Forests in the News : October 16-31, 2007

Old trees, new plan: The fight over old growth may resume with the latest BLM logging proposal - NW Forest Plan: "They said, 'Here's the plan, the owl continues to take it in the shorts for 50 years. The critter may go extinct, but we're hopeful it won't.'", Register Guard

A Landscape Born to Burn, Los Angeles Times

Rethinking Fire Policy in the Tinderbox Zone, New York Times

In the Ashes, Californians Ask How to Defeat the Santa Anas - Hubris leaves debris, New York Times

About those burned-down houses in California, Smirking Chimp

Before Fires, Bush Cut Fire Preparedness Budgets, Outsourced Forest Service Work, The Huffington Post

Global Warming didn't light California's Fires, but did fan the flames ..., Political Cortex

Creating Our Own Hell on Earth - Climate Warming Causes Drought Fueled Mega-Fires, Common Dreams

Is Global Warming Fueling Forest Fires?, Live Science

Study shows housing development on the rise near national forests, USFS

Salvaging the atmosphere - The Forest Service joins the carbon offsets game, Summit Daily News

Wood To Wheels - Sustainable Futures Institute, Michigan Tech

New rule could let USFS cite miners, Ouray News

A Fee For Everything but breathing, Wild Wilderness

European Forest Institute chooses to ignore the "overwhelmingly negative" social effects of GM trees, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin

ArborGen - the world's biggest GM tree research company plans to get bigger, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin

Modified forests could severely impact natural land, Daily Emerald

How to Build a Forest, Daily Kos

The Chief's Desk - People, Places and Things for October 26, 2007, USFS

BLM seeks public comment on revisions to 'O & C' land use, Hillsboro Argus

Fee Finale? - A long court case leaves more questions than answers, Tucson Weekly

Sale and Disposal of National Forest System Timber; Special Forest Products and Forest Botanical Products: Proposed rule; request for comment, Federal Register

To Clarify Issuing a Criminal Citation for Unauthorized Occupancy and Use of National Forest System Lands and Facilities by Mineral Operators: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period, Federal Register

Forest Service Announces Personnel Appointments, USFS

Forest Service chief: More blazes like California's on the way, Tahoe Daily Tribune

Wasatch-Cache and Uinta forest service to merge, Salt Lake Tribune

New Forest Guidelines Threaten Wildlife - Conservationists Challenge Controversial Coconino NF Logging Project, E-Wire

Ninth Circuit Court Allows Review in Legal Case of Recycled Sewage on Sacred Mountain, Native American Times

Septic plan prompts worries - Spraying waste from septic tanks on forestland, Tacoma News Tribune

Opportunities for 'Clean' Biomass Production in Every State - Burning wood will release massive amounts of CO2 and "sustainably reduce greenhouse gas emissions!", Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI)

Genencor Launches First Ever Commercial Enzyme Product for Cellulosic Ethanol, World-Wire

'I'll give you £20 not to cut down that tree...', environmental graffiti

Seeing the carbon for the trees, BBC News

Scheme to stop deforestation will pay for carbon not emitted, UK Telegraph

The Chief's Desk - People, Places and Things for October 19, 2007, USFS

Oppose Forest Service Proposal to Weaken Forest Protections, Comments due October 22, American Lands Alliance

Cows or Condos? Neither!, New West

Global Warming, Western Ranching, and the Bovine Curtain, New West

Conservationists Win 2 Year Battle to Gain Access to Forest Service Data - Forest Service must turn over off-road vehicle impact data for 84 Western Forests, Wildlands CPR

Collision Course? Off-Road Vehicle Impacts on Hunting and Fishing: A report by the Izaak Walton League of America, Wildlands CPR

Judge asked to revisit tangled roadless ruling, Billings Gazette

North American wood markets hit by United States housing crash, Fordaq - IHB News

National firefighting costs down when compared to 2006, KPAX News

Fire bosses not risking workers on homes, Albuquerque Tribune

Mount Lemmon not so free after all, Tucson Citizen op-ed

GMUG NF: Forest Service seeks public opinion about recreation site analysis, Montrose Press

The clock ticks for Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center - The U.S. Forest Service is planning to permanently close the facility, Columbian

Deschutes Forest selling land by online auction, KTVZ News

Moss poachers strip forest, Wall Street Journal at Arizona Republic

Are your tissues wiping away the last remaining forests?, Greenpeace UK

Upper Midwest Forests Are Losing Diversity, Complexity, Science Daily

Increasing the use of wood could slow climate change - professor Bruce Lippke, University of Washington, Lesprom News

