fishing practice known as "bottom trawling", and we asked you to submit your comments encouraging them to do so. Your response was overwhelming! As of today, almost 17,000 comments have been submitted to the Fisheries Service on this issue through our Web site. It was a powerful demonstration of your commitment to saving these delicate deep-sea corals, and we thank you. As the Fisheries Service decides what course to take, the fight is now moving to a new arena -- the U.S. Congress, which is about to take up legislation that would put critical protections in place for these corals. You can help make that legislation a reality! Tell your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the Deep Sea Coral Protection Act (bill number S.1953 in the Senate and H.R.4897 in the House), and put an end to the destruction of corals: * Tell your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the Deep Sea Coral Protection Act: http://ga0.org/campaign/coralprotection/3378bg2ajmtnb7 THE ISSUE: CORALS AND BOTTOM TRAWLING Deep sea corals are truly a wonder of nature. Hidden in the deepest reaches of the ocean, they have been growing and living for hundreds and even thousands of years, forming the foundation for ecosystems so wild and diverse that we are only now beginning to appreciate them. Entire ocean ecosystems now rest on these coral reefs, with all the species that live there -- from the tiniest microorganisms to some of the fish we eat for dinner -- tracing their chain of life back to the coral. And yet, these corals are being crushed every day. They are threatened by "bottom trawling" -- a fishing practice that uses huge nets that ships drag along the ocean floor, scooping up fish and smashing everything else into bits. When the trawlers pass over seafloor covered in coral, it's no contest -- the trawlers win and many hundreds of years of coral growth are demolished in a day. You can see the effects for yourself: * See untrawled coral: http://www.savecorals.com/alerts/untrawled_sm.jpg * See trawled coral: http://www.savecorals.com/alerts/trawled_sm.jpg THE SOLUTION: THE DEEP SEA CORAL PROTECTION ACT Thankfully, Congress is moving to put an end to bottom trawling. The Deep Sea Coral Protection Act is coming before the House and Senate for consideration soon. This bill will prohibit bottom trawling in areas where corals are known to be. (Read our summary of the bill for more information: http://www.savecorals.com/alerts/s1953_summary.pdf.) To get off the ground, though, the Coral Protection Act will need support. That means it needs co-sponsors -- Members of Congress who will lend their name to it as official supporters of the bill. That's where we need your help. TAKE ACTION TODAY! Your voice can help your Representatives and Senators understand the urgent need for them to sign on as co-sponsors to this bill: * Tell your Members of Congress to co-sponsor the Deep Sea Coral Protection Act: http://ga0.org/campaign/coralprotection/3378bg2ajmtnb7 With support from your Members of Congress, the day when corals are protected by law will come much, much sooner -- and with your support, we can help them realize why this issue deserves theirs. For the oceans, Dave Allison Director, Campaign to Stop Destructive Trawling Oceana You can take action on this alert either via email (please see directions below) or via the web at: http://ga0.org/campaign/coralprotection/3378bg2ajmtnb7 Spread the word to your friends -- the more constituents each Member of Congress hears from, the more powerful the message! http://ga0.org/campaign/coralprotection/forward/3378bg2ajmtnb7 We encourage you to take action by August 28, 2004 Tell Your Members of Congress To Co-Sponsor the Coral Protection Bill! 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://ga0.org/campaign/coralprotection/3378bg2ajmtnb7 INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL: Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email program. Your letter will be addressed and sent to: Your Congressperson Your Senators ----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME---- Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here], I am writing to urge you to lend your support to the Deep Sea Coral Protection Act (S.1953/H.R.4897), by adding your name to it as a co-sponsor. Deep sea corals are a wonder of nature. Since they live in the last true frontier on Earth, we are only now beginning to realize the vast biodiversity they support. Species ranging from microorganisms to some of the fish that you and I put on our plates for dinner can all trace their food chains back to these ancient corals. Today, though, the survival of these corals is threatened by the practice of bottom trawling. Once a coral reef is destroyed, it can take centuries to recover -- time that we don't have. We can't afford to allow such fragile and important resources to be destroyed so cavalierly. That's why I urge you to co-sponsor the Deep Sea Coral Protection Act (S.1953/H.R.4897), which will prohibit bottom trawling in regions known to have deep sea corals. With your help, we can ensure that these wonders of nature will be intact for generations to come. ----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
