Forests in the News : February 1-15, 2007

NATIONAL NEWS

Smith filibuster talk chopped to polite formality - Budget time - Oregon's senator tells a nearly empty Senate of the need for county payments, Oregonian

Northern Region forest chief picked, Billings Gazette AP

Tidwell named regional forester, The Clark Fork Chronicle

Wildest Bill on the Hill Coming Soon - Backers Promise Economic Prosperity, New West Network

Range Fuels to build first wood cellulosic ethanol plant in Georgia, Range Fuels

Forests can help ease climate change, Register Guard op-ed

Partners drive towards 50 million trees - Car rental company pledges $50 million towards reforesting, MSNBC AP

Project targets reforestation, Star-Tribune AP

Report on Forests, Carbon, and Global Warming, Oregon Wild

Global Climate Change and Wildlife, Congressional Research Service [pdf]

Ecoforestry, Globalwarming Awareness2007

Uncontrolled control - Riding herd on invasive species produces another ecological threat, The Flint Journal

Now We Know Where the RAT Goes - Rec Fees Used To Close Campgrounds, Limit Access, New West Network

US Forest Service: Notes from the National Communications/Legislative Affairs Conference on the 110th Congress-January 2007, Wild Wilderness

Fitting Big Pieces Together, Wild Wilderness

Recreation Site Facility Master Planning documents, USFS: Recreation & Heritage Integrated Business Systems

Kill the Rat, Wild Wilderness

Something's rotten in the state of user fees, High Country News

USFS facing 25 percent budget cut over three years, chief warns, Greenwire at American Lands Alliance

Dicks calls revised land-for-schools proposal 'dead on arrival', E&E Daily at American Lands Alliance

Forest Service Budget Calls for Land Sales, Again - Recreation, Wildlife Funding Goes Down While Timber Subsidies Go Up, Sierra Club

Counties need real rescue - Bush sell-off plan won't do it, Register-Guard editorial

Forest land sales: Will it fly this time?, GOAT - A High Country News Blog

Reaction mixed to fed's land sale plan, The Union Democrat

Mark Twain NF: Controversial forest sale plan revived - Local leaders don't like the new version any better, Columbia Tribune

Bill calls for acquiring federal lands, Star-Tribune

National Park Privatization: Another Great Idea From BushCo!, Mark Fiore at Seattle Weekly

Till the Cows Come Home: How the West Was Eaten, Counterpunch

Grazing fees drop, but plan's in the red, Arizona Daily Star

Fight over forests' environments - Agency, facing criticism, says it's trying to streamline review of management policies, Vail Daily News

Forest management in 3-D, High Country News letter

Branching out - Timber as a growing asset class - Investors are moving into timber, The Economist

"The Dying of the Trees", Book Review

Plant being designed that would make ethanol from wood chips, York News-Times

Once a Dream Fuel, Palm Oil May Be an Eco-Nightmare, New York Times

Report: Hawaiian forests are the nation's most threatened bird habitats, Union Tribune AP

Please Don't Fire Us For Publishing This Letter, Chief Kimbell, Lowbagger

I Am Woman, Hear Me Saw - U.S. Forest Service gets first female chief, trees cower - "She is a strong proponent of turning the clock back ... to the good old days where exploiting and extracting natural resources is the raison d'etre", Daily Grist

Bush again proposes selling national forest land, The Columbian

Criticism of forest selloff plan is renewed - Bush re-submits budget plan to aid timber counties, Statesman Journal

Public Land Sell-off Plan Returns, But With a Twist, New West Network

Sell off national forests? Deja vu all over again, Ocala Star-Banner

Recreation sites on Mt. Hood threatened - Your help is needed to keep the Forest Service from shutting down campsites, Bark Out

Revenues lost to timber rule get fresh look - Wood Chips: Assembly members are considering the impact of the moratorium, Anchorage Daily News

Shaking The Tree, Lowbagger

Leroy Lee: Scientist Who Unearthed Phantom Forest Scandal Dies, Lowbagger

Carbon plantations are the enemy of ..., Gristmill

Fuel from forests is new clean energy goal, Sun Xiaohua (China Daily)

Algae Biodiesel as a Sustainable Solution - Indirectly saving forests, and forests of algae, Biodiesel Times

Forest Service Policy Blasted, Albuquerque Journal

Forest official: Give rules chance - Defenders of Wildlife and New Mexico-based Forest Guardians have filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington claiming the rule violates federal environmental laws, Star-Tribune

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison NFs: Forest plan draft still under wraps, Montrose Daily Press

Forest plan: Regional Forester Linda Goodman disputes "Secrecy invades the national forests", Daily Astorian letter

Require Meaningful Forest Plans Nationwide, Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics

New Forest Service Chief Has Checkered Past - Responsible for Largest Whistleblower Retaliation Case in Agency History, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

Cuts prompt Helena NF shakeup - About half of the Helena National Forest's employees need to reapply for their jobs, Helena Independent Record

Lincoln NF campground closures are a travesty - This land is our land. Let us in, Alamogordo Daily News

Gila National Forest - Recreation Site Facility Master Planning Project, USFS

Unfair warning - Scaling back recreation on public lands, quietly, Missoula Independent

Group hopes to save Uncompahgre plateau campgrounds, Montrose Daily Press

Forest service pauses 'niche' plan, Helena Independent Record

New park pass is more expensive - Golden Eagle deal has been replaced by America the Beautiful, Tacoma News Tribune at Charlotte Observer

