red tree vole - one of the species currently protected by Survey and Manage

As the first step in its goal of gutting the Northwest Forest Plan [ official documents | citizens' alternative ], the Bush Administration is proposing to dispense with the "Survey and Manage" component, which requires the Forest Service to seek out and protect rare and sensitive species before allowing logging. After being sued by environmentalists for neglecting to implement the surveys, the Forest Service has already drastically revised the plan twice, severely decreasing the number of species listed. Survey and Manage is a vital tool for activists who want to protect trees and endangered species; by groundtruthing, one can find and identify species that are protected and force the Forest Service to buffer the habitat or even cancel a timber sale. At risk are animals like the red tree vole and spotted owl, which are native to mature and old growth forests. 90% of logging on U.S. public lands targets mature and old growth forests.

Until November 20th, the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are accepting "scoping" comments to help define "issues and alternatives" for their proposal. This is an important opportunity to tell the U.S. government that Survey and Manage must be retained.

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Bark

Biodiversity Northwest

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