Forest Service in the News : February 14-29, 2004

A Plea For Biodiversity - Activists stage a mock funeral in Medford as the comment period for a Northwest Forest Plan impact statement ends, Mail Tribune

Rally protests elimination of forest surveys, The News-Review

New voices on Biscuit: EPA warns against high-volume logging plan, Register-Guard editorial

Certifiably Insane? - SFI: Wood-labeling program less green than it appears, Grist magazine

Sustainable Forestry Initiative - How can you trust the timber industry to measure its own environmental sustainability?, Don't Buy SFI

"Certified Deception" ad, Rainforest Action Network

Hall of Shame, Don't Buy SFI

A Common Vision for Transforming the Paper Industry: Striving for Environmental and Social Sustainability do, Conservatree

Office Depot dumps paper supplier APP, Palm Beach Post

North American Leaders in Sustainable Forestry and Procurement to Meet in Vancouver, Forest Certification Watch

APHIS releases EA/FONSI for oral rabies vaccine program on National Forest System Lands, Federal Register

Wildfire Season Likely to Be Worse Than Normal in the Interior West, New Mexican AP

BLM, greens win round in route dispute, Salt Lake Tribune

U.S. Importers Buy Timber Ripped From the Amazon, Environment News Service

Controversy grows over Forest Service fees, Summit Daily News

Park fee plan is a bust, Denver Post editorial

Routt County mulls USFS recreation fees, Steamboat Pilot

Enviromentalists say Bush budget an illusion, Albany Democrat-Herald - Daly AP

EPA blasts plan to log burned Oregon forest, The Seattle Times

EPA urges less logging in Biscuit fire salvage plan, Oregonian

Siskiyou NF - EPA says Biscuit salvage logging plan will harm water quality and salmon, Longview Daily News - Barnard AP

Fish and Wildlife expresses concerns over Biscuit salvage, Albany Democrat-Herald

Lifelong Humboldt County Resident Watches Destructive Logging, The Eureka Reporter

Old-growth activists target Weyerhaeuser; 5 arrested - Activists hang banner from construction crane, Seattle Times

Suit filed over forest-thinning project, The Business Journal of Phoenix

Bush Administration's War on the Grand Canyon, Progressive News editorial

A Scientific Critique of the Myths and Misconceptions of Logging Old Growth and Large Diameter Ponderosa in the Southwest, Southwest Forsest Alliance

Dead Trees May Benefit Forest, Mountain View Telegraph

Ruling: No damages for Alaska Pulp, Juneau Empire

WWF Calls on U.S. Retailers to Demand Paper Giant APP Stop Unsustainable Logging, World Wildlife Fund US

A legendary firefighter who was both inventor and hero is to be honored with a memorial called The Pulaski Project, Idaho Statesman

Beef Prices Trigger Rise in Grazing Fees on Federal Lands, New Mexican

2004 Federal Grazing Fee Announced, BLM

Your comments are needed to oppose new destructive grazing rules, Center for Biological Diversity

A West that works - There's a new conservation movement across the West that favors cooperation, not conflict, to restore the land, Headwaters News Perspective

Fie on Forest Fees, Idaho Mountain Express editorial

Fee demo - Vote ends a flawed plan, but issues remain, Durango Herald editorial

Craig emerges to defend rights of public land users - Idaho Sen. Larry Craig deserves praise for voting against forest access fees last week, Twin Falls Times-News editorial

To Fee... or Not to Fee, Inside Outside Magazine

Tree-thinning budget battle under way, Casper Star-Tribune

Congo Basin Forest Partnership Signed Into Law, Office of U.S. Congressman Ed Royce

New Mexico AG Joins Lawsuit To Protect Wilderness, Albuquerque Journal

Survey and Manage - Day of Action: February 23, 2004, Cascadia Rising

Salvage-logging plan likely to be trimmed - The Forest Service might reduce the number of trees cut in the Biscuit fire zone, Statesman Journal

Catching 'outdoor outlaws' who steal from our forests, KATU News

Logging In Great Dismal Swamp Intended To Save Rare Trees, WRAL News

Some Home Repairs, Building Practices Fail to Solve Moisture Problems, USFS / Newswise

Environment Among Topics At National Urban Planning Conference - USFS Chief Bosworth to speak at APA conference, American Planning Association

Living Amid Green Space Is Highly Beneficial to Children, Mental Health News

Duke open-air experiment results could deflate hopes that forests can alleviate global warming , Duke University

Facing Up to a Carbon Dioxide Rich Future, Environment News Service

Senate panel votes to trim user fee demo, Idaho Mountain Express

Congress hobbles fee program for public lands, Vail Daily News

"People really hate this program,' opponent of fee-demo program says, Vail Daily News

Some Adventure: Jail for Hiker - We'll just continue to take a pass on the misguided implementation of the Adventure Pass, Pasadena Star-News editorial

Pitkin County fights fee demo plan, Summit Daily News

Tensions rise in the backcountry - Congressional fee demo decision awakens old feud between motorized, non-motorized users, The Vail Trail

Can skiers and snowmobilers coexist? - With conflict on the rise, 'quiet' recreationists want segregation in the backcountry, The Vail Trail

Forest Service will rule quickly on mechanics' job competition appeal, Government Executive Magazine

Senators Scold Interior Secretary Norton for Ignoring Info Requests - "Shame on you", Domenici said, Environment News Service

Tree-thinning budget battle under way - Hard cuts, thinned budget may hurt forests, Rapid City Journal

New Tools Available Under Healthy Forests Act: National Wildland Fire Leadership Council to Tour Florida Lands on Feb. 18, U.S. Newswire

Grazing land buyouts - Conservationists, ranchers come together on a plan that appeals to all, Arizona Daily Star op-ed by Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva

Forest Service wants to change approach to grazing permit NEPA studies, Greenwire

NEPA at 35 Sound but needing an update, United Press International

Carson NF - Beauty vs. energy drilling, who will win?, Sangre de Cristo Chronicle