Forests eye 'new' work model - The goal is to make forest management projects into long-term projects stretching over 10 years, Star-Tribune

Forum will examine perils of forest work, Register-Guard

Government has a completely new plan for fire season, Albuquerque Tribune

Temperature rise may mean more wildfires, Contra Costa Times

Feds wrestle with firefighting costs, Star-Tribune

State costs tied to county actions - Montana can't reduce fire danger and expense unless counties play along, Missoulian

Four-wheel drive trucks taking a back seat with forest ranger culture, Summit Daily News

Forest service listens to public, Laurel Leader Call

National Forest System Land Management Planning Directive for Wilderness Evaluation, Federal Register

Avalanche Pioneer Ed LaChapelle Dies - LaChapelle published the Forest Service's first official avalanche handbook in 1961, New West Network

Renowned avalanche researcher dies, Salt Lake Tribune

BLM cuts federal-land grazing fee to $1.35 from $1.56, Arizona Republic AP

Grazing fees down from 2006, Billings Gazette

Federal Government Lowers Cost of Public-Lands Grazing For Livestock Owners: Cost Rises for Taxpayers, Center for Biological Diversity

Reservoir Logs - A submersible robot called the Sawfish can harvest healthy timber from long-forgotten underwater forests. Clear-cutting never looked so green, Wired News

Guitar-makers make noise over threatened trees- Threatened Alaskan forests provide Sitka spruce, Independent at NZ Herald

Traditional Czech wood for musical instruments in short supply - Spruce trees deep in the forests of Sumava Mountains in South Bohemia prized for musical tone, Radio Praha

Researcher Fights Hemlock Pest With Whey, Fungus, Forbes AP

Michigan: Beech Bark Disease on Eco-Invader List, SF Chronicle

Trees under siege: Emerald ash borer threatens Northland forests, Duluth News Tribune

Wall Street vs. Main Street - Maxxam's rapacious corporate greed run amok plundered Pacific Lumber's redwood assets after hostile takeover, Eureka Times-Standard op-ed

Wood products industry sees grim year - A drastic decline in national housing starts is cited as the chief cause for tough times, Register-Guard

Railroad grant paved way for huge land holdings, Missoulian

WORLD NEWS

Fake fruits could help restore rainforest - Bats lured by foam food bring seeds to patchy land, Nature

"Chants of a lifetime" deal for Indians, Reuters

Call of the Rainforest, Another Limited Rebellion

Ground Zero - Rapid Biological Inventory, The Statesman

A Spatial Analysis of Common Property Deforestation, Univ of Montana - Dept of Economics at SSRN

Tropical Rainforest Protection and Management - buy land to save rain forest, Rain Forest Farming Foundation

Spanish Forest Management Plan 2010-2002, Northeastern Ontario Forests blog

Western Forest Products CEO Reynold Hert says an agreement that removes about 28,000 hectares of company land from Tree Farm Licenses will help the company pay down its debt, Cowichan News Leader

Police arrest four Greenpeace protesters, Mississauga News

Most to leave Tobeatic Wilderness, The Chronicle Herald

Wildlife killers coddled, watchdog says - Ottawa seldom punishes foresters and companies that destroy fish, Globe and Mail

Botnia and Stora Enso Turning Old Growth into Magazines in Finland, The Paper Planet

Uganda: Encroachers Defy Minister, The Monitor (Kampala)

A million trees? No, we need a billion, IPP Media

Flathead forester helps Liberian timber effort, Billings Gazette

Philippines: I Could Never See a Poem as Lovely as a Tree, Nneka Joy Lim blog

Rainforest: A Photographic Journey, The Star -Malaysia

Smoking out the world's lungs, BBC News

'Great Southern Plantations' destroying Tiwi Island, Melbourne Indymedia

Understanding Stumpages/Royalty in Native Forest, Private Forestry Southern Queensland

Forest Dependent: Green Ringtail Possum, Live Science

Biofuels Could Earn Carbon Credits Before 2012 -UN, Planet Ark

Ethanol Production Could Be Eco-Disaster, Brazil's Critics Say, National Geographic News

Once a Dream Fuel, Palm Oil May Be an Eco-Nightmare, New York Times

New Forest Product Industry Report Under Fire for Misinformation, ForestEthics at CNW

Birks & Mayors Joins Boreal Forest Conservation Initiative, Diamonds.net News

Mountain Pine Beetles in British Columbia- Hydrology, Maps, and Geographic Data, B.C. Forest Ministry

Babine Forest Products (BFP) loses appeal, Lakes District News

TimberWest says damage from B.C. storms to trees on Vancouver Island minimal, CBC News

Ancient giant's demise in storm mourned, Globe and Mail

In-SHUCK-ch logging begins, Whistler Question

Amazon deforestation damaging critical ecosystem services, Mongabay News

Brazil's Lula blasts rich nations on climate, Reuters

Brazil Demands Efficient French Help - Action, Not Talk, Prensa Latina

Modern Slavery: A Green Issue?, Tree Hugger

Guyana's Poverty Reduction Strategy Programme (PRSP) and the forestry sector, Guyana Plunder Without Profit

Caution on banning of log exports, Stabroek News at Guyana Plunder Without Profit

Timber harvesting practices of forest producers under unfair attack, Stabroek News at Guyana Plunder Without Profit

