Forest Service in the News : July 16-31, 2004

NATIONAL NEWS

Judge to mediate Biscuit dispute - FSEEE at the table, Register-Guard

Conservationists Sue To Axe Bush Fire Rule, Environment News Service

Groups Act To Keep Federal Biologists In Picture On Species Protection - White House Plan Removes Key Wildlife Safeguard, Defenders of Wildlife

Freeriders take bicycling to new, some say troubling, levels, Reno Gazette-Journal

Overseas Trees, The News Tribune

Wildland Fires: Forest Service and BLM Need Better Information and a Systematic Approach for Assessing the Risks of Environmental Effects, GAO-04-705

Forest policy story becomes a Zen guide to rulemaking, Rapid City Journal

Norton Extols Forest Thinning - Forest thinning would have helped, Union Tribune AP

Brown and Out - Jeffrey St. Clair's "Been Brown so Long" slams Clinton's enviro record as well as Bush's, Grist magazine

If a tree falls in the forest... , Daily Vanguard

Protecting Forests, Winston-Salem Journal

Roadless 'victory' is really abdication, Rocky Mountain News op-ed by Rep. Mark Udall

Diverse Groups Vow Vigorous Opposition to Administration's National Forest Assault; Allied Voices Pledge Million Public Comments, U.S. Newswire

Power to people on public lands, Valley Morning Star

Is slacking back? - Participation in outdoor sports has slipped, a survey says, leaving more room for the rest of us, Los Angeles Times

Lost in Space, New York Times op-ed

Metafore Sets Date For Forest Leadership Forum II, ENN

Boise Cascade whittled away - Forest products giant unloading even its name in vast selloff, Post Intelligencer

Fees, Forests Don't Always Fit, by Sen. Larry Craig, Writers on the Range at Denver Post

Groups call for strengthening off-road crackdown, Missoulian

Off-road progress: Proposed forest rules a good starting point, Register-Guard editorial

Oregon senator pushes bill to require replanting in areas within 5 years of fire, Salt Lake Tribune

Tribal Wildfire Prevention Bill Signed Into Law, Environment News Service

Bill encourages tribal thinning of forests, The Daily Camera

Kerry has plan to help the forests, Vail Daily

Kerry's plan better, Salt Lake Tribune letter

Healthy Forests rules please new regional forester Gail Kimbell, Helena Independent Record

Global Warming's Unlikely Harbingers, High Country News

Access to forests clouded by politics, Denver Post

Forests still lack protection, Denver Post editorial

Goodbye, Roadless Rule, AlterNet - Center for American Progress

Attack on the wilderness, International Herald Tribune editorial

Bush rule to reverse Clinton forest edict - Door open to development: The proposal will take effect in 18 months if not killed in court, Salt Lake Tribune

Bush roadless policy a threat to local economy, Aspen Times

Strategic ignorance, Salt Lake Tribune

Another bureaucratic level, Independent Record editorial

Roadless rule changes are flawed, Summit Daily letter

Roadless areas need protection, not more building, Idaho Statesman op-ed

Gov. Benson backs Bush's forest plan; critics say it's a 'giveaway', The Union Leader

More roads in national forests is not the answer, Rocky Mountain News op-ed

Winding Paths for Roadless Lands - Bush's push to repeal a Clinton rule protecting 58.5 million acres of forest underlines the differing views of the two administrations, Los Angeles Times at KTLA News

One Million Comments Sought in Support of Roadless Rule, Environment News Service

Forest Service priorities and policies are way out of whack, Juneau Empire op-ed

Hey, they're our forests, too, Des Moines Register editorial

Critics escalate campaign against new roadless rules, Market Watch

It's payday for the extractive industries, Daily Astorian editorial

Changes to roadless rule are reckless fiscal policy, Portland Press Herald editorial

Bush administration should be supporting Roadless Rule, Kingsport Times/News editorial

Bush Administration Replaces "Roadless Rule" with Logging-Friendly Alternative, E magazine

Mixed messages on forest roads, Glenwood Springs Post Independent editorial

Nearly 650,000 acres in local forest in limbo, Aspen Times

Congress needs to take reins of forest road-building issue - Tme to clarify roadless debate, Spokesman Review editorial

New rule puts roadless forests at risk, The State op-ed

Bush administration looking to pave protected forests, Eastern Arizona Courier

Democrats see campaign issue in Bush forest rule, Reuters - ENN

The Fight Over the Roadless Rule - Lost in the Woods: Bad forest policy — Left and Right - So privatize the commons, Cato Institute at National Review

Roadless plan a short-sighted reform, Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment

Drought kindles big fire season in West - The number of acres burned across the West so far this season is double the average for the past decade, CS Monitor

West experiencing mild start to fire season - except in Alaska, Billings Gazette AP

Udall backs Kerry's forest plan, Summit Daily News

Forest Service: Arizona stewardship contract good example, SF Chronicle AP

Feds Land Use Planning Role Handed to States, Counties, Tribes, Environment News Service

Secretary Norton Says States, Counties and Tribes Should Have a Stronger Role in Land Use Planning Decisions - Interior Department is seeking public comments on Cooperating Agency Status, Dept. of Interior

Take Action: Help Solve the Off Road Vehicle Problem, The Wilderness Society

Idle fire planes spark criticism - Nevadans say they could have helped, San Francisco Chronicle