GAO: Right of way agreement illegal, Provo Daily Herald

GAO: Utah deal with Interior on road ownership is illegal, SF Chronicle AP

RS 2477 Reform is Needed to Protect Private Property, Sierra Times

U.S. Lands Are Fossil Hunting Grounds, Washington Post

WORLD NEWS

B.C. fire report calls for controlled burns, logging, The Globe and Mail

Firestorm 2003 Provincial Review - Summary of Recommendations, British Columbia

Forest salvage policies 'need a rethink' - Natural disturbance recovery processes are badly impaired by human attempts to clean them up, The Age

Salvaging trees after fire causes damage - New research on salvaging trees after a disaster has revealed it can cause even more damage to the environment, ABC News

Huge Amazonian fires may spawn fierce tempests in South America, San Francisco Chronicle

Documenting a paradox: Smoke decreases rainfall but ultimately increases its intensity, Eureka Alert

Amazon Fires Reduce Rainfall, Compound Destruction, Study Says, Bloomberg News

Facing a World of Fire and Ice - More doom and gloom from eco-radicals? Frozen countries, massive famine, shattered economies -- even nuclear war -- as a result of climate change? Nope, this is the Pentagon speaking, Vancouver Sun

Bangladesh begins tiger census in fragile mangrove wetlands, Reuters - ENN

Trees hold the key to future food demand: Maneka Gandhi, Yahoo! News

Bamboo could be India's 'green gold', Navhind Times

Indonesia: Illegal logging worries minister - "People benefit from the practice", Jakarta Post

Selective Logging Ban Ordered, Laksamana.Net

Indon Asks MSIA to Play Active Role in Illegal Logging Eradication, Antara News Agency

Indonesia Urges Malaysia to Crack Down on Illegal Loggers, Asia Pulse

Greens deny vandalising Tasmanian logging equipment, ABC News

Gunns returning fire with jump, Herald Sun

NZ pair take control of Harvard's forests, New Zealand Herald

Logging threatens new national parks listing, ABC Tasmania News

40% believe nation should bear costs of forest care, Yomiuri Shimbun

Apples for North Koreans, Oregonian

BioGems Named Americas' Most Endangered Wild Places, Environment News Service

NRDC Announces Annual BioGems List of 12 Most Threatened Wildlands in the Americas, Natural Resources Defense Council

Cut debts, save the forest, Aspen Times letter

Plunder of reserve forest - 35 unauthorised sawmills process 3500 cft illegal timber daily in Mymensingh, Tangail forest preserves, Bangladesh Daily Star

Elephant Patrol Unit has foiled hundreds of cases of timber theft, Jakarta Post

Asia's oasis loses its forests, wildlife - Laos goes from natural paradise to human disaster, MSNBC AP

U.S. Consumers Urged to Boycott Asia Pulp and Paper, Environment News Service

Office Depot dumps paper supplier APP, Palm Beach Post

Indonesia arrests 15 Malaysians on suspicion of illegal logging, Channel NewsAsia

Rainbow Warrior success in Indonesia - Illegal log vessel expelled thanks to local action, Greenpeace

Greenpeace calls for urgent Presidential action in Central Kalimantan, Greenpeace

Greenpeace Kalimantan blockade provokes expulsion of illegal log ship, Greenpeace

Greenpeace says it helped Indonesian navy expel illegal logging ship, Yahoo! News - AFP

Indonesia moves to revive once-thriving sandalwood industry, Asean News Exchange

Green group urges protest against Otways timber goods, ABC News

Licence deal cuts logging in Otways, The Age

Kenya: Plunder of Mau Forest a Threat to 3m People, East African Standard

Dam Beavers! Scandal Flares at 'End of the World' - Tierra del Fuego, Planet Ark

U.S. Importers Buy Timber Ripped From the Amazon, Environment News Service

Trends, Friends and Enemies - An overview of the Boreal Forest (Taiga), Taiga Rescue Network

EU: National policies undermine new 'green' timber buying rules, Taiga Rescue Network

Stop the logging on Sorfligget in Northern Sweden!, Taiga Rescue Network

Stop the state forest devastation!, Swedish Society for Nature Conservation

Russia - Britain-sized Forest Burned in 2003, Taiga Rescue Network

Estonian Timber Trouble, Taiga Rescue Network

Boreal Voices at the World Forestry Congress, Taiga Rescue Network

The boreal abroad: A world-class forest, Canadian Geographic

The boreal muse of The Group of Seven - Creating a national identity from a palette of boreal colours, Canadian Geographic

Clear-cutting Culture - First Nations groups struggle to maintain their identity and relationship with the land in the boreal's changing economic environment, Canadian Geographic

Forest Industry Takes Step Towards Boreal Conservation, Forest Products Association of Canada

Forest safety group calls for changes in attitude, training: The message must be taken directly to the workers, the report says, Vancouver Sun

Why politicians would deny us lumber victory, Vancouver Sun

Deforestation still harming monarchs, Arizona Republic AP

New era of slavery exposed in Brazil's rainforest, The Scotsman

Shamans, Lumberjacks, and Hunters, Sojourners

WWF Calls on U.S. Retailers to Demand Paper Giant APP Stop Unsustainable Logging, World Wildlife Fund US

WWF opts out of Indonesian pulp project with APP, Financial TImes

Indonesian paper company APP losing customers over environment concerns, Jakarta Post

Indonesia defends call for Malaysia timber ban, Agence France-Presse

Indonesia threatens to lobby for ban on Malaysian timber exports, New Straits Times

Indonesian minister calls for illegal logging talks with Malaysia, Deutsche Presse-Agentur

RI Seeks Malaysia's Help To Curb Illegal Logging, Antara Interactive

Malaysia: 'MTCC ignores participation of indigenous people', New Straits Times

Timber certification rejected, Malaysia Star

Curbing illegal logging, Malaysia Star

PNG minister defends Malaysian logging firm, ABC News

Bulldozers Battle Human Barricades in Wandera Forest, Bay Post

Forestry tells protesters to confront Parliament, The Mercury

Loggers turn paradise into hell say residents, Port Macquarie News

UN Agent Shocked At Kenya Forest Destruction, The East African Standard

Kenya: 24 Streams Dry After Gwasi Forest Plunder, The Nation (Nairobi)

FAO Says: Forestry Needs to Be Fully Integrated With Other Sectors, Accra Mail (Ghana)

Forest Management team to reverse deforestation, Ghana News Agency

Uganda: Museveni Steps in Timber Wrangles, New Vision (Kampala)

Thousands face job loss as Victoria reallocates timber - In the province's most sweeping transfer of timber rights ever, 27 forest firms will lose eight million cubic metres of timber, Vancouver Sun

Forestry take-back decision 'devastating', the Whistler Question!