To: Northeast Activists From: John Demos, American Lands Alliance August 5, 2004 NEED WRITTEN COMMENTS TO PROTECT ROADLESS RULE BY September 14th Last month the Bush Administration announced a 60-day comment period on their phony replacement for the National Forest Roadless Rule. Although Secretary Veneman has stated publicly that they are upholding the Rule, the new proposal will essentially render it meaningless. I talked with Under Secretary Mark Rey last Friday in New Hampshire and when I stated that he was “dismantling” the Rule, he simply nodded his head in agreement. An unusual bit of honesty from a Bush appointee! On Monday I debated the Rule with The New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association on NH Public Television. On Tuesday a friendly employee in the Forest Service actually called to congratulate me on my performance. Papers all over our region and the country have been editorializing against this latest travesty being perpetrated by the Bush Administration. The Roadless Rule remains highly popular with the American public and we can generate a lot of noise. The environmental community is attempting to get a million comments in to the Forest Service in support of the Rule, and make our voices heard in the media! The basic message of a comment letter is pretty simple – “ENFORCE THE NATIONAL FOREST ROADLESS RULE IN THE FORM ORIGINALLY RELEASED BY THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION, YOU BUMS!!!” The basic message of a Letter to The Editor is simple as well – “ENFORCE THE NATIONAL FOREST ROADLESS RULE IN THE FORM ORIGINALLY RELEASED BY THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION, YOU BUMS!!!” Links to a sample comment letter, sample Letters To The Editor, sample alert, and background information are below. Please spread the word through your networks. THE COMMENT PERIOD ENDS SEPTEMBER 14th. Roadless Comment Drive Organizing Packet Thanks to the Heritage Forest Campaign for helping provide materials for the packet. The entire packet can be found at: http://www.americanlands.org/new_page_34.htm. The packet contains: · Sample Action Alert/Newsletter Alert: http://www.americanlands.org/draft%20roadless%20action%20alert.doc · A Sample Comment Letter: http://www.americanlands.org/sample%20roadless%20comment%20letter.doc · An Initial Analysis of the New Bush Roadless Rule: http://www.americanlands.org/Roadlessanalysis.doc · Sample Talking/Message Points: http://www.americanlands.org/Sample%20Talking%20Points.doc · Sample Letters to the Editor: http://www.americanlands.org/draft%20roadless%20lte's.doc · For tips on how to write and place a letter to the editor go to: http://www.americanlands.org/August Organizing Packet Documents/LTE (Resource Media Training Manual).pdf · For tips on visiting with the editorial board for the local newspaper go to: http://www.americanlands.org/August Organizing Packet Documents/Ed Board (Resource Media Training Manual).pdf · Useful Links: The proposed rule is available at http://roadless.fs.fed.us/documents/id_07/2004_07_12_state_petition_proposed_rule.html The interim directive can be found at http://roadless.fs.fed.us/documents/id_07/07_08_04_draft_id_1920_2004-1.pdf For more information please contact: John Demos, American Lands Alliance 207-384-0175 demos@americanlands.org
*************************** Environmental Defense take action for the environment...online *************************** *Urge Hawaii to Protect Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reefs* The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) are home to one of the largest remaining relatively undisturbed coral reef ecosystems on earth. They support over 7,000 marine species, including endangered Hawaiian monk seals, threatened sea turtles, birds, tropical fish and more. Hawai'i has proposed a NWHI refuge designed to protect the state waters in this fragile ecosystem. The plan, however, leaves two islands of great importance to the Native Hawaiians open to commercial fishing and includes other gaping loopholes. Please add your own words to a message to the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources urging them to fully preserve this culturally important and unique habitat. Take Action: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/nwhi4/8857sd4rjwxnxx Spread the Word: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/nwhi4/forward/8857sd4rjwxnxx Take action by August 14, 2004 --------------------------------------------------- The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), a remote 1,200-mile stretch of atolls and islands, are one of the last remaining large scale relatively undisturbed coral reef ecosystems on earth. Home to over 7,000 species of coral, fish, birds and marine mammals, the NWHI are also of great cultural and spiritual significance to Native Hawaiians. Thanks to strong support from the public and thousands of Environmental Defense email activists over the years, NWHI Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve was created in 2000 by Executive Order. Over the past 4 years, there have been 31 hearings and 74,000 public comments have been submitted in support of strong protections. Your help is still needed! Hawai'i's state-controlled waters, surrounded by federally protected waters of the NWHI Reserve, are the heart of the NWHI ecosystem and contain some of the most valuable and vulnerable areas, especially the reefs in shallow waters. Please add your words to a message to the Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources supporting correcting the loopholes and creating consistent closures throughout the NWHI. ------------------------------------------------- RESPOND VIA THE WEB: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/nwhi4/8857sd4rjwxnxx RESPOND VIA EMAIL: Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email program. You MUST Reply with "send" in the subject. Your letter will be addressed and sent to: HI Department of Land and Natural Resources Chair Peter Young ----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME---- Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here], Aloha, Thank you for proposing to conserve the state waters of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) through the establishment of a refuge. The plan appears to ban fishing in state waters around seven of nine islands and atolls, bans lobster fishing throughout the refuge, recommends a permitting system, and recognizes Native Hawaiian cultural, subsistence and religious access. However, I am deeply concerned about loopholes that could undo the plan's proposed protections. Scientists and Native Hawaiian leaders have underscored