Why Ilyushin Il-76 Waterbomber is not used by US Forestry Service, Pravda

War call-up cuts US ability to fight wildfires and other disasters, The Guardian

War's toll includes ability to fight fires, Post-Intelligencer editorial

End Near for Forest Fee Experiment, North County Times

Boulder/White Clouds - Frankenstein Wilderness?, Idaho Mountain Express editorial

Biscuit and Bitterroot: Once Burned, Twice Shy, Ashland Daily Tidings

Kerry offers alternative forest policy, Rocky Mountain News

Democrats' forest plan calls for community input, Arizona Republic

Babbitt touts Kerry forest plan; Competitors' reactions mixed, Prescott Daily Courier

Spare the chain saw, spoil the forest - John Kerry can't restore the forests without all the right tools, Missoulian editorial

Not all firefighting aircraft are equally effective, officials say, Prescott Daily Courier

Spin control on tanker issue can be confusing, Prescott Daily Courier

Feeding the West's wildfires, Denver Post column

Firefighters battle spreading seas of flames in western US, Yahoo! News

Wild Places Worth Protecting, Post-Intelligencer op-ed by Mike Dombeck

What Price Roadless? - The recent changes to federal forest roadless area policies could have a negative economic impact to the hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation industry, Tidepool

Governors may ask, but will they receive? - Roadless rule change may not produce roads to ruin, but could bring a backlash, Missoulian editorial

Wilderness Sellout - Bush administration guts Clinton roadless rule, Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial

Road to bad policy: Administration seeks to replace Clinton-era rule, Register-Guard editorial

The Political Forest, Arizona Daily Star editorial

The fairytale has ended for roadless forests - Bush needs to stop playing games with forest protection plans, Statesman Journal editorial

Roadless Rules Write-Off, Washington Post

Surrender in the Forests, New York Times editorial

Roadless policy should be salvaged, Post-Intelligencer editorial

Pave Paradise - President plots end of wilderness system - It's lowdown, devious, cowardly, underhanded and dishonest, Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer editorial

With roads in forests, will chainsaws follow? - State Governors Would Have Some Control, But Bush Administration Can't Be Trusted, Mercury News

Governors don't control our land - It's not governors' land to decide, Helena Independent Record op-ed

Don't let Bush give our forests to the haves and have mores, Bozeman Daily Chronicle letter

Bush, Kerry campaigns build on forest issue - Opposing positions are worth political points, but forest managers think who is president will matter little in roadless areas, Oregonian

The right road . . . can help save our precious forests, Arizona Repubic editorial

Trees must be cut to provide the amenities we demand, Olympian op-ed

Roadless ban should be kept, Olympian editorial

New roadless rules make sense, Oregonian op-ed

Bush's forest road policy sensible, Kalispell Daily Inter Lake editorial

Putting our National Forests in a Lock Box, Frontiers of Freedom op-ed

Save forests for everyone, Santa Maria Times editorial

Roadless rule's impact up in the air - There are still some unknowns, and perspectives vary, Statesman Journal

Bush plan to lift logging ban sparks debate - Environmentalists are at odds about the fate of protected forests, Richmond Times Dispatch

Unwilding the West, Baltimore Sun editorial

Bush shows his colors; Cut down this president, not roadless areas; 58,000 in Oregon support roadless protections; Bush is right on roadless areas, Oregonian letters

Greed invades our forests again, Arizona Republic letter

National Forests - Roadless areas lose protection as new plan lifts ban, Detroit Free Press

New Forest Rules May Pave Way for Roads, LA Times

Bush plan hardly the road to forest progress, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial

Bush Administration Ends Popular Roadless Rule, Oregon Natural Resources Council

Gov. Kulongoski blasts roadless policy - Criticizing President Bush's new forest plan, the governor on a national newscast calls for more state control over federal lands, Oregonian

Forest Service proposes rule that would allow Governors to petition to establish roadless areas in their states, Federal Register

Forest Service reinstates interim directive for the management of inventoried roadless areas - The directive is intended to provide guidance for addressing road and timber management activities in inventoried roadless areas until land and resource management plans are amended or revised, Federal Register

USFS proposes to amend regulations regarding travel management on National Forest lands to clarify policy related to motor vehicle use, including the use of Off-Highway Vehicles - The proposed rule would prohibit the use of motor vehicles off the designated system, Federal Register

Off-road restrictions - Forest Service wants better management of its wild trails, Texarkana Gazette editorial

WORLD NEWS

Argentina: Greenpeace "jaguars" block deforestation, India Daily

Overseas Trees, The News Tribune

Poor communities better at managing rainforests than governments, Agence France-Presse

Amazon Fires Change Weather, Speed Deforestation, Reuters - Planet Ark

R&D props up the struggling bamboo sector, Sun.Star Davao

Local log exporters blame foreigners, Tanzania Guardian

Doubts over container inspection, Tanzania Guardian

Mufindi councillors decry wanton forest harvesting, Tanzania Guardian

Kunar: Battle over timber tax, smuggling - 8 Afghan soldiers taken hostage in Bajaur, Daily Times

Tasmania: Clear-felling policy will axe jobs and profits, The Age

Tassie's battle of pulp fiction, The Mercury

Axemen cut a Forestry deal, The Mercury

The selling-out of Tasmania, The Age

Cat Tien National Park still teeming with rare wildlife, Vietnam News Agency

Regulate pine mushroom business, gov't urged - Pine mushrooms, or matsutake, are prized in Japan and picked in northwest B.C. forests, Terrace Standard