Victoria's new timber rules put Island town at risk - Winter Harbour's W.D. Moore Logging could lose its cutting rights, Vancouver Sun

Ground Zero in the battle against the emerald ash borer - The shape of things to come?, London Free Press

World Bank Oversees Carve-Up of Congo Rainforests, The Rainforest Foundation

Congo Basin Forest Partnership Signed Into Law, Office of U.S. Congressman Ed Royce

Disrupted ecosystems, The Star

Indonesia Acts to Conserve Forests, Turtle Nesting Beach, Environment News Service

EU weighs into Malaysia's ramin tree row with Indonesia, Reuters AlertNet

EU official slams plan for road network through Indonesian forest, Agence France-Presse

Malaysian Timber Council Regrets Accusation By Greenpeace, Bernama News

Indonesian ministry to cut wood production, Asia Times

Indonesia: Illegal logging: governments fail, Greenpeace takes action, Greenpeace

Govts fail to stop ancient forests from logging, Scoop Media

Mixed response on forestry expose, AAP News

ABC forestry report angers Government, The Mercury

Climate Change Biggest Threat to Cloud Forests, Environment News Service

PNG security concerns prompt timber industry inquiry calls, ABC News

PNG timber industry 'out of control', ABC Radio Australia News

PNG environment group critical of timber industry, ABC Radio Australia News

Logging threatens Borneo's rainforests, IOL News

Protesters go out on a limb, Sydney Morning Herald

Australian Greenpeacers Arrested Blocking Woodchip Export, Environment News Service

Anti-logging protesters blockade Weld Valley - The organisers of another protest in Tasmania's southern forests say they are in for the long haul, ABC News

Anti-logging groups to take campaign interstate, The Mercury

Kids for Forests in action, Greenpeace

Millions go to improve timber sales, Victoria Times Colonist

Red Squirrel Protection Plan Unveiled, The Scotsman

Duke open-air experiment results could deflate hopes that forests can alleviate global warming , Duke University

Facing Up to a Carbon Dioxide Rich Future, Environment News Service

Japanese activist still living in Tasmania tree after 3 months, Japan Today

Logging protesters released from jail, ABC Tasmania News

Seven arrested in Tasmanian forestry protest, The Age - AAP

Greenpeace activists arrested over woodchip protest, ABC Tasmania News

Activists sit tight in woodchip shipment protest, ABC Tasmania News

Protesters stall Tas woodchipping shipment, ABC Tasmania News

Forestry clearfelling language, say Greens - Forestry Tasmania planning to rename "strip clearfelling" as "selective logging", The Mercury

Greens take issue with clearfelling alternative, ABC Tasmania News

Forestry Debate - Parties reject logging trickery, The Examiner

'Funeral march' in forest demo, The Mercury

Forest fires put nation on high alert, Xinhuanet China View

Congolese Rainforest Zoning for Logging Protested, Environment News Service

Liberia: Environmentalists Report Illegal Logging, UN Integrated Regional Information Networks

More logging equals more profits, not more jobs, CBC News

Bear experts conclude that most grizzly habitat must be protected to avoid extinction of species, Environmental Investigation Agency

Grizzly Survival in Jeopardy Unless Habitat is Protected, Environment News Service

Indonesia: NGOs urge timber companies to pay their debts, Jakarta Post

Protection boost for elephants, tigers and orang utans in Indonesian rainforests, WWF Newsroom

WWF Efforts Yield Two New National Parks in Indonesia, World Wildlife Fund US

NGOs Worldwide Challenge Pulp Mill in Indonesian Borneo, Environment News Service

Borneo Forest Faces Extinction, Wired News

Logging threatens Borneo's rainforests, SciDev.Net

Jakarta urges boycott of Malaysian wood, The Guardian

Malaysia lashes out at Indonesia, US activists in illegal timber row, Yahoo! News

Malaysia and activists row over illegal timber trade at UN conference, Yahoo! News - AFP

Malaysia Denies Illegal Timber Trade Claims, Reuters - Planet Ark

Environmentalists call for sanctions against Malaysia for timber smuggling, ENN AP

Green Groups Say Rare Timber Smuggled Via Malaysia, Yahoo! News - Reuters

Environs group: Malaysia a hub for smuggling ramin logs, Malaysia Star

CONGRESS & WASHINGTON

4.1 Percent Retroactive Pay Increase Is Just an Executive Order Away, Washington Post

PIELC: Rousing the Restless Majority - The Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, March 4-7, 2004, University of Oregon School of Law

Final Rule: Federal Lands Highway Program; Management Systems Pertaining to the Forest Service and the Forest Highway Program, Federal Highway Administration - Federal Register

Grazing permit buyout fair, will end range war, Tucson Citizen op-ed

Ranchers split on supporting grazing permit buyout, Climas - Southwest Climate Outlook - U. of Arizona

Forest Subcommittee To Hear Testimony on Sierra Nevada Framework in California, February 28, House Resources Committee

Norton boosts forest initiative - Ecologists say logging ruins fire benefits, Billings Gazette AP

Rep. Shays gets 'A plus', The Norwalk Hour [CT]

Pombo, Feinstein Introduce Tribal Forest Protection Act, House Resources Committee

Ninth Circuit Court Sets Precedent for Science in Landmark ESA Case, House Resources Committee