how extractive activities are not compatible with protecting the NWHI ecosystem. I urge you to create a true refuge for this precious region by extending the proposed prohibition of extractive activities, except for scientific research necessary for conservation and non-commercial Native Hawaiian access, to all state waters of the NWHI, including the islands of Nihoa and Mokumanamana. I am also concerned that as written the proposed rules are vague and could be interpreted to allow virtually any activity to occur anywhere in the refuge. Please close the gaping loopholes which make this possible by adopting technical amendments proposed by Environmental Defense, KAHEA, Ilio`ulaokalani Coalition, and Sierra Club Hawaii. Please act to: -Eliminate vague language; -Clarify the primary purpose of the refuge as ensuring the long-term conservation and protection of the ecosystem in its natural character and that all uses must be consistent with this purpose; -Greatly strengthen language on access permits, establish a permit advisory group of experts, ensure true permit enforcement, cap all activities so that they don't surpass existing levels, and ensure permit violators are denied future access. State waters are the heart of the NWHI ecosystem and contain some of the most valuable and vulnerable areas, especially the reefs in shallow waters. By strengthening your plan in these ways, you will secure a true pu'uhonua (place of refuge) as legacy for future generations. Thank you. ----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
The Forest Service has released draft plans for managing our southern California national forests that would open them up to more off-road vehicles, oil and gas drilling, and other activities harmful to imperiled species and ecosystem health. Your help is needed to let the Forest Service know that it must do far better in protecting our national forests - the Angeles, Cleveland, San Bernardino, and Los Padres -- for future generations. You can take action on this alert via the web at: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/4_forests/3dd5kn44jwxtw3 Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this. http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/4_forests/forward/3dd5kn44jwxtw3 We encourage you to take action by September 10, 2004 Act Now to Protect Southern California Forests 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/4_forests/3dd5kn44jwxtw3 Your letter will be addressed and sent to: Southern California Forest Plan Revisions USDA Forest Service Content Analysis Center ----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME---- Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here], Southern California's native plants and animals are threatened by ever-increasing urbanization and industrialization, pollution, off-road vehicle use, invasions of non-native species, and other human-caused damage ecosystem function. The Cleveland, San Bernardino, Angeles, and Los Padres National Forests have become vital refuges for endangered, threatened, and sensitive species. These forests also provide clean drinking water and the opportunity for peace and solitude for millions of people. Appropriate management of southern California's four national forests is essential for maintaining the rich biological diversity of the region. Alternative 6 will provide a broad range of recreational opportunities while maintaining functioning ecosystems and protecting biological resources. Alternative 6 will comply with the Endangered Species Act by allowing recreational use of the forests while protecting important habitat in Critical Biological Zones, Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers, Research Natural Areas, and backcountry non-motorized zones. I strongly urge the Forest Service to adopt Alternative 6, with the following modifications: 1) The Forest Service attempted to discredit Alternative 6 in the Draft EIS by assuming that roads necessary for fire and fuels management would be closed and therefore species would be at risk from fire. However, the "Conservation Alternative for the Management of the Four Southern California National Forest," submitted to the Forest Service during scoping, allows for consideration of fire and fuels management during analyses to determine which roads are appropriate for closure. Alternative 6 should follow the recommendations in the Conservation Alternative, and the Forest Service should re-analyze the effects of Alternative 6 with respect to fire and fuels management. 2) Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers provide important habitat protection for imperiled species and ecosystems and help protect the wild character of our forests. The Forest Service readily admits that wilderness does not pose a problem with respect to fire suppression. Yet, the Forest Service failed to recommend 80% of the eligible wilderness and wild and scenic rivers in its preferred alternatives. In its final forest plans, the Forest Service should recommend all of the wild and scenic rivers listed in Alternative 6 for designation. In addition to those recommended in the preferred alternatives, the Forest Service should recommend the following wilderness areas in the final forest plan: Ladd and Coldwater Canyons, Barker Valley, Eagle Peak, and Hauser additions in the Cleveland National Forest; Condor Peak, Castaic, and Pleasant View on the Angeles National Forest; Cahuilla Mountain, South Fork San Jacinto, and the SBNF section of the Sheep Mountain addition on the San Bernardino National Forest 3) The Forest Service should adopt all Critical Biological Zones, Research Natural Areas, and Special Interest Areas that are identified in Alternatives 6 and 3. In addition, all federally designated critical habitat for listed species should be included in a Critical Biological Zone. 4) The Forest Service should prohibit new transmission lines, freeways, oil and gas drilling, water diversions, and ski developments on the national forests. Any additional urban infrastructure should use existing footprints. The best way to protect the forests from harmful impacts is to prevent damaging activities in important habitats. Alternative 6 will best protect the precious natural heritage of these critically important public lands. ----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