Plague of beetles turns Yukon woods to kindling, CBC North News

Beetles leave their mark in North, Taiga.net

Adding Fuel to the Fires - Once again, Canada is dangerously mishandling its forest blazes, TIME

Summer Fires Char Portugal, France, Environment News Service

Boise to shed paper, timber - The firm also will change its name to OfficeMax as it transitions from timber to an office supply retailer, Bloomberg News

Water crisis linked to land use, The West Australian

Climate change link to clearing, Sydney Morning Herald

Forests thrive under control of indigenous people, Financial Times

Local people 'to preserve nature' - Locals make great efforts to protect the plants and animals of the forest, BBC News

The Fall And Rise Of Forest Ecosystems, British Ecological Society

UPM plans forest certification field tests, Paperloop.com

The paper chase, E magazine

Save the Peat Forest, Malaysia Star

Forest fires: The cause of the haze in Southeast Asia, Radio Singapore International

Pemberton: Weyerhaeuser logging halt possible, Whistler Question

Get used to forest fires, climate scientist warns, CBC North News

European Commission Moves to Stem Illegal Logging, Environment News Service

EU to license timber imports to fight illegal logging, Reuters

Report on Boreal Forest Decimation Hot Lists Canadian Logging Companies, Canada NewsWire

Kenya: Top Moi Aides Deny Selling Plots in Forest, The Nation

Dismay Over Logging Scam, Tanzania Guardian

Protecting Thailand's Forests - Exploring the Village to Ministry Connection, E/The Environmental Magazine

Mining in protected forests, Jakarta Post editorial

Loggers threaten track, PNG Post-Courier

Solomons logging wiping out forests, study warns, ABC News

Protection plea on Tassie forest, The Mercury

Tasmania: Regional forest agreement flawed says scientists, ABC News

Timber industry must improve its practices: Heffernan, ABC News

Greens urge Latham to act on Tas forest concerns, ABC News

Mexico town halts its exodus to U.S. with earth-friendly lumber industry - Twenty-five years ago, the locals got together and decided to wrest control of the local lumber mill from a multinational corporation, which was clear-cutting the nearby mountains, Arizona Republic

Indon parliament clears Megawati's forest decree - 13 firms allowed to resume exploration projects, Bloomberg News

Only 13 firms allowed to mine in Indonesia forests, Jakarta Post

Indonesian parliament allows mining to resume in protected forests, Agence France-Presse

Scientist Calls Decaf Coffee Row Tempest in Teacup, Yahoo! News

Coal Powers Philippine Mangrove Reforestation, World Resources Institute

Taiwan Gov't urged to stop rare wood trade, China Post

China to restore forest coverage to 19 percent by 2010, Xinhua News

Great Bear Rainforest - Province moves to create spirit bear sanctuary, Vancouver Sun

YTG expects 'shroom boom in wake of fires, CBC North News

CONGRESS & WASHINGTON

Forest Service Chief Announces Change In Headquarters Staff - Norbury replaces Kimbell, USFS

Wyden introduces Mt. Hood wilderness bill - Says action needed 'before we love the mountain to death', Bend Bugle

Suspicious science: More scientists accuse Bush of manipulation, Register-Guard editorial

House Committee Guts Endangered Species Act Protections; Strips Habitat Protections & Dismisses Data by Scientists, Defenders of Wildlife

Enviros blast Walden on Species Act bill, Bend Bugle

HR 1662- Bill analysis of "Sound Science for Endangered Species Act Planning Act", Endangered Species Coalition

Factsheet on H.R. 2933 – The Critical Habitat Reform Act of 2003, Endangered Species Coalition

Fees, Forests Don't Always Fit, by Sen. Larry Craig, Writers on the Range at Denver Post

House Committee Approves Revisions to Endangered Species Act, Environment News Service

Bush's Dark Pages in Conservation History, LA Times op-ed by Stewart Udall

Public will benefit from White River forest management bill, Aspen Times op-ed

Oregon senator pushes bill to require replanting in areas within 5 years of fire, Salt Lake Tribune

Tribal Wildfire Prevention Bill Signed Into Law, Environment News Service

Bill encourages tribal thinning of forests, SF Chronicle AP

California officials push bill designating NorCal wilderness, Contra Costa Times

Mount Hood wilderness plan comes complete with bike zone, Oregonian

Wyden's wilderness bill would aid multiple users - Act would create 177,000 pristine acres on Mount Hood, Statesman Journal

'Nip and tuck' on Wild Sky bill, Post-Intelligencer

Lawmakers debate protecting Wild Sky, Seattle Times

Hearing leaves Wild Sky up in air - A House committee chairman opposes the bill as written, with time running out for the wilderness legislation, Everett Daily Herald

Supreme Court reins in citizens' right to sue, High Country News

BLM gags an archaeologist to get out the gas, High Country News

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

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

House panel passes measures to alter Endangered Species Act - Author says '73 law unfair to wildlife, property owners, San Francisco Chronicle

House Committee Plays Politics With Wildlife - Bills would undermine protections for endangered species, Earthjustice Newsroom

Critical Habitat Reform Act: S.2933, Library of Congress

Sound Science for Endangered Species Act Planning Act: H.R.1662, Library of Congress