Crisis in forestry sector, Stabroek News at Guyana Plunder Without Profit

Barama Violations: The audit team found there were nine major violations by Barama, Stabroek News at Guyana Plunder Without Profit

New Chinese forest company pledges to invest US$100M, Stabroek News at Guyana Plunder Without Profit

Iwokrama unveils five-year plan for joint venture in 'sustainable harvesting', Stabroek News

City botanist sows seeds of help for Peruvian farmers to replant their native forests, Edinburgh Evening News

US shows how to make money grow on trees - European institutions are branching into the timber market, Financial News

Africa: Deforestation Main Challenge for UNEP, Inter Press Service

In Niger, Trees and Crops Turn Back the Desert, New York Times

Uganda: Museveni Halts Mabira Giveaway, The Monitor (Kampala)

Only 400 Forest Inspectors in Mozambique, Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique

Kenya: Sweet-Smelling Medicinal Tree of Arid Areas Faces a Bleak Future, The Nation (Nairobi)

Kenya: Experts in Plea for Rare Forest, The Nation (Nairobi)

Somalia: Puntland leader's plea for environment - Cutting Acacia trees for charcoal not sustainable, Reuters AlertNet - IRIN

New attempt to rescue endangered wetlands, Port Elizabeth Herald - S. Africa

Illicit fellers threaten the World Heritage rainforest in Sri Lanka, Colombo Page

Wild peach trees may disappear, VietNam Net

Local gov'ts pulled up for deforestation, Sun Xiaohua (China Daily)

No natural forests, no water, Mr. Secretary, The Manila Times

Peña: Trees, Sun.Star Pampanga

Borneo: Deforestation and Discovery, Living on Earth

Once a Dream Fuel, Palm Oil May Be an Eco-Nightmare, New York Times

Indonesia, Malaysia floods drive timber prices, Antara News

Logging by SFI caused Kemabong floods' claim, Daily Express, Sabah, Malaysia

Certification dispute, Centre for Orang Asli Concerns

Rainforest Alliance terminates 'High Conservation Value Forests' audits for APP, EoF News

Report says APP incites forest destruction, social conflicts - A report on Asia Pulp and Paper's operations in Sumatra, Indonesia, APP Watch

Riau NGOs ask govt to stop forest sales, The Jakarta Post

Wellsford State Forest: Nature groups want national park, Bendigo Weekly

All-year-round commitment the key to managing forest fire, On Line Opinion

Court ruling could stop Tassie logging, The Australian

Appeal over Wielangta - Brown vows to mount vigorous fight, The Examiner

Log prices highest in years, The Timaru Herald

Saved by the trees, New Zealand rural news on Stuff.co.nz

Indigenous Leaders Call for Suspension of Auction of Peruvian Amazon Oil Blocks - Concessions Could Lead to Rainforest Destruction, Yahoo! News

Brazilian Minister Gets UN Award for Reducing Deforestation by 50%, Brazzil Mag

Amazonian Damage: Greater Than Thought, United Press International

Chinese firm to process logs from Jaling concession, Stabroek News

Lands taken from tree-farm licences Firm now has right to subdivide areas, Globe and Mail

Caldwell prepares rainforest venture - Brazil plantation would grow trees for bio-fuel, UK- Yorkshire Post Today

European blowback for Asian biofuels, Asia Times

Uganda: Kalangala to Lose More Land, The Monitor (Kampala)

Uganda: Locals Oppose Bidco Takeover - Locals want to use Banga Central Forest reserve through Collaborative Forest Management (CFM.), The Monitor (Kampala)

Kenya: Displaced Ogieks Ask to Be Resettled, The Nation (Nairobi)

Illegal Logging Hits Asian Forests, Orangutans - UN, Planet Ark: Reuters

Blame it all on man's greed, The Brunei Times

Orangutan Habitat May Be Gone in 15 Years, UN Report Says, National Geographic News

Orangutans in Peril as Indonesian Logging Accelerates, Environment News Service [$]

Read the report, "Last stand of the orangutan: State of emergency", UN [pdf]

Deforestation Main Challenge for UNEP, IPS News

Certification dispute, The Star -Malaysia

Illegal Local Government Construction Destroying China's Forests, Xinhua News

Fuel from forests is new clean energy goal, Sun Xiaohua (China Daily)

European blowback for Asian biofuels, Asia Times

Options open to Auspine, say forestry groups, ABC News

Brown log claims lashed, Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania

Monday Action, Save the Weld

All the news that fits - But it looks like it will have to fit on Chinese newsprint, MarketWatch

Savvy environmentalists challenge corporations to go green - An Interview with Michael Brune, executive director of RAN, Mongabay News

Vancouver: Its Wild Heart Broken, a City, Like Its Eagles, Rebuilds, New York Times

B.C.- Okanagan braces for pine beetle epidemic, Vancouver Sun

Modified logging research in mountain caribou habitat looks promising, Williams Lake Tribune

Caribou science team recommends logging ban in mountain habitat, Williams Lake Tribune

Wanted: real leadership - To bring about a moratorium on logging in intact forests, CNW Telbec

Spirit Bear Rainforest Conservation Funded, Environment News Service [$]

Lands taken from tree-farm licences - Firm now has right to subdivide areas, Globe and Mail

Western Forest Products Receives Approval to Remove Private Lands From Its Tree Farm Licences, PR Newswire

Government releases Island land from forest regulations - Western Forest Products agrees not to export logs for 3 years, Vancouver Sun