Beware 'Sound Science' - It's Doublespeak for Trouble, Washington Post

Park Service Budget Derails Bush Pledge - Billions short, maintenance budget degrades visitor experience, House Committee on Resources (Democrats)

Bush Budget Bludgeons Environment - Frozen Domestic Spending Levels Cripple Natural Heritage, House Committee on Resources (Democrats)

Park Service Urged To Sit Out Bison Slaughter, House Committee on Resources (Democrats)

Livestock grazing fees to rise eight cents on March 1, Bend Bulletin

Elko County Public Land Use Advisory Commission forwards grazing revisions, Elko Daily Free Press

ONDA and 9 Other Organizations Comment on BLM's Proposed Grazing Regulations/DEIS, Oregon Natural Desert Association

Western Watersheds Project Comments on BLM's Proposed Grazing Regulations/DEIS, RangeNet

Comments On Proposed Rulemaking For Amendments to the BLM Grazing Administration Regulations, Nevada Department of Wildlife

Proposed Revisions to Grazing Regulations for the Public Lands, BLM

Detailed BLM Grazing Statistics, BLM / RangeNet

Support The Grazing Permit Buyout Act, The E-Activist - FSEEE

Voluntary Grazing Permit Buyout Act, HR 3324, Library of Congress

Highlands University Might Join Wildfire Study - U.S. House to debate bill that would direct $5 million to the school, New Mexican

Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act, HR 2696, Library of Congress

'No fee' advocates herald progress of bill, Arizona Daily Sun

BLM, greens win round in route dispute, Salt Lake Tribune

Paging Teddy Roosevelt, Washington Post letter

Forest Subcommittee to Hear Testimony on Sierra Nevada Framework in California, U.S. Newswire

Safe Parks for the People or Profits for the Lowest Bidder? - The Bush Administration's Plan to Privatize the National Park Service, Campaign To Protect Americas Lands

Travel Industry Joins With the National Park Service and National Park Foundation For "See America's National Parks" Promotional Campaign, Department Of Interior

Sandy Hook and the privatization of the NPS, Two Rivers Times

Yellowstone should be managed by trust, Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment

Special Counsel to Investigate Chief Chambers' Case, WTOP Radio

Chambers Wins One, The Land Line

U.S. Special Counsel Enters Chief Chambers Case - Investigation into Legality of Don Murphy's Actions Against Park Police Chief, PEER

Controversy grows over Forest Service fees, Summit Daily News

Park fee plan is a bust, Denver Post editorial

Park Service wilderness in disarray - Departing wilderness boss blasts the agency, High Country News

Enviromentalists say Bush budget an illusion, Albany Democrat-Herald - Daly AP

Weird science: Bush administration accused of data distortion, Register-Guard editorial

Preeminent Scientists Protest Bush Administration's Misuse of Science - Nobel Laureates, National Medal of Science Recipients, and Other Leading Researchers Call for End to Scientific Abuses, Union of Concerned Scientists

Mother Nature, The Hate Crime - More than 60 world-class scientists agree: BushCo just really, really loathes this planet, San Francisco Chronicle

Congo Basin Forest Partnership Signed Into Law, Office of U.S. Congressman Ed Royce

New Mexico AG Joins Lawsuit To Protect Wilderness, Albuquerque Journal

Bush environmental policies full of 'tricks' and 'rhetoric', Indiana Statesman

Senate panel votes to trim user fee demo, Idaho Mountain Express

Congress hobbles fee program for public lands, Vail Daily News

Time to make a stand against stiff forest fees - Congress can start now in dismantling the excessive taxation of forest access fees, Twin Falls Times-News editorial

An Enemy of the Environment - Bush appoints William Myers III to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, New York Times editorial

Senators Scold Interior Secretary Norton for Ignoring Info Requests - "Shame on you", Domenici said, Environment News Service

GAO: Right of way agreement illegal, Provo Daily Herald

GAO: Utah deal with Interior on road ownership is illegal, SF Chronicle AP

NM Ojito Wilderness bill snagged - DOI wants to use Ojito bill to set a precedent in limiting its responsibility for managing Indian Trust lands, Albuquerque Tribune

Bend official urges House to force Pine Nursery sale, Bend Bulletin

Will Simpson lead on Boulder- White Cloud wilderness?, Idaho Mountain Express editorial

New Tools Available Under Healthy Forests Act: National Wildland Fire Leadership Council to Tour Florida Lands on Feb. 18, U.S. Newswire

Forest Service wants to change approach to grazing permit NEPA studies, Greenwire

NEPA at 35 Sound but needing an update, United Press International

Grazing plan is unbalanced, Denver Post editorial

Hold BLM accountable for managing your public lands, Salt Lake Tribune letter

EPA releases comments on draft, final EIS's, Federal Register

EPA receives draft, final EIS's for comment, Federal Register

National Forest Protection and Restoration Act: H.R.2169, Library of Congress

Bill Summary & Status for House Bills about Forests, Library of Congress

NORTHERN REGION (Region 1):
Montana and Northern Idaho

Fire-ravaged forests vulnerable to erosion, Kalispell Daily Inter Lake

Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF: Whitetail-Pipestone plans move forward, Montana Standard

Wildfires generate business, Billings Gazette

Tangle of trees clog wilderness trail routes, Kalispell Daily Inter Lake

Yellowstone Buffalo Slaughtered; Costly Government Policy Threatens American Wildlife Icon, The Fund for Animals / Yahoo News

Park Service Urged To Sit Out Bison Slaughter, House Committee on Resources (Democrats)

Salvage work underway on Swan Lake Ranger District near Condon, Kalispell Daily Inter Lake

Growing Flathead needs bigger pipeline, utility says, Missoulian

New gas pipeline planned, Kalispell Daily Inter Lake

Senators urged to fight energy bill - Great Falls mayor joins group protesting measure over potential Rocky Mountain Front development, Missoulian