House panel reviews species act, Register-Guard

Wild Sky bill hits House roadblock: Pombo, Seattle Times

Lawmaker says Wild Sky too big, Everett Daily Herald

Lawmaker running roughshod over Wild Sky bill, Post-Intelligencer

Lawmakers push for wilderness expansion - Rep. Pombo may allow hearing on federal designation, San Francisco Chronicle

Feds Land Use Planning Role Handed to States, Counties, Tribes, Environment News Service

BLM Land use plans: Cooperating agency status proposed rule, Federal Register

Environmental groups jointly oppose Simpson wilderness plan, Twin Falls Times-News

Don't give up on Simpson plan yet, Idaho Mountain Express op-ed

Wild Sky's wild ride comes down to one man - Pombo, Seattle Times op-ed

Wild Sky bill has Sax worried, Everett Daily Herald

Wilderness bill will go to key U.S. Senate committee, Eureka Times-Standard

Putting the wild label on wilderness, Eureka Times-Standard editorial

Bill could allow USFS to sell acreage, Summit Daily News

McInnis' rush to seal deal on forest bill upsets Udall, Rocky Mountain News

No, Parks Are Not Just Fine, Los Angeles Timers editorial

Bill Summary & Status for all House & Senate Bills about National Forests 2003-2004, Library of Congress

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

Act to Save America's Forests: S.1938, Library of Congress

NORTHERN REGION (Region 1):
Montana and Northern Idaho

Darroch Eagle logging starts, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Gallatin NF: Future of Gardiner-area Darroch Eagle timber sale up in the air, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Environmental groups sue over Deerlodge NF logging plan, Montana Standard

Forester Kimbell sees no huge change with Bush plan, Billings Gazette

Gallatin NF releases plan for historic dude ranch, Missoulian

Deal to place Alberton Gorge into public ownership, Missoulian

Engineers take log grading high-tech, Missoulian

Collaboration works better than litigation, Bozeman Daily Chronicle op-ed

No time for fire smoke screen, Helena Independent Record editorial

Logging: Editorial was all bark, no logic, Missoulian letter

Yellowstone Bison and Eagle Partisans to Challenge Federal Court Decision re USFS Horse Butte uses, The Ecology Center Inc.

Brown touts 'common-sense' forest plan, Helena Independent Record

Boise Cascade gets out of the woods, Spokesman Review

Healthy Forests rules please new regional forester Gail Kimbell, Helena Independent Record

Another bureaucratic level, Independent Record editorial

Groups call for strengthening off-road crackdown, Missoulian

You can learn a lot from a few Great Old Broads, Missoulian

Gallatin NF: Environmentalists sue over Gardiner-area timber sale, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Conservation groups file suit to stop Gallatin NF timber sale, Billings Gazette AP

Forest council sponsors film, festival, Kalispell Daily Inter Lake

Don't let Bush give our forests to the haves and have mores, Bozeman Daily Chronicle letter

Where should grizzly bears roam?, Casper Star-Tribune

More habitat available for grizzlies in tri-state area, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Fire economy withering - Fewer fires mean less work, cash for crews, Great Falls Tribune

Firefighting money: Not a big splash - Most of the large contractors are from out of state, Helena Independent Record

Neptune Aviation decision delayed, Missoulian

Missoula air tanker decision on hold, Helena Independent Record

Learning the ropes: Firefighters train to master helirappel techniques, Ravalli Republic

Chronicle Needs to be Reined-In about Range Riders, Bozeman Daily Chronicle op-ed

Growing city forest presents new challenges, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Antelope Basin a rare jewel threatened by grazing leases, Bozeman Daily Chronicle op-ed

Beaverhead-Dearlodge NF: 'Antelope Basin' Grazing Photo Essay, Mike Hudak

Antelope Basin Allotment, ninth place, "The American West's Most Overgrazed Public Lands - 2003", Rangenet

Storm sends mud, debris into water lines - Bonners Ferry survives new threat to supply, Spokesman-Review

Biscuit and Bitterroot: once burned, twice shy, Ashland Daily Tidings

Salvage logging - Mineral fire project all about timber, Missoulian letter

Spare the chain saw, spoil the forest - John Kerry can't restore the forests without all the right tools, Missoulian editorial

Grazing suit more than a 'he said, she said' issue, Bozeman Daily Chronicle op-ed

Great Old Broads want wilderness free from encroachment, Missoulian

Forest Service mapping bike trails on Missoula Ranger District, Missoulian

Governors may ask, but will they receive? - Roadless rule change may not produce roads to ruin, but could bring a backlash, Missoulian editorial

Don't rush roadless suggestions, Gov. Martz, Bozeman Daily Chronicle editorial

Sportsmen oppose Bush roadless proposal - Idaho sportsmen fear the Bush administration plan to open more national forests to logging will degrade land vital to big game and salmon runs, KTVB News

New Fungi Found in White Pines Offer Hope for New Blister Rust Defense, University of Idaho

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

New rules affect three Black Hills areas, Rapid City Journal

Forest policy story becomes a Zen guide to rulemaking, Rapid City Journal

Visitors covet Craven's secrets, Rapid City Journal

State taking tree inventory, Rapid City Journal

Off-road vehicles out of control, Rocky Mountain News

Shrine Pass road getting reworked, Vail Daily

More time sought to mull San Juan NF proposed HDs roadless area developments, Durango Herald

Jeffco's forest-fuel program endorsed - Interior Sec. Gale Norton backs a county plan to convert fallen trees and debris into electricity while reducing wildfire fuels, Denver Post