Tract of land given to forest company - Environment groups accuse province of bailing out Western Forest Products, Vancouver Sun

$30M seals NDP, Tories pact, Toronto Star

AbitibiBowater will be a global leader headquartered in Canada, construction press service

Forestry putting safety first, Penticton Herald

Chainsaw carnage, Globe and Mail

Mount Quimper: Green dreams, Goldstream News Gazette at Peninsula News Review

No more hiding behind the trees, part II, Ottawa Citizen

Peru: Reviving our wisdom: An interview with healer Alberto Manqueriapa, Indian Country Today

Anger over Peru's plan to bring oil firms to Amazon rainforest, BBC News

Guyana has quite good laws and procedures on forestry on paper, but they are not being thoroughly implemented, Stabroek News

Britain 'third-biggest' importer of illegal timber - Area of forest the size of Belgium is cut down illegally each year to provide wood for Britain's homes and gardens, The Times

UK criticised over illegal timber, Illegal Logging News Page

UK buys £712 million worth of illegal timber, New Consumer News

Traditional Czech wood for musical instruments in short supply - Spruce trees deep in the forests of Sumava Mountains in South Bohemia prized for musical tone, Radio Praha

Czechs could lose two-thirds of lumber crop - Windstorm casualties cause government and loggers to scramble, The Prague Post

Hungarian beech forest falls victim to illegal logging, Caboodle News

Chinese, Russian Scientists Search Snowy Forests For Rare Leopard, Huliq News

Kenya: Grand Cane Plan in Troubled Waters Over Risk to Habitat- Sugarcane development will eliminate or decimate the forest, The Nation (Nairobi)

Nigeria risks extinction of forest by 2010 - Asiodu, The Tide

Ghana: FC Blamed for Rapid Forest Depletion, Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra)

Mozambique: Over a Thousand Illegal Logs Seized in Pemba, Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique

Namibia: The Importance of Environmental And Economic Accounting, New Era (Windhoek)

Say good-bye to Little Red: Finale of DAK's Kilimanjaro Safaris to be retooled - Pending redo of Disney's Animal Kingdom's ride-through safari zoo attraction, Jim Hill media

Bangladesh: Eco-park work resumes ignoring plights of indigenous people, The Daily Star

Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) program holders eye competition in world market, Bayanihan News

Saving the wetlands, New Straits Times editorial

PM: We must preserve mangrove forests, New Straits Times: Malaysia

Indonesia's push for biofuels, BBC News

Joint Statement Regarding Demand-Side Measures and Regional Enforcement under the Indonesia-U.S. Memorandum of Understanding on Illegal Logging, by Conservation International, Environmental Investigation Agency, The Nature Conservancy, and World Wildlife Fund

Tas company rejects links with Malaysian forest destruction, ABC News

Sen. Brown log claims lashed, Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania

Australia: All-year-round commitment the key to managing forest fire, On Line Opinion

Log prices highest in years, The Timaru Herald -NZ

A spot of time travel finds a golden result - Ancient kauri's annual growth rings provide picture of past El Nino activity, Morning Herald

Kauri help build picture of El Nino variations, New Zealand Herald

Illegal beach cooks ignite $3m inferno - Ancient kauri in nearby Waipoua Forest threatened, Whangarei Northern Advocate

CONGRESS & WASHINGTON

Security needs swell federal work force - But the Forest Service would lose 2,126 staff, Federal Times

Smith filibuster talk chopped to polite formality - Budget time - Oregon's senator tells a nearly empty Senate of the need for county payments, Oregonian

Va. land protection bill back in Congress, Roanoke Times

Bill would protect nearly 55,000 Va. acres as wilderness, scenic, Jacksonville Times AP

Wildest Bill on the Hill Coming Soon - Backers Promise Economic Prosperity, New West Network

More park funding comes with catch, Kansas City Star

Randal O'Toole Joins Cato Institute as Senior Fellow, Cato Institute at Earth Times

Grijalva promises new agenda for parks, forests, lands subcommittee, E&E Daily at American Lands Alliance

President's FY 2008 Budget: Timber companies get more trees, American public gets fewer trails, American Lands Alliance

More Budget Details - More Bad News, Wild Wilderness

Ask Your Member of Congress to Support Roadless Legislation , American Lands Alliance

Bush Seeks Public-Private Funding Boost for Parks, Washington Post

Bush park plan draws mixed views, Journal Gazette

Park plan relies on private donations, Star-Tribune

President pushes boost in funding for national parks, USA Today

Public sees though park funding lies, Wild Wilderness

National Park Privatization: Another Great Idea From BushCo!, Mark Fiore at Seattle Weekly

Healthy Lands Initiative Restores, Protects Wildlife Habitat While Meeting Nation's Vital Energy Needs, U.S. Department of the Interior

Criticism of forest selloff plan is renewed - Bush re-submits budget plan to aid timber counties, Statesman Journal

President's Budget Glosses Over Interior's Core Mission, House Committee on Natural Resources

About the Committee, House Committee on Natural Resources

Natural Resources Committee Announces Subcommittee Lineup

Bush Proposes Large Increase for Parks Leading up to 100th Birthday Bash - The new funding is largely the result of shifting funds from existing important park programs, such as construction, into a new budget column with a new label, Rahall added, ENN AP