Fires cost Flathead County $1.5 million, Kalispell Daily Inter Lake

Montana gets first grant for Cooney Ridge firefighting costs, Ravalli Republic

Yellowstone should be managed by trust, Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment

Yellowstone Park bison captured, taken to pens, Laurel Outlook

USFS northern region: 75,500 acres eyed for forest thinning projects, Helena Independent Record

Darroch-Eagle timber sale refuses to die, but it should, says former Forest Service forester and district ranger, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Let it die, Bozeman Daily Chronicle letter

Lawsuit filed over Rock Creek logging - District ranger defends need to thin forest; groups claim danger to wilderness, fish too great, Missoulian

Rock Creek Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project, U.S. Forest Service

Public debates motor travel in Beartooth, Pryor mountains, Billings Gazette

Big Sky sues Moonlight Basin for firing explosives toward resort, Billings Gazette AP

Nature trail a pilot project for entire state, Ravalli Republic

Rep. Jackson salvage "poll" causes flap - Forest service not interested in results, Hungry Horse News

New twist emerges in firefighter's arson case - Lawyer raises questions about jurisdiction, Missoulian

Gone in a flash - A May deadline looms as Whitefish residents try to keep some land open around their booming town, Missoulian

A legendary firefighter who was both inventor and hero is to be honored with a memorial called The Pulaski Project, Idaho Statesman

Idaho lawmakers unanimous on logging decision - Lands department will add 10 new workers to develop timber sales, Spokesman-Review

Idaho Panhandle: Forest ranger finds himself playing traffic cop role, Spokane Radio News

Listen to Yellowstone's other winter visitors, Billings Gazette op-ed

Judicial roulette, Casper Star Tribune

Agency refuses to ban snowmobiles, Billings Gazette

Middle ground needed for park snowmobiles, Billings Gazette op-ed

Increase in grizzly population puts them in contact with man, Headwaters Idaho Falls Post Register

Fire salvage plan short on roadwork - Flathead forest seeks closure exemption, Missoulian

Officials unveil Gold One fire salvage outline, Missoulian

Lolo, Bitterroot and Flathead Forest officials seek plan input from public, Missoulian

Forest plans would allow more burning - Montana proposal aims to protect nearby residents, Spokesman-Review

Public debates motor travel in Beartooth mountains, Billings Gazette

Lawmaker surveying opinions on fire-salvage plans, Kalispell Daily Inter Lake

Davison says he will engage feds on forest management, Kalispell Daily Inter Lake

Idaho Panhandle NF: Land will be logged to battle pine beetles, Spokesman-Review

Big Sky sues Moonlight Basin, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Canadian Cat Could Cost Idaho Jobs, KIFI News

Wandering bison captured for testing, Billings Gazette

Snow News Day - The Yellowstone snowmobile controversy gets more convoluted by the minute, Grist: Muckraker

Judge blasts new Yellowstone sled rules, Casper Star-Tribune

Mining may no longer be king of the mountain - Court ruling gives land managers power to say 'no' to mining companies, High Country News

USFS wants to hear from people on logging, fire projects, Choteau Acantha

Grant Programs Making North Dakota Beautiful, KFYR News

Kootenai, Idaho Panhandle and Lolo NFs - US F&WS OKs road plans for Cabinet-Yaak and Selkirk grizzly bear recovery areas, Kalispell Daily Inter Lake

Roads, Grizzlies Both Important - The silent majority want to protect bears but also want to be able to reach a favorite trout stream without hiking 20 miles, Kalispell Daily Inter Lake editorial

Spring floods forecast for Lincoln - Fire damage, snow set stage for disaster, experts say, Great Falls Tribune

Judge OKs Lewis and Clark NF burn, logging project, Great Falls Tribune

Forest Service lifting grasslands ban on poisoning prairie dogs, Casper Star Tribune

Prairie dog poison ban lifted, Rapid City Journal

Forest Service Backpedals On Prairie Dogs - Agency Rescinds 2000 Ban on Black-tailed Prairie Dog Poisoning, Forest Guardians

Letter from the Forest Service rescinding the poisoning ban, USFS

MT Department of Livestock Erects Trap for Yellowstone Buffalo--Threatening Wildlife on Gallatin National Forest, Buffalo News from the Field

Yellowstone Bison to Get Brucellosis Shots for First Time, New Mexican AP

Back to Nature - What Happens When Gray Wolves Return to Yellowstone?, Washington Post

Yellowstone in winter: the hazy smoke of litigation, Idaho Statesman editorial

Snowmobile opponents to appeal latest Yellowstone decision, SF Chronicle AP

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION (Region 2):
Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming

Wilderness and recreation hurt by Fee Demo, Aspen Times letter

White River NF: Draft forest travel plan nearly ready to roll out, Glenwood Springs Post Independent

Southern Rockies Wildlands Network Vision Farsighted, Environment News Service

Southern Rockies Wildlands Network Vision, Colorado Mountain Club Press

Southern Rockies 'State of the Ecosystem' Report, Forest Guardians

Rio Grande NF to prepare EIS to implement vegetation management treatments and travel management in the spruce/fir forests within the Conejos Peak Ranger District, Federal Register

10th Mountain huts want fire protection, Vail Daily News

Last stand at Bair Ranch, The Vail Trail

More than aspen leaves could change this fall - Fate of Roan Plateau drilling may hinge on presidential elections, Glenwood Springs Post Independent

Drilling a nasty business, Aspen Times letter

Save Roan Plateau, website

Roan gas drilling plans hit a plateau - Public scrutiny prompts new look in Washington, Rocky Mountain News

Butte in the balance, Vail Daily News

Grassland appeal not quite dead yet, Casper Star-Tribune

Black Hills NF: Twiss going to capital for training, Rapid City Journal

Counties Lobbying Against Forest Service Fee Program - Forest Users Shouldn't Be Charged Twice, Opponents Say, The Denver Channel AP

More rehab urged at Hayman fire site - Red tape, lack of funds blamed for spotty effort, Denver Post