Carbon offsets a budding business, Contra Costa Times

Proposed Directives for Forest Service Outfitting and Guiding Special Use Permits, Federal Register

Final Rule for Sale and Disposal of National Forest System Timber; Modification of Timber Sale Contracts in Extraordinary Conditions; Noncompetitive Sale of Timber, Federal Register

Wide ranging suit against US Forest Service heats up in Missoula - Watch the video, KPAX - Montana's News Station

Judge postpones Rey contempt hearing to sift through papers, Helena Independent Record

The Forest Service hopes to charge new user fees for recreation within five years to pay for infrastructure and maintenance, rather than ask Congress to allocate more of its budget to recreation, San Francisco Chronicle [scroll down]

SOURCED! - NEPA Next in Line, Forest Policy - Forest Practice

Forest Service 'Transformation': Engaging Employees, Forest Policy - Forest Practice

Salvaging the atmosphere - The Forest Service joins the carbon offsets game, High Country News

Compensate for Your Carbon Footprint - Solving the Climate Crisis, Forest Guardians?

US Forest Carbon and Climate Change: A Report on Controversies and Win-Win Policy Approaches, The Wilderness Society [pdf]

Wilderness and wildfires, Queen City News

USFS can't cut its way out of wildfire risk, The Wilderness Society

Seeds of change - Post-fire restoration, High Country News

Firefighting gel may help protect forest residences - Firefighters say it's effective, but also messy, Arizona Daily Star

'60 Minutes' to focus on Western forest fire, Idaho Mountain Express

Warming is called a threat to forests, Arizona Daily Star

While industries clean up, wildfires spew mercury, Oregonian

Scientists Estimate Mercury Emissions from U.S. Fires, Environmental Science and Technology

Conservation group wins battle for Forest Service records, Oregonian

Deterioration of forest roads threatens our drinking water: Mike Dombeck, San Jose Mercury News

Roadless debate goes back before judge, Star-Tribune

Appeals court to revisit ruling barring snowmaking at AZ resort, Union Tribune AP

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, High Country News

New Battle of Logging vs. Spotted Owls Looms in West, New York Times

UW scientists create pollution-sucking trees - Rabbit gene helps poplars neutralize chemicals quickly, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees, Mongabay News

Mapping Maverick, PopSci's 6th Annual 'Brilliant Ten'

Department of Defense Approves $1.7 million to Measure the Impacts of Controlled Burns - UC Riverside partners with research scientists from the U.S. Forest Service, UCR News

Scientists study changing U.S. forests, Imedi News UPI

Biodiversity said to be key to healthy forests: study, AFP

Mixed forests fight off bugs better than single-species growth, CanWest News

Tree sap makes a formidable underwater insect trap, New Scientist

'Stop GE Trees Campaign' seeks clarification of FSC's position on GM trees, FSC-Watch

Developing 'Sustainable' Bioenergy: A Tool to Revitalize Forest Ecosystems and Rural/Local Economies, Environmental and Energy Study Institute

Park Ranger Sentenced To Five Years' Probation For Fatal Shooting at Elephant Butte - Man who didn't pay fee shot twice in the back of the head, Albuquerque Journal

WORLD NEWS

Canadian Forest Products Industry Aims to be First Carbon-Neutral Sector - Industry to Achieve Goal without Purchasing Offsets, CNW Telbec

Forestry can be carbon pioneer, industry says - Critics skeptical that emissions caused by logging will be addressed, Vancouver Sun

Boreal forest fires important source of emissions, Mongabay News

SmartWood issues another controversial certificate to Tembec, FSC-Watch

EFI seeks a Forest Governance and Timber Trade Expert for EU FLEGT support project, European Forest Institute

Dutch: no subsidies for biofuels-driven rainforest destruction, Mongabay News

'Low quality' SGS targetted in Greenpeace protest campaign, FSC-Watch

Prince's plea to save rainforests, BBC News

Charles launches campaign to save ravaged rainforests, The Observer

Charles' plea to protect Amazon jungle, Telegraph

Country guardian threatens greenbelt, Sunday Times

One killed as BDR opens fire on illegal loggers, The Daily Star: Bangladesh

Pakistan to participate in world furniture exhibition in Dubai, Daily Times

Agriculture is primary driver of mangrove destruction, not shrimp farming, Mongabay News

Avoided deforestation beats timber, palm oil, in tax revenue for Indonesia, Mongabay News