Greens giddy over Grijalva's clout with land, Tucson Citizen

Walden protests funding vote, Hood River News

Smith threatens Senate filibuster - He wants timber payments extended for a year; 60 votes would deny him - No Oregon county payments, no U.S. budget, Mail Tribune

Gov. Otter presses need for timber funding, Coeur d'Alene Press

National Association of Forest Service Retirees submits wildfire funding paper to New Mexico's Senator Jeff Bingaman, FSX News [doc]

NORTHERN REGION (Region 1):
Montana and Northern Idaho

Northern Region forest chief picked, Billings Gazette AP

Tidwell named regional forester, The Clark Fork Chronicle

Plan would sell off 2,200 acres in Flathead NF, Hungry Horse News

Flathead forester helps Liberian timber effort, Billings Gazette

Environmental terrorists to blame for destruction of 9.6 million acres!, The Western News (Libby, MT)

A Spatial Analysis of Common Property Deforestation, Univ of Montana - Dept of Economics at SSRN

Little Belt burn plan up for review, Great Falls Tribune

Montana: Bill to mark stream access sites needs revisions, Helena Independent Record

Despite lawsuit, Gallatin forest contract awarded, Helena Independent Record

Timber in transition: For Plum Creek, real estate adds value to forestlands, Missoulian

Timber in Transition: Development of Plum Creek land creates roadblock for wildlife, Missoulian

Timber in Transition: When Plum Creek land changes hands, public is often locked out, Missoulian

Timber in Transition: Subdivisions in remote areas increase cost county services, Missoulian

Timber in transition: REIT: Tax designation created opportunities, Missoulian

Appellate court denies injunction in Bitterroot forest case, Great Falls Tribune

Cuts prompt Helena NF shakeup - About half of the Helena National Forest's employees need to reapply for their jobs, Helena Independent Record

Unfair warning - Scaling back recreation on public lands, quietly, Missoula Independent

State costs tied to county actions - Montana can't reduce fire danger and expense unless counties play along, Missoulian

Gallatin travel plan a balanced document, Billings Gazette letter

JeffCo road jurisdiction - A question of ideology, Helena Independent Record

Howie Wolke - Big, Wild Wilderness Advocate, Bozeman Tributary

Kootenai NF: The Long Road To Caribou Recovery, The Montana Standard

Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF: Logging won't hurt soils, draft report says, The Montana Standard

Comment sought on Little Belts fuels plan, Great Falls Tribune

Coalition at work on Kootenai forest disputes, Daily InterLake

County sharpens budget ax - Historically, timber receipts from the Kootenai National Forest have constituted a considerable source of revenue for Lincoln County, Tobacco Valley News

Gov. Otter presses need for timber funding, Coeur d'Alene Press

Timber in transition: Booming values shift Plum Creek from logging to real estate, Missoulian

Timber in transition: Industry watches for Plum Creek's next move, Missoulian

Some plant trees to eat CO2, Star Tribune

Loggers salvage charred timber from Montana's 2006 wildfires, Billings Gazette

Wyo firm begins logging in Mont. - Fire salvage sales going forward in south-central Montana, Star-Tribune

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

Mountain pine beetle continues to plague state's forests, Montrose Daily Press

Settlement would keep wilderness land wild, Aspen Times

Scientists turning wood chips into ethanol - South Dakota school designs production plant, Black Hills Pioneer at The Coloradoan

Fort Pierre National Grassland: Letting their voices be heard, The Capital Journal - Pierre, SD

Roosevelt NF: Charges filed in '03 forest damage - Plea bargain for 'beyond major' destruction anticipated, Longmont Daily Times-Call

San Isabel NF: Fed agency seeking input on national forest future, Wet Mountain Tribune

Groups Vie For Ritter's Backing On Roadless Plan, cbs4denver

Shoshone Forest plan revision meetings, Star-Tribune [scroll down]

Bill calls for acquiring federal lands, Star-Tribune

San Juan NF: Tree thinning almost complete - 192-acre project will reduce fire threats in Junction Creek, Durango Herald

Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands plan- Forest Service asks public to give rules a chance, Wichita Eagle AP

Forest Service asks public to give rules a chance, Summit Daily News

Pike and San Isabel National Forest: Plan Update Initiated, The Fairplay Flume

Meeting on Pike and San Isabel forests draws crowd, Colorado Springs Gazette

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison NFs: Forest plan draft still under wraps, Montrose Daily Press

Grand Mesa NF: Drilling plan near Vega draws locals' ire, Glenwood Springs Post Independent

Proposed timber sale on Uncompahgre plateau, Montrose Daily Press

Group hopes to save Uncompahgre plateau campgrounds, Montrose Daily Press

Four-wheel drive trucks taking a back seat with forest rangers, Summit Daily News

Pile burning continues near Red Feather Lakes, Greeley Tribune

Avon hikers due for new trails - Forest Service will hold public meetings on the proposals, Vail Daily News

Snow-loving community loses a pillar and pioneer, Glenwood Springs Post Independent

Housing 'crisis' causes ... committees, Vail Daily News

Smokey Bear is on the air, Aspen Daily News

Pellets promoted as way to use dead trees -&- Cold, but not enough to freeze bark beetles, Summit Daily News [scroll down]

New Forest Service Chief Has Checkered Past - Responsible for Largest Whistleblower Retaliation Case in Agency History, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