Denver potential loser in South Platte plan, Rocky Mountain News editorial

Enzi hosts Senate hearing in Cody on maintaining the health of forests on public lands, Cody Enterprise

Four ticketed for illegal snowmobiling in Bighorn NF Cloud Peak Wilderness, Casper Star-Tribune

Ecology test takes students into the field, Rapid City Journal

Controversy grows over Forest Service fees, Summit Daily News

Routt County mulls USFS recreation fees, Steamboat Pilot

Park fee plan is a bust, Denver Post editorial

Missionary Ridge salvage logging - Colorado Wild cites abuses for halt order, Durango Herald

Logging on Missionary Ridge - Forest Service says effects are minimal, Durango Herald

Rio Grande National Forest Notice of Intent To Prepare an EIS for Wolf Creek Ski Area Road and Utility R.O.W. To Planned New Resort, Federal Register

Pike and San Isabel NFs: Providing water while protecting Platte - Historic proposal is the happy result of collaborative effort, Rocky Mountain News

Official opposes fire plan - Steele says cost is too high for project that is not county's responsiblity, The Craig Daily Press

Homeowners, Forest Service reps discuss fire mitigation - again, Summit Daily News

Wildfire fuels-reduction seminar Feb. 21, Summit Daily News

Lynx turn up in southern Wyoming Medicine Bow NF, Casper Star Tribune

Black Hills NF: Weather clears way for burns, Rapid City Journal

Forest thinning budget: It's never enough, Rapid City Journal editorial

Fee demo - Vote ends a flawed plan, but issues remain, Durango Herald editorial

To Fee... or Not to Fee, Inside Outside Magazine

Judge's ruling chops down logging project on fire area near Durango, Daily Sentinel

FS to prepare EIS on San Juan National Forest, Colorado's Durango Mountain Resort 2004 Master Development Plan, Federal Register

Tree-thinning budget battle under way, Casper Star-Tribune

Wildfire forum aims to educate - Free Ft. Collins talk to offer facts on prevention, impact, Denver Post

Turkeys reclaim what fire gobbled - Where Hayman's flames were fanned, now tail feathers are, Rocky Mountain News

Wild Turkeys Released In Hayman Burn Area, CBS AP

Ski buzz - Ex-Vail owner happy with Booth Creek progress, Rocky Mountain News

Black Hills Forest projects under scrutiny, Rapid City Journal

How big is that tree?, Columbus Telegram

Pitkin County fights fee demo plan, Summit Daily News

"People really hate this program,' opponent of fee-demo program says, Vail Daily News

Congress hobbles fee program for public lands, Vail Daily News

Tensions rise in the backcountry - Congressional fee demo decision awakens old feud between motorized, non-motorized users, The Vail Trail

Can skiers and snowmobilers coexist? - With conflict on the rise, 'quiet' recreationists want segregation in the backcountry, The Vail Trail

Proposed lynx plan blasted - Under political pressure, Forest Service veers from science-based conservation strategy, The Vail Trail

Forest Service updates sensitive species list, The Vail Trail

Forest Service nannies rock bough babies in the tree shop, Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald

U.S Forest Service plans tree removal, Summit Daily News

Breck gears up for pine beetle infestation, Summit Daily News

Piney road proposal under review, Vail Daily News

Paving Grand Mesa road could save millions, Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

San Juan NF: Coal-bed methane expansion looming for southern Colorado - Study could cear way for methane-gas drilling, SF Chronicle AP

Forest Service says drilling in HDs is a year away, Durango Herald

Roan Plateau: Drilling takes long road - Concerned public 'looking over our shoulder,' BLM official says, Denver Post

Bush USFS budget includes too little for Beaver Brook purchase, Canyon Courier

New District Ranger In Aspen District, CBS 4 Denver

Slide-prone backcountry areas growing more and more popular with skiers and snowboarders, Vail Daily News

Fremont leaders ask Vice-president Cheney to intervene on bearproof food storage rules for Shoshone NF, Billings Gazette

Forest Service lifting grasslands ban on poisoning prairie dogs, Casper Star Tribune

Prairie dog poison ban lifted, Rapid City Journal

Forest Service Backpedals On Prairie Dogs - Agency Rescinds 2000 Ban on Black-tailed Prairie Dog Poisoning, Forest Guardians

Letter from the Forest Service rescinding the poisoning ban, USFS

Rancher pleads guilty to poisoning thousands of prairie dogs, Billings Gazette

SOUTHWESTERN REGION (Region 3):
Arizona and New Mexico

Gila National Forest: Temporary Area Closure Implemented For Diamond Bar Allotment Impoundment, USFS

Roundup Shuts Gila Forest Site Again, Albuquerque Journal AP

Gila NF Reserve Ranger District: Highway Timber bid Packets Availabale, USFS

Gila NF: Commercial Firewood Areas Open on Reserve and Glenwood Ranger Districts, USFS

'What world will we leave to the next generation?', Sangre de Cristo Chronicle

Re: Protection of the Valle Vidal Unit - Letter to Regional Forester Harv Fosgren, Valle Vidal Coalition

Santa Fe NF: Environmental Assessment for the Gallinas Municipal Watershed Wildland-Urban Interface Project, USFS

FS, County road work outlined, Alamogordo News

Now's the Time to Build Fire Defenses, Santa Fe New Mexican editorial

Trees in Mayor's Freeway Plans, Albuquerque Journal

Councilors seek help for projects, Los Alamos Monitor

Coalition battles to stop desecration of peaks, The Navajo Times

Flake's petty revenge takes a new turn - Flake is sitting on a bill sponsored by 'opponent' O'Halleran to protect forest communities from wildfires, Tucson Citizen

Flagstaff: Coconino NF moves into westside office, Arizona Daily Sun

Driving into Ironwood Forest, Arizona Daily Star

Highlands University Might Join Wildfire Study - U.S. House to debate bill that would direct $5 million to the school, New Mexican

Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act, HR 2696, Library of Congress

Ranchers, Forest Service Square off Over Grazing Rights in Gila NF - U.S. District Judge has ruled the ranchers have no claim to land, Santa Fe New Mexican