Sumatra: WSJ inquiry pushes FSC to cancel logging certification in endangered forest, Mongabay News

FSC's 'Green' Label for Wood Products Gets Growing Pains - Wall Street Journal exposes FSC policy chaos, FSC-Watch

Native trees key to cooling climate, ABC News

Pulpwood Plantations: All roads lead to Rome, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin

Moving targets a challenge, The London Free Press (Canada)

Brave B.C. talks true carbon tax, Globe and Mail

B.C.'s beetle-killed pine is one 'new' wood he uses, Vancouver Sun

Who Buys a Mountain? - TimberWest Forest Corporation is selling, CNW

Sooke Potholes land on development block, Victoria Times Colonist

Regional districts compare concerns, Powell River Peak

Last sawmill in Terrace shuts down - West Fraser blames U.S. housing slump, strong Canadian dollar, Vancouver Sun

Foresty workers want B.C. to block Jordan River land sale, Times Colonist

Brazil: Forest goes private - Part of Jamari National Forest for sale, Latinamerica Press

Colombia: Is the FSC Seal Applied to Blood-Stained Timber?, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin

Brazil: Women and Eucaliptus; stories of life and resistance

Conservationists need to work with, not against, rural poor - An Interview with Marie-Louise Felix of WWF Guianas, Mongabay News

Argentina: Chaco - land clearance, undernutrition and death, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin

Honduras: The reasons for defending the forest, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin

Paraguay: So the forest does not become extinguished - the struggle of the Isolated Ayoreo Groups in the Paraguayan Chaco, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin

Uruguay: Labour conditions in two FSC certified tree nurseries, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin

Nicaragua: Of Forests, Floods, Fatalities and Famine, IPS News

Toshaos urge better international forest conservation framework, Stabroek News

Jagdeo warns Barama.. Comply with forestry sector standards or leave, Kaieteur News

Barama fines: 'Gov't won't be blackmailed', Stabroek News

Barama: Fines will send workers home - Continued investment at risk, Stabroek News

Protest aborted... Barama contradicts previous statements, says no retrenchment forthcoming, Kaieteur News

Guyana Forestry Commission should take major offenders to court to get to the bottom of the issues, Stabroek News

Malaysian logging firm Barama refuses to pay Guyana fine, Malaysiakini

Forestry probe completed.. Government slaps $96M penalty on Barama - three other companies sanctioned; GFC staffers sacked, Kaieteur News

New World Bank facility would help against forest degrading, Stabroek News

Warming Revives Flora and Fauna in Greenland, New York Times

Kenya: Pan Paper plans to expand its polluting operations, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin

Cameroon: Community forests in a sea of industrial logging, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin

The red colobus monkey is in decline in forest fragments in western Uganda, University of Illinois

Swaziland/South Africa/Uganda: The illusion of storing carbon in tree plantations goes up in smoke, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin

Kenya: Mau Forest Evictees Troop Back, East African Standard

A 'please-all' Forest Act on the anvil, The Times of India

45,000 sq miles of forest lost across the world, The Times of India

Logging threatens That Son palmyra palm, Viet Nam News

Laos: Damming the Sekong Norconsult wipes Cambodia area off the map, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin

Seized forest products rotting, says group, Philippine Inquirer

Timber kickbacks scandal: Stand-off in Sarawak ports, Malaysiakini

Are the economic benefits of palm oil exaggerated? - Does palm oil alleviate rural poverty in Malaysia?, Mongabay News

Ministry continues timber talks with EU, The Star -Malaysia

Indonesia asks for conservation funds, International Herald Tribune

Indonesia Seeks Allies for Pay-for-Forests Plan , New York Times

Papua New Guinea: Women and Oil Palm, World Rainforest Movement Bulletin

Ecolabel certified timber products the only way forward, The Jakarta Post

Land Clearing Triggers Hotter Droughts, Australian Research Shows

Logging stopped after Bay of Plenty police raids, Dominion Post

Dominion Post must pull tropical timber sponsorship, Green Party

Citizens and facts vs. watershed logging, Vancouver Sun

Forests minister objects to sale of timber lands, Vancouver Sun

Kootenay land up for sale, despite tree farm licence, Times Colonist (Victoria)

Environmental law group wants audit of WFP deal, Vancouver Sun

Amazon plant diversity still a mystery, Mongabay News

Uncontacted Amazon tribe spotted by plane in Peru - The region is threatened by illegal mahogany loggers, Mongabay News