SOUTHWESTERN REGION (Region 3):
Arizona and New Mexico

Lincoln NF: Lawsuit seems pointless, Alamogordo Daily News

Plundering our national treasures: 'Skywalk', San Bernardino County Sun

Guardians just want federal policy enforced, Alamogordo Daily News letter

Grazing fees drop, but plan's in the red, Arizona Daily Star

Wolves' Status in Danger, Albuquerque Journal op-ed

Lincoln NF: Ancient Cave Clues Point to Future Drought, Albuquerque Journal

Grand Canyon Skywalk opens deep divide - Arizona's Hualapai Tribe hopes to draw more visitors with a controversial structure that will jut over the crevasse, Los Angeles Times

City's Tree Thinning Plan Draws Fire , Albuquerque Journal

Woman Tells Story of Survival in Gila National Forest, Albuquerque Journal

Santa Fe NF: Canine confrontations, New Mexican

Catron County "Gets Tough" on Federally Endangered Wolves, Albuquerque Journal

Forest Service Policy Blasted, Albuquerque Journal

Gila National Forest - Recreation Site Facility Master Planning Project, USFS

Lincoln NF campground closures are a travesty - This land is our land. Let us in, Alamogordo Daily News

National Forest/Grassland Visitor Maps Price Increase, USFS

N.M. fines Copar Pumice Mine - The company has a permit from the Santa Fe National Forest for the mine site, The New Mexican

Weather has made La Luz road potential hazard - County is discussing the matter with Lincoln NF, Alamogordo Daily News

Catron County Studies Wolf-Kill Law - Vigilante effort seeks county ordinance, Albuquerque Journal

Kaibab NF: Logging plan for fire site protested, Arizona Daily Sun

Monkey-wrencher of the Peaks, Arizona Daily Sun

Forest protester arraigned, Arizona Daily Sun

Summerhaven sewage could become snow, Arizona Daily Star

Rosemont mine will be subject of much debate, Green Valley News & Sun

Are Rosemont mining claims valid?, Green Valley News & Sun

Greens giddy over Grijalva's clout with land, Tucson Citizen

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

Carson City's wild west side, Nevada Appeal

Agreement reached on heli-skiing in Palisades wilderness area, Post-Gazette

Bill calls for acquiring federal lands, Star-Tribune

Residents complain after 2 dogs become caught in traps near Reno - Gary Schiff, district ranger for the Forest Service, has asked the Nevada Department of Wildlife to review its trapping policies to ensure the public's safety, Las Vegas Sun

$2M in fed aid going to conservation in Utah, Deseret Morning News

Solutions at Work: WildWest's Salmon-Challis Collaborative Update, WildWest Institute

Salmon-Challis NF: Formation Capital Corporation: Forest Service Completes Idaho Cobalt Project's Draft EIS, CCN Matthews

Gov. Huntsman tables roadless forest petition, Salt Lake Tribune

Vernal man accused of excavating, looting Ashley NF sites, Salt Lake Tribune

Bridger-Teton NF: New tram at Jackson Hole officially approved despite habitat concerns, North County Times AP

Tax exemption that could help resort rebuild tram OK'd, Billings Gazette

Judge waits to rule on DeBoer incident - DeBoer photographs trail users who violate Forest Service regulations, Jackson Hole News & Guide

Help out the Harriman, Idaho Mountain Express

Support sought for sale of mine site, Pahrump Valley Times

Judge upholds horse, burro gather, Pahrump Valley Times

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST (Region 5): California

Scientists race to save ancient species from extinction - Disease threatens tan oaks, Monterey County Herald

Dozen bald eagles in latest San Bernardino forest count, Chronicle AP

Sensitive plants jettisoned idea in 1986, Big Bear Grizzly

Forest sustainability focus of meeting, Mt. Shasta News

Public input sought as Klamath Forest evaluates off-highway vehicle routes, Yreka's Siskiyou Daily News

Forest Service gives pike project the go-ahead, Portola Reporter - Quincy

Yosemite fees going up 25 percent, Union Democrat

A cut above the rest - College loggers test their mettle at event, Redding Record Searchlight

Supervisor Jill Geist, Taxpayers' League discuss county budget concerns, The Eureka Reporter

Armistice Day - All can unite against Maxxam, North Coast Journal

Reaction mixed to fed's land sale plan, The Union Democrat

Tips on beating the system for campsite reservations, San Francisco Chronicle

Old growth red fir trees counting their days?, Tahoe Daily Tribune

Palco accused of 'manufacturing venue' in Texas, Eureka Times-Standard

Change of venue for PALCO?, The Eureka Reporter

Report: Hawaiian forests are the nation's most threatened bird habitats, Union Tribune AP

Forest Service invites public comment, Nevada Appeal

Oil halted before reaching Los Padres creek near condor refuge, Contra Costa Times

Flying off the list: Should the symbol of freedom be protected? - "NPR recently obtained a memo from U.S. Forest Service Director Dale Hall", Nevada Appeal

Temperature rise may mean more wildfires, Contra Costa Times

How forests can combat climate change, Capitol Weekly op-ed

Stanislaus NF: Naming timber sales is an inexact science, The Union Democrat

Lassen NF: Proposed trail to be topic of review, Oroville Mercury Register

Los Padres NF: Ventura County oil spill raises concerns for endangered species, Los Angeles Times

Cleveland NF: Tunnel testing to start - Drilling begins for underground water channel experiment, Orange County Register

Forest Service seeks middle ground on.. cowbells?, Modesto Bee [scroll down]