Cowhands balk at rounding up cattle for Forest Service, KOBTV News

Cattle Battle Continues in New Mexico - See the video, Fox News

Diamond Bar Livestock Removal Date Postponed Again, and Area Closure Rescinded, Gila National Forest

Forest Service captures eleven horses after several tries, KOBTV News

State Finally Looking at Land Grants, Santa Fe New Mexican

San Carlos considers signing wolf memorandum, Eastern Arizona Courier

'No fee' advocates herald progress of bill, Arizona Daily Sun

Save the Peaks effort draws 200, Navajo-Hopi Observer- News

Arizona tribes ready to boycott Flagstaff, Indian Country Today

Draft snowmaking plan draws hundreds, Arizona Daily Sun

Drop snowmaking idea, Arizona Republic letter

Supporters, opponents gather to demonstrate, Arizona Daily Sun

Snowbowl DEIS - Frequently Asked Questions, Coconino National Forest

Coconino NF: Snowbowl upgrade open house Feb. 25, Arizona Daily Sun

Coconino NF: Snowbowl DEIS Open House to Be Held Wednesday Feb. 25, USFS

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Arizona Snowbowl Facilities Improvement, Coconino National Forest

Coconino National Forest Releases Draft Study on Snowbowl Upgrade, USFS

Battling smugglers saps park rangers - Searches for migrants, drugs divert resources, Tucson Citizen

Army Ranger Or Park Ranger?, The Land Line

Dead Trees May Benefit Forest, Mountain View Telegraph

Public Meeting to Discuss Fuelbreak Around Tijeras, Mountain View Telegraph

Picuris Pueblo Files Suit Against Mining Company - US Forest Service gave the land away to mining company patent, New Mexican

Grazing permit debate finds its way to Greenlee County - Laney's unauthorized trespass cattle still not removed, Eastern Arizona Courier

Tree-ring studies could help determine severity of past droughts, Casa Grande Valley News AP

Grand Canyon Old Growth Timber Sale Goes to Court, Environment News Service

Suit filed to block Kaibab NF logging on Grand Canyon North Rim, Arizona Republic

Suit filed over forest-thinning project, The Business Journal of Phoenix

Groups attack Kaibab NF tree cutting project, Salt Lake Tribune

Suit threatens tree-cutting - Kaibab project aims to reduce wildfire danger, Arizona Daily Star

Kaibab tree cutting draws lawsuit, Arizona Daily Sun

Conservation Groups Challenge Bush Administration Old Growth Timber Sale Overlooking Grand Canyon National Park, Southwest Forsest Alliance

Bush Administration's War on the Grand Canyon, Progressive News editorial

A Scientific Critique of the Myths and Misconceptions of Logging Old Growth and Large Diameter Ponderosa in the Southwest, Southwest Forsest Alliance

SWFA Oldgrowth Alternative for the Jacob Ryan Draft Analysis, Southwest Forsest Alliance

Comment to Save Old Growth on the Kaibab Plateau and Support the SWFA Old Growth Alternative, Comments due January 26, Southwest Forsest Alliance

Protecting Southwestern Forests and Communities, An Opportunity for Common Ground, Southwest Forsest Alliance

Gov. Napolitano says feds doing too little to ease fire threat, Arizona Republic AP

Defensible space more than jargon in our forests, Arizona Republic

No brushoff - Fire safety is worth the expense, Arizona Republic editorial

Protecting forests, homes, Casa Grande Dispatch editorial

Facing the wild fires, White Mountain Independent op-ed

With Show Low's help, forest thinning gets underway, White Mountain Independent

Should forest thinning always be profitable?, White Mountain Independent letter

Fire's aftermath fosters caution - Summerhaven: Some have rebuilt already, but key property owner is in no rush, Arizona Daily Star

Saving Black Mountain: Whose land is it anyway?, Arizona Republic

Draw own conclusions about snowmaking, Arizona Daily Sun letter

Snowbowl snow plan call desecration, Tucson Citizen

Make it snow - Forest Service right to back Snowbowl plan, Arizona Republic editorial

Could reclaimed water study sway EIS?, Arizona Daily Sun

Jaguar Territory - Out to spot a spotted cat - The elusive feline visits the region, Tucson Citizen

Coronado NF - Tumacacori proposal not a highlands plan, it's a hijack plan, Tucson Citizen

Citizen readers weigh in on Tumacacori issue, Tucson Citizen

New Mexico AG Joins Lawsuit To Protect Wilderness, Albuquerque Journal

AZ. Governor seeks prevention of more catastrophic wildfires - Firefighters offer support for Governor's forest health plan, Casa Grande Valley Newspaper

Navajo Nation president: No Flag boycott in the works, Arizona Daily Sun

Carson NF - Beauty vs. energy drilling, who will win?, Sangre de Cristo Chronicle

Valles Caldera Geothermal Plans Chilled, Albuquerque Journal

Plans for Geothermal Power Plant Continue, Albuquerque Journal

Cibola NF: Otero Fence Avoids Cleanup, Mountain View Telegraph op-ed

Cibola NF: Turkey Transplant, Mountain View Telegraph

County resident requests paving for dusty road: Forest Service Road 405, Alamogordo News

Grazing land buyouts - Conservationists, ranchers come together on a plan that appeals to all, Arizona Daily Star op-ed by Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva

Tribe threatens Flagstaff boycott over snowmaking, Arizona Daily Sun

Native American advocates oppose snowmaking plan at Snowbowl, Arizona Republic

Praying for snow, or preserving the sacredness of the Peaks?, Arizona Daily Sun

Governor takes get-tough approach to fire, Arizona Daily Sun

New community fire protection rules overdue, Arizona Daily Sun editorial

Fire code part of forest report - Safety, protection of homes built in pine areas at issue, Arizona Daily Star

Coconino National Forest: Assessment for $30M telescope begins - Proposed telescope requires impact study, Arizona Daily Sun

