| - In
December 2002, The U.S. Forest Service Released the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), a Proposal for Managing the Giant Sequoia
National Monument.
- The
Draft Management Will Reduce the Risk of Catastrophic Wildfire.
- Please
Send Your Comments No Later Than March 17, 2003.
The
327,000-acre monument was created by President Clinton during his last year in
office and surrounds the 20,000 acres of redwood groves that were already protected.
Local citizens and forest ecologists warned the Clinton Administration that this
designation would sentence the magnificent groves to death by devastating wildfires,
like those experienced in recent years. In July and August of 2002, the Sequoia
National Forest experienced the largest wildfire in its history. It has burned
150,696 acres with 130,177 on the Sequoia National Forest and 20,519 on the Inyo
National Forest. The only way to permanently save these ancient redwood forests
is to actively manage surrounding forests to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
While the monument
designation bans commercial harvest, the Forest Service draft management plan's
preferred alternative calls for harvesting of trees up to 30 inches in diameter
to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. The draft plan also calls for a significant
amount of prescribed fires to clear brush and saplings and allow for natural sequoia
regeneration. The preferred alternative also maintains and enhances opportunities
for the public to visit, camp and recreate within the boundaries of the monument.
Finally, the draft plan is consistent with the objectives of the President Bush's
Healthy Forests Initiative, which is intended to protect forests, wildlife watersheds
and communities. The
National Grange's policy on the public lands is summarized in our policy book:
The
National Grange supports the efforts by the U.S. Forest Service to issue firewood
permits for those areas previously restricted in an effort to help prevent further
forest fires along with carefully monitored timber harvests in more widespread
areas of National Forests with clean up of debris and litter as a priority. The
National Grange urges federal agencies to intensify prescribed burning on national
public lands as a forest management technique. Multiple
use of non-reserved land should be the cornerstone of the United States' public
land policy in order to achieve the following objectives: energy exploration and
development; sustained yield management for food and forest production; recreational
uses for all citizens; responsible wildlife management, soil conservation, and
watershed protection. Action
Plan --- Please address your written comments regarding this DEIS and the
preferred alternative to: Jim
Whitfield, Team Leader
Giant Sequoia National Monument
900 West Grand
Avenue
Porterville, CA 93257 Comments
may also be sent via e-mail to Giant
Sequoia National Monument. Again, to be considered, your comments must be
postmarked or otherwise received by March 17. If
you have any questions or comments please contact Legislative Research Analyst
Chil-Sook Hwang by fax: 202-347-1091
or by phone: 1-888-4GRANGE, ext 109. Thank you for your grassroots participation
in the National Grange Legislative program. Want
to Subscribe To  ? For
all subscription and circulation inquiries, Contact: Jonathan
Hill. | 