Kirkwood's growth spurt: Expansion to be limited, owners say they don't want area to become another Vail - Much of the permit area is in the Eldorado National Forest, San Francisco Chronicle

Water supply not yet affected by snowmaking, North Lake Tahoe Bonanza

Placer supervisors approve purchase of $2.5 million helicopter, Tahoe Bonanza

Air tanker base moves to Santa Maria, Santa Maria Times

Plumas National Forest: Empire Vegetation Management Project NOI to prepare supplement to the EIS, Federal Register

Klamath NF: Valley Fuels Reduction and Vegetation Management Project NOI to prepare an EIS, Federal Register

Wall Street vs. Main Street - Maxxam's rapacious corporate greed run amok plundered Pacific Lumber's redwood assets after hostile takeover, Eureka Times-Standard op-ed

Felling class - Middle-schoolers learn ins and outs of logging industry, Redding Record Searchlight

Logging Plan Subjected to Public Hearing - CDF hearing draws 500 to San Jose, Los Gatos Observer

Los Gatos Logging Plan Draws Criticism, NBC11 News

Neighbors use high-tech tools to challenge logging plan, Mercury News

Logging plan excessive for future of watershed - Public ownership of site should be pursued aggressively, Mercury News Editorial

Breaking down eucs - Dig down to the root of a thorny ecological policy debate, New Times -San Luis Obispo

Cigarette caused Maui fire - The fire raged within a 2,300-acre area on the slopes of Haleakala, consuming pine and sandalwood trees, The Honolulu Advertiser

PACIFIC NORTHWEST (Region 6):
Oregon and Washington

Court defines 'live,' halting Umatilla salvage logging - Fires: The 9th Circuit hands conservationists a victory in a battle with the U.S. Forest Service, Oregonian

Smith filibuster talk chopped to polite formality - Budget time - Oregon's senator tells a nearly empty Senate of the need for county payments, Oregonian

Umpqua Watersheds relishes its efforts and looks forward at 11th anniversary dinner, The News-Review

Returning the forest to its natural state - Lewis and Clark National Historical Park staff works to craft forest management plan, The Daily Astorian

Only 60% of logging operations meet state rules, report says - DNR takes look at deal with industry, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

After 153 years, Treaty Tree lost to winter storm, Seattle Times

Tree from Western Washington treaty site ruined in storm, New Mexican AP

Counties need real rescue - Bush sell-off plan won't do it, Register-Guard editorial

Group urges smaller logging sales on Wallowa-Whitman NF, Baker City Herald

Humptulips thinning project aimed at improving habitat, The Daily World

Forest Service plans new work program for contractors in 3 national forests - The change will allow contractors to invest in gear and train workers, Statesman Journal AP

OSU Conference analyzes climate, forestry changes, Corvallis Gazette-Times

Forest activist Tim Hermach can be a pain, but he's right, Register Guard op-ed

Recreation sites on Mt. Hood threatened - Your help is needed to keep the Forest Service from shutting down campsites, Bark Out

Criticism of forest selloff plan is renewed - Bush re-submits budget plan to aid timber counties, Statesman Journal

Wyden, Smith blast Bush budget proposal, KTVZ News

Marbled Murrelet: Sea Bird Tied to Logging Fight Dwindles, ENN AP

Spraying herbicide on timberlands has foul effects, Register Guard op-ed

Historic trees stand up to their name, Central Kitsap Reporter

Trashing the Tillamook, R u n e s

Forum will examine perils of forest work, Register-Guard

Feds Step Up Inspection of Forest Contractors, OPB News

Forest plan: Regional Forester Linda Goodman disputes "Secrecy invades the national forests", Daily Astorian letter

Volunteer stewards sought for national forest campgrounds, The News-Review

Smith threatens Senate filibuster - He wants timber payments extended for a year; 60 votes would deny him. Mail Tribune

Walden protests funding vote, Hood River News

Counties' budgets in crisis - Officials start making cuts in services even as Oregon lawmakers try to restore federal funding, Oregonian

Power Plant Might Emerge In Deschutes NF National Monument - Geothermal Energy Controversy In Central Oregon, New West Network

Rogue River-Siskiyou NF: The good burn - Nearly 750 acres is charred in Siskiyous to aid wildlife habitat, leaving behind future sprouts of bushes, acorns, berries, Mail Tribune

Regional noxious weeds expert honored, Newport News-Times

Big trees Why the search for them is a good thing - Registry of giants spotlights trees' vital forest role, experts say, Mail Tribune

Tree hunt proves a challenge, Mail Tribune

Base Camp: Suttle Lake, Bend Weekly News

Timber industry morphs - Jobs - Weyerhaeuser is closing a mill near Lebanon, but economists say the industry is getting healthier, Oregonian

Experts see hope for Oregon timber industry, Oregonian AP

Town's water supply proves vulnerable to logging - Falls City - Weyerhaeuser quickly halts its work, but state's rules called inadequate, Oregonian

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

Activists fight forest land sales, Gainesville Times

National forests in North Carolina consider raising fees, Hendersonville News

Senior/discount program passes to undergo changes, Baxter Bulletin

Va. land protection bill back in Congress, Roanoke Times

Bill would protect nearly 55,000 Va. acres as wilderness, scenic, Jacksonville Times AP

Follow-up meeting to be held regarding National Travel Rule, Scott County Times - Forest, Mississippi