Coconino NF: Paving a future for a road to past, Arizona Daily Sun

Shooting range permit renewal process starts, The Payson Roundup

Coconino forest supervisor's office is moving to west Flag, Arizona Daily Sun

Winter pile burning continues in Kaibab Forest, Arizona Daily Sun

INTERMOUNTAIN REGION (Region 4):
Southern Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and SW Wyoming

Plan would put Sawtooth national forest land under BLM rules ... Proposal for T.F., Cassia counties goes up for public comment this week, Twin Falls Times-News

Ranchers support consolidated public lands management, Twin Falls Times-News

Federal agencies consider shared manager options, Burley South Idaho Press

Federal Lands Task Force, Idaho Dept. of Lands

Lawmakers want Frank Church wilderness airstrips kept open, KTVB Idaho News

Elko County Public Land Use Advisory Commission forwards grazing revisions, Elko Daily Free Press

Manti-La Sal NF issues Revised Notice of Intent to proceed with an EIS for Wasatch Plateau Sheep Grazing, Federal Register

Omitted pieces put back in Cramer fire report - Salmon/Challis NF Cramer inquiry still has officials' names edited out, Idaho Statesman

Cramer Creek Fire misconduct investigation: What's next, Idaho Statesman

Plan calls for BLM to run S. Idaho public land - Agency would take over 630,000 acres of Sawtooth forest, The Idaho Statesman

Idaho: Plan would put Sawtooth forest land under BLM rules, KTVB News

Payette NF will prepare the Paddy Flat Vegetation Management Project EIS to harvest timber and to do timber stand improvement in stands in the Paddy Flat Subdivision, Federal Register

BLM, greens win round in route dispute, Salt Lake Tribune

Summer Fire Danger for Utah Remains a Guessing Game, KSL TV News

Avalanche warning for Spring Mountains, Pahrump Valley Times

Sage grouse symposium March 5-6 in Winnemucca, Elko Daily Free Press

Governors pass Guinn sage grouse conservation resolution, Elko Daily Free Press

Public access rights to trails creating outcry from private owners, Daily Herald

Stewardship group evolves in first five years, Elko Daily Free Press

Idaho lawmakers unanimous on logging decision - Lands department will add 10 new workers to develop timber sales, Spokesman-Review

Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game plans to restrict ATVs - There has been "overwhelming support" from the hunting public to the ATV restrictions, The Challis Messenger

Increase in grizzly population puts them in contact with man, Headwaters Idaho Falls Post Register

Fie on Forest Fees, Idaho Mountain Express editorial

Craig emerges to defend rights of public land users - Idaho Sen. Larry Craig deserves praise for voting against forest access fees last week, Twin Falls Times-News editorial

New Mexico AG Joins Lawsuit To Protect Wilderness, Albuquerque Journal

Wasatch-Cache NF: East Fork Timber Salvage Sale Alert Proposes East Fork (Bear River) Timber Salvage Sale For North Slope Loggers!, High Uintas Preservation Council

Forest issues examined at weekend event, Siskiyou Daily News

Senate panel votes to trim user fee demo, Idaho Mountain Express

Caribou-Targhee NF: Proposes 3 Basins Timber Sale - NOI to prepare an EIS, Federal Register

Will Simpson lead on Boulder- White Cloud wilderness?, Idaho Mountain Express

Hunters push for expansion of restrictions on off-road vehicles, Idaho Mountain Express

USFS bails on paying its portion of the costs for operating and maintaining the Middle Fork gauge ($11,340), Idaho Statesman [scroll down]

Fremont leaders ask Vice-president Cheney to intervene on bearproof food storage rules for Bridger-Teton NF, Billings Gazette

GAO: Right of way agreement illegal, Provo Daily Herald

GAO: Utah deal with Interior on road ownership is illegal, SF Chronicle AP

State's Refusal to Share Public Documents Draws Challenge from Conservation Groups Utah Attorney General denied information requests regarding highway claims on public lands, Earthjustice Newsroom

Pinon pines dying in Nevada - Problem 'beyond dry' conditions, Nevada Appeal

Humboldt-Toiyabe NF Backs Recovery Plan to Save Threatened Sierra Fish - Trout that is native only to a creek south of Lake Tahoe is one of the world's rarest species, SF Chronicle AP

Contest marks logging conference, Reno Gazette-Journal

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST (Region 5): California

Logging Will Cut Deep Into California's Sierra Nevada, Environment News Service

Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment: Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, USFS

Forest Subcommittee To Hear Testimony on Sierra Nevada Framework in California, February 28, House Resources Committee

South Shore venue for forest act forum March 13, Tahoe Daily Tribune

Trinity NF logging fight revived - Forest officials' 2,000-acre proposal draws fire from conservation group, Record Searchligh

Stanislaus NF - Barrier created to protect homes facing fire danger, Modesto Bee

Eldorado NF - Forest Service trades land with logging company, SF Chronicle AP

Forest Service Land Exchange To Protect Roadless Areas, Wildlife Habitat and Provide More Recreational Lands, USFS

Avalanche danger, backcountry fines exceedingly high, Tahoe Daily Tribune

Lake Tahoe's 'Ponderosa Ranch' could be sold to government, Las Vegas Sun

Ponderosa could be sold to government, Reno Gazette-Journal

Industry representatives, union weigh in on job competition protest, Government Executive Magazine

Bills try to expand wildfire protection, Press-Enterprise

Chesbro introduces legislation on Jackson State Forest, Ft. Bragg Advocate-News

Humboldt D.A. fights to keep job - Lumber firm funds recall campaign after being sued, San Francisco Chronicle

Redwoodgate - Maxxam-Palco Give Another $75K to Recall, t r u t h o u t

Firm Sued by D.A. Funds Bid to Recall Him - Pacific Lumber gives $229,000 to campaign to oust the Humbolt County official who filed fraud case, Los Angeles Times

Hispanics lend a strong hand to green issues, San Francisco Chronicle

Forest Subcommittee to Hear Testimony on Sierra Nevada