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Help Stop the Bush Administration's National Forest Giveaway Early in July, 2004 the Bush Administration proposed to permanently alter and weaken the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, placing 58.5 million acres of our national forests at risk to destructive road-building, logging and drilling. We are working feverishly to stop this new shortsighted proposal, but we need your help! A public comment period started on July 9, 2004 and ends on September 14, 2004. We need to generate as many comments as possible in order to let the administration know that the public wants our national forests protected and not given away to corporate special interests. The conservation community has set an ambitious goal of generating 1 million comments in order to send a clear and powerful message that we will not tolerate the Bush Administration giving our national forests away. Here's how you can help us reach this goal: You can write a comment letter to the Forest Service. Handwritten, substantive comment letters are always the best. Don't forget to add some personal info about why you value roadless and wild national forests (camping, hiking, scenery, biological diversity, birding, boating, etc.) OR Send an email comment to the following address: statepetitionroadless@fs.fed.us Email Subject Line: Please Protect My National Forests You can take action on this alert either via email (please see directions below) or via the web at: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/keep_it_roadless/8gxg5d2ljw3nje Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this important action. http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/keep_it_roadless/forward/8gxg5d2ljw3nje We encourage you to take action by September 16, 2004 Roadless Area Conservation Rule Under Attack! 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/keep_it_roadless/8gxg5d2ljw3nje INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPOND VIA EMAIL: Just choose the "reply to sender" option on your email program. Your letter will be addressed and sent to: Content Analysis Team Roadless State Petitions (if you live in UT) ----THIS LETTER WILL BE SENT IN YOUR NAME---- Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here], Please accept this letter as an official public comment for the roadless area management state petition proposal [Docket Number: 04-16191]. I strongly oppose this proposal to repeal the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Roadless Rule is a balanced policy that was finalized after years of scientific study, 600 public hearings, and a record number of public comments, the majority of which overwhelmingly support protecting roadless areas through the rule. The Roadless Rule is a vital tool for protecting our national forests from harmful and costly road-building and commercial logging. Our national forests need real protections because of the important role they play in providing fish and wildlife habitat, clean drinking water for millions of Americans, and endless recreational opportunities. I urge you to abandon the new misguided proposal and keep the Roadless Area Conservation Rule intact in the Lower 48 states and Alaska’s Chugach National Forest, and reinstate the rule in the Tongass National Forest. Thank you for your consideration of my comments on this crucial national forest conservation issue. ----END OF LETTER TO BE SENT----
Report Highlighting Bush Administration's Assault on
America's National Forests Released
Today
American Lands Alliance and several conservation
organizations released a new report today, in order to publicly highlight the
Bush Administration's relentless attacks on our National Forest heritage. The report
highlights 17 "poster child" National Forest timber sales that best illustrate
what is happening on the ground as a result of the Bush administration's
regressive forest policies. There are several events scheduled across the
country today and throughout the week, which will focus on these egregious
National Forest "poster child" projects from Oregon to Florida.
In Washington, DC there will be a noon press conference to
announce the release of This Land is
Your Land: The Bush Administration's Assault on America's National Forest
Legacy. The speakers at the D.C. event include Diane
Linn, County Commissioner from Oregon; John King, American Whitewater Regional
Access Coordinator from Virginia; Randi Spivak, Executive Director, American
Lands Alliance and Sean Cosgrove, Forest Policy Specialist, Sierra Club from
D.C.; and a statement from Rick Eichstaedt, from the Nez Perce Tribe in
Idaho.
For a copy of the report, executive summary, press release,
and report contacts please go to: http://www.americanlands.org/this_land_is_your_land.htm
Lisa Dix
National Forest Program Director
American Lands Alliance
ldix@americanlands.org
Ph: 202-547-9105; Fax: 202-547-9213
The bad news first: the Bush administration has
just released two very harmful draft policies that will undermine decades
of protections for wild salmon and steelhead and their vital habitat. But
the good news is, as a recipient of Animals and Environment alerts from
Care2, your voice matters. In fact, your voice is
critical right now to protect our endangered wild salmon from further
decline and possible extinction: http://www.care2.com/go/z/16387  Pacific wild salmon are an important
keystone species, providing food for hundreds of species of animals and
plants, and serving as an economic engine for rural fishing communities.