Public will benefit from White River forest management bill, Aspen Times op-ed

White River NF: Volunteers hike to the rescue, Aspen Times

Bush roadless policy a threat to local economy, Aspen Times

Roadless rule changes are flawed, Summit Daily letter

Crystal caucus joins drilling fight, Aspen Times

Vail invoked at Wolf Creek ski area, Vail Daily News

Kerry has plan to help the forests, Vail Daily

'Red Zone' residents get proactive, Summit Daily

Insurers emphasize fire protection before the fact, Glenwood Springs Post Independent

100 attend Bighorn Forest meeting, Billings Gazette AP

Citizens thwart dumping in forest, Rapid City Journal

S. Dakota: State pushes to poison prairie dogs, Rapid City Journal

Nearly 650,000 acres in local forest in limbo, Aspen Times

Mixed messages on forest roads, Glenwood Springs Post Independent editorial

White River NF hires acting super, Glenwood Springs Post Independent

Udall backs Kerry's forest plan, Summit Daily News

Volunteers help the National Forest, Summit Daily News

Oil drilling, vehicles not likely in county wilderness, Vail Daily News

McInnis' rush to seal deal on forest bill upsets Udall, Rocky Mountain News

Bill could allow USFS to sell acreage, Summit Daily News

Tippin to lead White River forest, Summit Daily News

Local Forest Service officials use new computer software to fight wildfires, Montrose Daily Press

Climate: Warming links from the lynx, United Press International

From hut to hut: Biking the Rockies, NY Times at Independent Record

Small number of tankers used to combat fires, Daily Sentinel

BLM lives with legacy of 'chaining', Durango Herald

Feds prep for first drilling in Pitkin County in 40 years, Aspen Times

SOUTHWESTERN REGION (Region 3):
Arizona and New Mexico

Hopi, Apache-Sitgreaves NF to ink agreement, Gallup Independent

Secretary of Interior visits Graham County fire, Eastern Arizona Courier

Norton Extols Forest Thinning - Forest thinning would have helped, Union Tribune AP

Coronado NF: Runoff expected to increase by 400 percent in areas, Eastern Arizona Courier

Upper Eagle group holds productive education tour with Clifton Ranger district, Eastern Arizona Courier

New Wolf Pack Placed in Arizona A-S NF, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Officials place a new pack of five Mexican gray wolves in outdoor enclosure in Apache-Sitgreaves NF, Silver City Daily Press

Environment is focus of science academy for teachers and students, Silver City Daily Press

Rey speaks on ranching, forests and war, Prescott Daily Courier

Fire hurts squirrels' cause - Nuttall blaze looks beneficial overall, Arizona Daily Star

BAER teams are forest physicians, Eastern Arizona Courier

Land trade threatened by rancher - Owner wants deal to be struck soon, Arizona Republic

More governments react to McCain proposal, Prescott Daily Courier

Land swap gets new safeguards, Arizona Daily Sun

Drilling done right?, High Country News

Santa Fe NF: Rangers Keep Pecos Wilderness Clean, Albuquerque Journal

Santa Fe NF: Fire Will Help Area, Albuquerque Journal

Work continues on Gila Box roads, Eastern Arizona Courier

Volunteers Restore Trail for Handicapped, Mountain View Telegraph

Official Mark Rey says Prescott deserves 'Preserve America' designation, Prescott Daily Courier

Mrs. Laura Bush Designates Prescott, Ariz. a Preserve America Community, USDA News

Retiree, 57, indicted in hiker slaying - Dog-walker was shot, killed, Arizona Republic

Forest Service: Arizona stewardship contract good example, SF Chronicle AP

Bush administration looking to pave protected forests, Eastern Arizona Courier

Valles Caldera: Jemez Haven, For a Fee, The New Mexican

BAER teams are forest physicians, Eastern Arizona Courier

Crews continue to monitor hot spots on 'sacred mountain', Eastern Arizona Courier

Victory for Conservation - Trust will continue to graze cattle, but only minimally, with 720 cows, Arizona Daily Star editorial

The Political Forest, Arizona Daily Star editorial

GOP should loosen ties to bulldozers, chainsaws, New Mexican

The right road . . . can help save our precious forests, Arizona Repubic editorial

Forest Health Means Jobs, Mountain View Telegraph

Bush backers bash Kerry forest plan - GOP, Dems wage war of words over forest plans, Arizona Daily Star

Few people know that a 'managed' forest means a logged forest, Prescott Valley Tribune

Babbitt touts Kerry forest plan; Competitors' reactions mixed, Prescott Daily Courier

Democrats' forest plan calls for community input, Arizona Republic

Fire-ravaged areas brace for flooding, Arizona Republic

Extreme wildfire danger forcing changes in firefighting tactics, Casper Star-Tribune AP

Pristine forests not the answer in fighting fires, Arizona Republic letter

Paving 'pristine' areas will help environment, Arizona Republic letter

Forest Service career ends; Prescott NF Sams can't keep feet out of fire, Prescott Daily Courier

Arizona State University TV features Prescott in show about AZ wildfires, Prescott Daily Courier

Fires of 2004 - Arizona Forests Are Under Fire... Are We Prepared?, KAET News

Not all firefighting aircraft are equally effective, officials say, Prescott Daily Courier

