On January 29, 2014, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a version of the Farm Bill that includes language that would be disastrous for all National Forests: Section 8204.
This section of the Farm Bill would void the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to allow logging projects up to 3,000 acres in size to be implemented on National Forests without any environmental analysis of harmful effects to water quality, wildlife or rare, threatened or endangered species.
It would also eliminate administrative appeals on these projects, eliminating public participation in these forest management decisions.
While Section 8204 supposedly applies only to areas “at risk” of pests or pathogens, it actually applies to much of our national forest system, and promotes lawless logging even where the best available science shows that logging won’t help.
The U.S. Senate may vote on the Farm Bill as early as this week–the first week of February!
Act now and urge your Senators to strike Section 8204 from the 2014 Farm Bill because of the harm that Section 8204 would cause to our national forests. If Section 8204 is not removed, urge them to vote against the 2014 the Farm Bill.
Call the capitol switchboard: (202) 224-3121
Or
e-mail your senators NOW!