The minister takes a stand on forestry, Stabroek News

Barama fined $106M for breaches in three concessions, Stabroek News

Grant aid for sustainable forest, gold ops signed, Stabroek News

Costs Of Sustainable Forest Management To Rise, Bernama: Malaysian National News Agency

Once Island forests go, so will TimberWest, Comox Valley Record

Forest-land fiasco betrays taxpayers, Times Colonist editorial

Ancient cedar falls in Vancouver's Stanley Park, CBC News

Softwood lumber deal at risk, U.S. companies say, Vancouver Sun

British Columbia protects forests to save caribou - Province declares nearly 400,000 hectares off-limits to logging to boost dwindling population of mountain animals, Globe and Mail

Government setting aside land for caribou, Vancouver Sun

B.C. mountain caribou recovery plan includes protected lands, Anchorage Daily News AP

Forest workers to return after narrowly accepting 3-year contract, Vancouver Sun

Deal reached to end forestry strike - Out for 3 months, workers could be back on the job as soon as next week, CanWest News

Local opposes forestry deal - The proposed settlement doesn't resolve a key issue in the coastal strike, union official says, Vancouver Sun

Amazon plant diversity still a mystery, Mongabay News

Guyana forest offer for Heads meeting, Stabroek News

Offer of entire forest in climate fight stands -Jagdeo tells Commonwealth meet, Stabroek News

Parties surprised by forest offer, Stabroek News

Deploying forest doesn't mean ownership transfer -President clarifies, Stabroek News

Does conserving our forests make sense economically?, Stabroek News

How much purpleheart did these foreign companies export as logs in 2006?, Stabroek News

The purpleheart exported by Bulkan Timber Works was either dressed or kiln dried, Stabroek News

AFC signs on to petition against forest bill, Stabroek News

Samling plays leading role in Guyana's illegal logging scandal, www.illegal-logging.info

8 Greenpeace members escorted from Amazon town after being trapped by loggers, PR Inside

Greenpeace members surrounded by angry residents, loggers in Brazil's Amazon, CanadaEast AP

Mountain reverie - El Pital, El Salvador, offers an unexpected retreat, Tulsa World

Cutting into Trouble: Illegal logging decreases, but forests still in danger, Armenia Now

Moldova's Green Journalists Mobilize Public to Save Forest, Resources for Environmental Activists

Are your tissues wiping away the last remaining forests?, Greenpeace UK

Greenpeace tears into retail 'eco-villains', Belfast Telegraph

Pygmy activists challenge World Bank on logging, Reuters

Pygmy Delegation from Democratic Republic of Congo Visits World Bank, World Bank

To take: spear and GPS - Congo pygmies are using high-tech devices to try to protect their forest home, Reuters

Uganda: International Activists Tour Mabira Forest,New Vision (Kampala)

Changa Manga Forest Railway, All Things Pakistani

India holds regional workshop on teak wood products, Fordaq - IHB News

Indonesia 'should stop deforestation' before seeking forestry funds, Jakarta Post

Indigenous People Make Best Forest Custodians, IPS News

Deforestation Symptomatic of Corrupt Regimes, IPS News

Confirmed: 1/2 Million Tonnes of Old Growth Woodchip Exports to Continue Despite Pulp Mill - Wood Supply Deal Spells Death-Knell for North East Forests, Tasmanian Greens

Gunns and Forestry Tasmania agree on logging, The Age

Forest idealists blinkered in their thinking on wood needs, The Age

Call for Brumby gov't to tidy-up timber, build long-term plan, The Age

Firebreaks pretty useless: green groups, Sydney Morning Herald AAP

Brazilian police dismantle gang that smuggled rosewood to U.S., Boston Globe

New York City Is One of the Biggest Destroyers of the Amazon Rainforest, AlterNet

New money is last hope in battle to save rainforests, The Guardian

Is the Amazon more valuable for carbon offsets than cattle or soy?, Mongabay News

Amazon loggers hold Greenpeace activists captive, Reuters

World Bank offers $300M for forest conservation, emissions reductions, Mongabay News

Costa Rica gets $26M debt-for-nature swap, Mongabay News

Amazon rainforest fires "worst" in memory, Mongabay News

Barama, Guyana: WWF's 'suspended' star performer in South America accused by President of giant timber scam , FSC-Watch

Mixed forests fight off bugs better than single-species growth, CanWest News

Strike not stopping timber harvest, according to statistics - September's harvest volume on the coast was 45 per cent of last year's volume, Vancouver Sun