Spin control on tanker issue can be confusing, Prescott Daily Courier

Tankers' return could lead to big money, Prescott Daily Courier

Big firefighting air tankers are back on duty, Prescott Valley Tribune

Small number of tankers used to combat fires, Daily Sentinel

AmeriCorps program helps the 'little guy' in the country, Prescott Valley Tribune

Lynx Lake north shore dam area and hiking trail open tomorrow, Prescott Valley Tribune

Forest closures are good news – for eagles and falcons, Prescott Valley Tribune

Mountain areas in Prescott NF being reopened, Arizona Republic

Arizona still No. 3 in national listing for big tree species, Arizona Republic

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

Trout in Doubt: Recovery plan floated at little-attended open house, Elko Daily Free Press

Humboldt-Toiyabe NF: Public can ask questions about fire rehabilitation, Reno Gazette-Journal

Freeriders take bicycling to new, some say troubling, levels, Reno Gazette-Journal

Pioneer lynx ponder: Is Utah the place? - Threatened cats: They've been spotted here since a rerelease in Colorado, Salt Lake Tribune

Critics are too quick to reject plan, Idaho Statesman editorial

Idaho's Boise Cascade gets out of wood - Chicago company buys Boise Cascade, Idaho Statesman

Conservationists battle Bridger-Teton national forest drilling leases - Green groups, forest officials debate legality of oil and gas deals, Jackson Hole News&Guide

Wilderness proposed to honor Hemingway - Congressman also proposes three off-road vehicle parks, Spokesman-Review

Global Warming's Unlikely Harbingers, High Country News

Experts probing wildfire incident - Investigators want to know why Cabin Creek Fire crew was forced to flee, Headwaters Idaho Falls Post Register

Group sues to halt Fishlake timber sale, Salt Lake Tribune

Roadless areas need protection, not more building, Idaho Statesman op-ed

Bush rule to reverse Clinton forest edict - Door open to development: The proposal will take effect in 18 months if not killed in court, Salt Lake Tribune

Strategic ignorance, Salt Lake Tribune

Public, wilderness lose, Salt Lake Tribune letter

Roadless reversal is an example of good government, Salt Lake Tribune op-ed

Sharing the forest, Salt Lake Tribune editorial

Profiting from destruction, Salt Lake Tribune letter

Thinning saves homes, Tahoe Union

Officers make regular sweeps through illegal camp areas, Tahoe Daily Tribune

Long trip for commissioners, Elko Daily Free Press

Environmental groups jointly oppose Simpson wilderness plan, Twin Falls Times-News

Don't give up on Simpson plan yet, Idaho Mountain Express op-ed

Beetles eat at Sawtooth pines in natural cycle - Stanley residents fear the next stage: a wildfire that could destroy homes, Idaho Statesman

Idle fire planes spark criticism - Nevadans say they could have helped, San Francisco Chronicle

Boulder/White Clouds - Frankenstein Wilderness?, Idaho Mountain Express editorial

Sportsmen oppose Bush roadless proposal - Idaho sportsmen fear the Bush administration plan to open more national forests to logging will degrade land vital to big game and salmon runs, KTVB News

Frank Church Wilderness lodges in jeopardy, KTVB News

Bridger-Teton NF to prepare EIS on Lower Valley Energy Natural Gas Pipeline, Federal Register

The big burn ... Drought, inaccessibility hinder reclamation at Hagerman fire site, Twin Falls Times-News

Idle fire planes spark criticism - Nevadans say they could have helped, San Francisco Chronicle

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST (Region 5): California

New supervisor named for Cleveland National Forest, North County Times

Inyo NF: Long ride for OHV users - Workshop kicks off multi-year planning effort for forest roads, The Inyo Register

Celebrating 100 years of hiking up Mt. Whitney - Trail gets a thunderous ovation on 100th birthday, The Inyo Register

Supervisors vote to support Quincy Library Group in court, Lassen County Times

Air tankers decision due, Press-Enterprise

Redwood's amazing biology makes them survivors, Santa Cruz Sentinel

They're lumberjacks and they're not OK, Salon

The Logic of a Wildfire Fee, LA Times

Keep public land free, Pasadena Star-News letter

Plan pits off-roaders against environmentalists, North County Times

Forest building won't be banned, Press-Enterprise

U.S. order closes parts of San Bernardino forest, Press-Enterprise

Calif. Considers Closing National Forests, Independent Record AP

California officials push bill designating NorCal wilderness, Contra Costa Times

Proposed gold mine threatens river refuge - Critics say industrial-scale project will permanently scar land, San Francisco Chronicle

Protests over plan to spray Stanislaus forest, Stockton Record

Plan to spray herbicides near Yosemite draws fire, SF Chronicle AP

Roadless-area ruling senseless, Stockton Record letter

The road to healthy forests, Stockton Record letter

Plagues of beetles add to California forest fire danger, NZ Herald

Fire crew chatter hindered - Remote area reception bad, L.A. Daily News

Condor-watchers bond with the brood, L.A. Daily News

Lawmakers push for wilderness expansion - Rep. Pombo may allow hearing on federal designation, San Francisco Chronicle

Into the woods: Teachers spend week learning about forestry, Eureka Times-Standard

End near for forest fee experiment, North County Times

Wilderness bill will go to key U.S. Senate committee, Eureka Times-Standard

Putting the wild label on wilderness, Eureka Times-Standard editorial

Stanislaus NF - Aerial sprays causing concern, Modesto Bee

A 'shame' at Sierra lake - Area along popular off-road trail closed due to human fecal contamination, Sacramento Bee