Protecting wild salmon is crucial to the overall recovery of declining
salmon species. But these proposed policies will undercut important efforts meant to protect salmon habitat. The first policy counts hatchery salmon as wild salmon under the Endangered Species Act. The second policy, which could effectively strip federal protections from wild salmon and steelhead, applies this misguided hatchery policy to 27 protected salmon and steelhead stocks and proposes to reclassify resident rainbow trout and count them as ocean-going steelhead. Please sign this petition to tell the Bush administration that hatchery fish should not be counted as wild fish and that the Endangered Species Act is intended to protect wild salmon and steelhead and their natural habitat. Sign here: http://www.care2.com/go/z/16387 Thank you for helping our wild salmon today!  -Rebecca,Care2 and ThePetitionSite team http://www.care2.com/go/z/rebecca P.S. Public comments are due by October 15, 2004 - submit your comments today! Have an opinion about what you've read here? Visit the Care2 Feedback group and share your thoughts with the community: http://www.care2.com/go/z/petitions Care2.com, Inc. - 275 Shoreline Drive, Suite 150 - Redwood City, CA 94065 |
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Dear NRDC BioGems Defender, I want you to be the first to know that NRDC is launching an urgently needed campaign to protect the world's whales against the Navy's use of dangerous mid-frequency sonar. New scientific evidence shows that intense blasts of mid-frequency sonar, at 235 decibels or more, can cause a whale's organs to fatally hemorrhage. And a growing number of whale strandings and die-offs -- from the Canary Islands to the Bahamas to Japan -- have coincided with the military's use of these high-intensity sonar systems. Please help put a stop to this senseless killing by going to http://www.savebiogems.org/watchlist/takeaction.asp?camp=31&step=2&item=52240 right now and sending the Secretary of the Navy a message urging him to take common-sense steps to protect whales. Thanks to your strong support, we won a major victory for whales last year when a federal court blocked the Navy's global deployment of a different, long-range sonar system -- called LFA -- because its ear-splitting noise could threaten the very survival of endangered populations of whales. Now we are taking aim at the Navy's mid-frequency sonar, which is a much more widely used class of systems for detecting submarines. Believe me, we understand and appreciate that the Navy's mission is defending our nation. But there are very simple ways for the Navy to protect whales that will not interfere with military readiness. Right now, the Navy is needlessly injuring and killing some of the ocean's most majestic creatures -- and that is simply unacceptable. The International Whaling Commission recently declared that the evidence now appears "overwhelming" that military sonar is causing mass strandings of whales. And the scientific journal "Nature" reports that mid-frequency sonar can cause gas bubbles to form in the blood vessels of panicked whales, tearing holes in their internal organs. Such injuries no doubt cause intense pain. I want to stress again that such suffering is avoidable -- if the Navy would only take simple measures like avoiding areas where whales are known to migrate and raise their young. But the Navy is unlikely to take such steps unless it hears an outcry from millions of Americans. Please go to http://www.savebiogems.org/watchlist/takeaction.asp?camp=31&step=2&item=52240 right away and send a message telling the Navy to stop needlessly harming and killing whales. Then forward this message to as many of your friends and family as possible and ask them to speak out, too. Let's make sure that no more whales have to suffer and die from mid-frequency sonar. Sincerely, John H. Adams President Natural Resources Defense Council . . . BioGems: Saving Endangered Wild Places A project of the Natural Resources Defense Council http://www.savebiogems.org
To: All
Activists
From: Lisa Dix, American Lands
Alliance
Date: August 17, 2004
Help Stop Destructive ORVs on National
Forests!
Tell the Forest Service to Strengthen New ORV
Rule
Right now there are two public comment periods going on
simultaneously because the Bush administration is working overtime to turn our
National Forests over to private industry. Yesterday, we sent out an alert asking for
help generating one million comments against the Bush administration's efforts
to gut the Roadless Rule. Today, we need your help to keep up the
pressure on the Forest Service to address destructive ORV abuse on our National
Forests. It is up to us to make both of these comment drives a
success!!
On July 7, 2004 the Forest Service announced the release of the much anticip
The Bush
administration has finalized 
Montana native and
Defenders of Wildlife Board Member 
IN THIS ISSUE