Francis Marion NF: Boggy Head range closed due to vandals, The Post and Courier, Charleston SC

Forest Service makes burn plan for Tuskegee, Talladega, Conecuh and Bankhead national forests, Montgomery Advertiser

Range Fuels to build first wood cellulosic ethanol plant in Georgia, Range Fuels

Biofuel push may take root in Ga., St. Petersburg Times

Critical Habitat Proposed for Flatwoods Salamander, The Apalachicola & Carrabelle Times

U.S. forests suffer from beauty products packaging, Mongabay News

Beetle ravaging live oaks, Pegasus News

Uwharrie National Forest: Plan increases logging - Decades-long effort would restore land to its ecological roots, Charlotte Observer

North Carolina: Forest products industry passes textiles as state's largest employer, Triangle Business Journal

Chattahoochee NF seeks new vendor - Brasstown Bald gift shop has been vacant since group left last season, Gainesville Times

Sell off national forests? Deja vu all over again, Ocala Star-Banner

More Controlled Burns For Desoto National Forest, WLOX News

Ocean Springs Hires City's First Arborist, WLOX News

Change in forest money law won't hurt schools in Talladega NF area, The Daily Home

National Forests in Alabama: Law could impact local schools, Andalusia Star News

17 school systems could lose some funding,Times Daily -Florence, AL

USFS designates 164 miles of trails, roads for ATV use in Mount Magazine Ranger District of the Ozark NF: Decision angers lawmaker from Paris, Paris Express

U.S. Forest Service efforts to save Hemlocks, Union Sentinel

Researcher Fights Hemlock Pest With Whey, Fungus, Forbes AP

Planning to buy a tree?, Dallas Morning News

New park pass is more expensive - Golden Eagle deal has been replaced by America the Beautiful, Tacoma News Tribune at Charlotte Observer

Forest service listens to public - DeSoto National Forest discusses guidelines for off-highway vehicles in the forest, Laurel Leader Call

Forever Wild benefits vital, made to last, Birmingham News

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

Search and rescue bill targets forest service - NH Lawmakers Want Forest Service To Pay For Searches, Portsmouth Herald AP

Into the woods, Burlington Free Press

Bored to Death - As invasive emerald ash borers kill trees, scientists race to reduce damage, Plenty Magazine

Uncontrolled control - Riding herd on invasive species produces another ecological threat, The Flint Journal

Wildland Urban Interface: We're not losing the battle-it just feels that way, Fire Rescue

Mark Twain NF: Controversial forest sale plan revived - Local leaders don't like the new version any better, Columbia Tribune

Trees prove tempting targets for theft in private woodlands, Buffalo News

Ossipee Pine Barrens Project is Included in President's Budget - Project aimed at conserving New Hampshire's globally rare ecosystem ranks second in national Forest Legacy ranking, The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire

White House Requests $3.3 Million in Forest Legacy Funds for Maine's Lower Penobscot Forest, TNC at Business in Maine Today

Workload puts strain on Maine land-use agency, Kennebec Journal

Biofuel capital of the world? - Flambeau River Biorefinery - A Modern Forest Biorefinery That Lowers Ethanol Cost, Park Falls Herald -WI

U.S. Forest Service releases controversial management plan for Superior NF near Ely, Minnesota Public Radio

Chequamegon-Nicolet NF hears opinions about off-road forest use, The Daily Press - Ashland, WI

Michigan: Beech Bark Disease on Eco-Invader List, SF Chronicle

Trees under siege: Emerald ash borer threatens Northland forests, Duluth News Tribune

Emerald ash borer could cause chaos in Minnesota forests, West Central Tribune AP

U.S. Forest Service efforts to save Hemlocks, Union Sentinel

Researcher Fights Hemlock Pest With Whey, Fungus, Forbes AP

Tree in county forest may help fight butternut disease, Pierce County Herald

Area logging businesses recognized by Minn. Gov. Pawlenty, Timberjay News

'X' marks the spot, Ironwood Daily Globe

Groups work to maintain Ottawa trail, Ironwood Daily Globe

Thanks for the fine story on BWCAW, Timberjay News

Study: Boreal owl numbers crashed post-blowdown, Timberjay News

Becket logging dispute settled - DCR plan for lake impacts fewer trees, Berkshire Eagle

The Barrens' history helps porcupines now - Intensive forest management has been maintained on The Barrens, The Patriot-News

Conservationist gives 140 acres to Boothbay Region Land Trust, Boothbay Register

ALASKA REGION (Region 10): Alaska

Whipple Creek Timber Sale to cut 300-to-400 year old western hemlocks, Sitka spruces and red cedars, SitNews

Wood-chip industry grinds up, sells out the future, Anchorage Daily News

Save America's Rainforest - Alaska's Tongass National Forest - from the Timber Industry, The Wilderness Society

Save Romeo; stay away, Juneau Empire

Revenues lost to timber rule get fresh look - Wood Chips: Assembly members are considering the impact of the moratorium, Anchorage Daily News

Seabird involved in Northwest logging battles declining in Alaska, The Seattle Times

Guitar makers band together to save vital timber - Threatened Alaskan forests provide Sitka spruce, Belfast Telegraph

Chugach National Forest FLREA Notice of New Fee Site, Federal Register

Alaska Railroad slated to spend $100 million in 2007 - Railroad has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service's $6.3 million to develop a whistle stop service in the Chugach National Forest, Alaska Journal of Commerce