Angeles Forest target of new land-use plan, L.A. Daily News

Save forests for everyone, Santa Maria Times editorial

USFS may get shot at Ca. military base, Monterey County Herald

California's 'crown jewel' may finally be open to the public - State hopes to turn Hearst Ranch, on edge of Big Sur, into conservation area, symbolizing a growing trend in land deals, CS Monitor

Chesbros SB1648 discussion continued, Mendocino Beacon

PACIFIC NORTHWEST (Region 6):
Oregon and Washington

Judge to mediate Biscuit dispute - FSEEE at the table, Register-Guard

Protesters claim roadblock in Biscuit fire salvage logging area, KATU 2 News AP

Four people arrested at Biscuit salvage protest, Corvallis Gazette-Times

Umpqua NF: Baked Apple salvage plans are upheld on appeal, The News-Review

"Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2004": Wyden introduces Mt. Hood wilderness bill - Says action needed 'before we love the mountain to death', Bend Bugle

Wyden to introduce legislation to create 177,000 acres of Mount Hood wilderness, Register-Guard

Don't believe the hype -- Wyden's Wilderness Bill will Increase Logging on Mt. Hood - Wilderness Bill Ill Conceived, Includes Loopholes for Destructive Mt. Hood Logging - Bark Opposes Logging Provision in Wilderness Bill, Portland Independent Media Center

Wilderness for Soda passed by, Ashland Daily Tidings

A wilderness that's right for city life, Post-Intelligencer editorial

If a tree falls in the forest... , Daily Vanguard

Forest Defense Camp this weekend @ Straw Devil, Cascadia Rising EcoDefense / Cascadia Forest Defenders

The Thursday R6 Update - July 15, 2004, USFS

Owls Face Spotted Future, National Geographic

Fight the 50-50 forest split, Tillamook Headlight Herald editorial

Oregon timber harvest highest in six years - Forest Service, BLM harvests still at low levels, Bend Bugle

Housing spurs record Oregon lumber output, Statesman Journal

Oregon needs to re-invest in wood-products industry - Timber once made state prosperous, and it can again, Statesman Journal editorial

Boise will quit timber industry - One of Oregon's biggest owners of commercial forests is divesting, Oregonian

Boise Cascade selling timber and paper assets, Seattle Times

Salvage Gone Mad - Environmentalists react to gigantic timber sale, Eugene Weekly

Saving wildlife of Northwest old-growth forests, Oregonian op-ed

Logging slide forces Ochoco to go offshore - The Prineville lumber company, which used to mill Oregon ponderosa, does most of its business abroad today, Oregonian

Mount Hood wilderness plan comes complete with bike zone, Oregonian

Wyden's wilderness bill would aid multiple users - Act would create 177,000 pristine acres on Mount Hood, Statesman Journal

Clearing the obstacles to protecting Mount Hood, Oregonian op-ed

'Nip and tuck' on Wild Sky bill, Post-Intelligencer

Lawmakers debate protecting Wild Sky, Seattle Times

Wild Sky advocates firm on designation, Seattle Times

Hearing leaves Wild Sky up in air - A House committee chairman opposes the bill as written, with time running out for the wilderness legislation, Everett Daily Herald

Firefighting fees may rise for at-risk homes, Bend Bulletin

Survey assesses elusive Olympic Mountain goats, Seattle Times

Fate of state forests rests in Olympia, Post-Intelligencer op-ed

States should determine their own timber policies, Statesman Journal op-ed

Oregon seeks input on Elliott Forest, Coos Bay World

State might buy forests, use returns for college grants, Oregonian

Logging old growth should become old hat, Register-Guard op-ed

Timber sold amid protests - Bidders pay millions for three Biscuit fire salvage-logging sales, Mail Tribune

First Biscuit Sales Draw Protests, Oregon Public Broadcasting

Biscuit Auctions Mean Biscuit Actions, Oxygen Collective

See the Orville Camp Story - Logger who thinks the Biscuit should not be logged, Oxygen Collective

Wild Sky bill hits House roadblock: Pombo, Seattle Times

Lawmaker says Wild Sky too big, Everett Daily Herald

Lawmaker running roughshod over Wild Sky bill, Post-Intelligencer

Wild Sky bill unity lacking - Nethercutt doesn't sign a letter that the rest of the state's delegation supports, Everett Daily Herald

Wild Sky needs loud, clear support, Post-Intelligencer editorial

War's toll includes ability to fight fires, Post-Intelligencer editorial

Tillamook presents great opportunity - Ballot initiative is no way to manage a system as complex as a forest, Daily Astorian

Christmas tree farms all will be inspected - As requested by growers, every licensed Christmas tree farm in Oregon will be examined for sudden oak death disease, Oregonian

Biscuit and Bitterroot: once burned, twice shy, Ashland Daily Tidings

Timber auction freshens discord over Biscuit plan, Oregonian

Biscuit Fire salvage sale draws timber buyers, protesters, Register Guard

Slicing the Biscuit: Forest Service should scale back salvage plan, Register-Guard editorial

Biscuit's brand new day - Mother Nature lends a hand to the area recovering from the 2002 Biscuit fire, Mail Tribune

Bush, Kerry campaigns build on forest issue - Opposing positions are worth political points, but forest managers think who is president will matter little in roadless areas, Oregonian

Wild Sky's wild ride comes down to one man - Pombo, Seattle Times op-ed

Wild Sky bill has Sax worried, Everett Daily Herald

Rogue River-Umpqua NFs RAC selects 2005 projects, Roseburg News-Review

It takes a tree-hugger to raze a forest, Seattle Times op-ed

Kulongoski blasts roadless policy - Criticizing President Bush's new forest plan, the governor on a national newscast calls for more state control over federal lands, Oregonian

Kulongoski's Natural Resources Advisor resigns, KATU News

Underground lab raises mountain of controversy, Seattle Times

Water district buys forest land to expand, Bend Bulletin

Seeds of sustainable forestry planted for future, Salem Statesman Journal

Play BIGGER, Bend Bulletin

Coming to accept ATVs in all their noisy, destructive, yahoo glory, Oregonian op-ed

SOUTHERN REGION (Region 8):
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Timber industry, activists appeal Boone forest plan, The Courier-Journal

A slice of the past: Group uses ancient tree to protest Bush policies, The Charleston Gazette

Forest Service, Guard to close area of DeSoto Forest to hunters, The Hattiesburg American

New rule puts roadless forests at risk, The State

Groups Debate Effect of Proposed 'Roadless' Rule On N.C. Forests, WRAL News

Under Assault: George Washington and Jefferson National forests, Daily Press

Oak wilt fungus lethal to oaks, spreads through roots, Country World News

New Brochure Guides Visitors "Out To The Farm" - Variety Of Sites Makes Farm Trail An Adventure, Chattanoogan

WildLaw, You Make My Heart Sing, Grist magazine

Sting Ray - Ray Vaughan, an environmental lawyer, answers readers' questions, Grist magazine

Bush administration should be supporting Roadless Rule, Kingsport Times/News editorial

New rule puts roadless forests at risk, The State op-ed

FWS to fire whistle-blower - Accused agency of using bad science, Ft.Myers News-Press

Wilderness Sellout - Bush administration guts Clinton roadless rule, Daytona Beach News-Journal editorial

Bush plan to lift logging ban sparks debate - Environmentalists are at odds about the fate of protected forests, Richmond Times Dispatch

Off-road restrictions - Forest Service wants better management of its wild trails, Texarkana Gazette editorial

U.S., Puerto Rico race to save parrots - Program aids to pull birds back from the brink of extinction, The Morning Call

EASTERN REGION (Region 9):
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, Maine, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin

Shawnee Forest Showdown: Equestrian Campground Owners Battling Forest Service Officials Over Operating Permit Policy, The Southern Illinoisan

Sierra Club member criticizes timber changes - Environmentalist says impact studies done after comment period, Charleston Daily Mail

Timber controversy brewing - The state is clear cutting about eight acres of the Mohican Forest, Mansfield News Journal

Mohican Forest: Cutting trees hurts state's credibility, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette editorial

Warbler pays its way in tourism dollars, Bay City Times

Oak-killing disease found on a tree in New York state - Case on East Coast raises new questions, San Francisco Chronicle

National parks proposal meets resistance, WMTW News

Van Buren man has first court date on bobcat case, Daily American Republic News

All in a night's work, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Gov. Benson backs Bush's forest plan; critics say it's a 'giveaway', The Union Leader

Digging up new memories - Archaeologist lets volunteers get down and dirty in search for cultural insight, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Forest services gearing up for off-road policy, Cadillac News

Changes to roadless rule are reckless fiscal policy, Portland Press Herald editorial

TREEgonometry - Schoolteachers scramble through woods in pursuit of forestry education, Bangor Daily News

Canadian loggers should be allowed into Maine woods, Portland Press Herald editorial

National Forests - Roadless areas lose protection as new plan lifts ban, Detroit Free Press

If a tree falls in a forest ... It will cost money, especially when it's on the Manistee or AuSable rivers, Grand Rapids Press

Preventing against Dutch Elm Disease, News 10 Now

From little acorns, chipmunks go, go, The Republican

ALASKA REGION (Region 10): Alaska

Black spruce the bane of firefighters - Gnarled, stunted outcast of the plant world is called 'gasoline on a stick', News Miner - Juneau Empire

Greenpeace ship is open to the public, Juneau Empire

Chugach: Wildest national forest right here to enjoy, Anchorage Daily News op-ed

Reopening Kensington mine would adversely affect Berners Bay, Juneau Empire op-ed

Naturally naturalists - U.S. Forest Service interpreters, Juneau Empire

Greenpeace Ship Accused of Breaking Laws, Newsday AP

Officials may relocate fearless bear, Anchorage Daily News

Forest Service Forced to Abandon Long-Term Tongass Timber Contract - Conservationists' lawsuit results in settlement to reduce logging, Earthjustice Newsroom

Forest Service downsizes 1,477-acre Tongass timber sale - Roadless area dropped from Fusion sale, Juneau Empire

Forest Service priorities and policies are way out of whack, Juneau Empire op-ed

Senate panel tables Cape Fox land swap till September - 'Unresolved issue' is making sure equal value exists between Native and federal lands, Juneau Empire

Native land exchange on hold in Washington, News-Miner

Take Action: Tell Forest Service to Stay Out of Tongass Roadless Areas, The Wilderness Society

What's At Stake! - Tongass Roadless Areas Action, The Wilderness Society

West experiencing mild start to fire season - except in Alaska, Billings Gazette AP

Tinder-dry conditions have officials on edge, News-Miner