Lumber industry gets $35-million boost , Halifax, The Daily News

Native Way of Life Vanishing into the Clear-Cut, Zmag

Betty Krawczyk's New Battles, The Tyee (Vancouver)

FSC Ireland lurches into new crisis as key NGOs withdraw support , FSC-Watch

NORFOR, Spain: FSC confirms that SGS certfied a non-compliant company, FSC-Watch

Congo pygmies to meet World Bank President Zoellick over forest destruction, Mongabay News

Loggers look underwater, News24

New Agriculture Minister to clamp down on timber Smuggling in Sierra Leone, Awareness Times -Sierra Leone

Uganda: Forestry Officers Cited in Illegal Timber Sale, The Monitor (Kampala)

Uganda cancels controversial Mabira rainforest logging plan, Mongabay News

Uganda Scraps Controversial Rainforest Plan, Reuters

Huge load of export logs seized in Dar, The Guardian -Tanzania

Mozambique: Hundreds of Containers of Illegal Logs Seized, Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)

Riau illegal logging: Torn between environment, business, Jakarta Post

Indonesia aims to ease terms for forestry CDM, Jakarta Post

Chinese loggers stripping Myanmar's ancient forests, Terra Daily AFP

Environmental Problems Loom in Myanmar, Google AP

There's more than one way to save a Tasmanian wilderness - Greenies v Gunns are not the only sides of the forest debate, The Age

Answers Sought to Save Asia's Orangutans - Forests in their Asian island habitat are decimated by loggers and palm oil farmers, Reuters

CONGRESS & WASHINGTON

Hardrock Mining Reform Legislation Receives Committee's Stamp of Approval, Committee on Natural Resources

This meeting is a continuation of the Full Committee markup held October 18, 2007, Committee on Natural Resources

Rahall's hardrock reform bill heads to House floor, E&E Daily [$]

Help Make a Ghost of the 1872 Mining Law!, Biodiversity Activist

Chairmen Miller & Rahall Request IG Investigation into Teen Boot Camps on Federal Land, Committee on Natural Resources

Lewis and Clark NF: Hunter rankled by limit on camping seeks congressional help, Helena Independent Record

Wyden's twins key to Laverty's Interior job, Houston Chronicle

ARC gets its man - Laverty, Wild Wilderness

Kempthorne Applauds Confirmation of Lyle Laverty As Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks - As a Regional Forester, Laverty oversaw more than 24 million acres of National Forests and National Grasslands in Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota and Nebraska, U.S. Department of the Interior

Laverty Confirmed in Shameful Senate Move, Wild Wilderness

Tonto National Forest: Controversial Ariz. land swap gets House hearing, E&E Daily [$]

Refuge bill would swap wilderness for road permit, E&E Daily [$]

Calif. wilderness expansion tops House hearing, E&E Daily [$]

House Select Committee To Weigh Wildfire/Warming Link, E&E Daily [$]

House Committee passes mine reform bill, Douglas Daily Dispatch

H.R. 2262: Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007, Library of Congress

A landscape born to burn, Los Angeles Times

Feinstein seeking $1 billion for fire recovery, prevention, San Francisco Chronicle

Fire-relief package may ignite new debate, Los Angeles Times

Wildfires get personal for lawmakers, The Hill

House Protects Va. Forest Areas, Yahoo! News

Protect the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains of the Jefferson National Forest, The Wilderness Society

H.R. 1011: Virginia Ridge and Valley Act of 2007, Library of Congress

The big wild: NREPA wilderness bill finally gets traction in Congress, Missoula Independent

East, West clash over 24M-acre Northern Rockies wilderness bill, E&E Daily at American Lands Alliance

Factions argue over wilderness bill, Billings Gazette

Congressional panel debates controversial wilderness bill, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

H.R. 1975: Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, Library of Congress

Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA), The Wild Rockies Action Fund

CO Delegation Calls for Full Funding for Rocky Mountain Forests to Address Potential Hazards, Cherry Creek News

Bush admin would extend Lacey Act to stop illegal timber imports, E&E News

Lawmakers to Halt Illegally Harvested Timber, NPR

EIA testifies at Legislative Hearing on The Legal Timber Protection Act, Environmental Investigation Agency

New Report: No Questions Asked: The Impacts of U.S. Market Demand for Illegal Timber - and the Potential for Change, Environmental Investigation Agency [pdf]

U.S. Lawmakers Fighting to Save Timber Industry, Environment and U.S. Reputation From Illegal Logging, Environmental Investigation Agency

H.R. 1497: Legal Timber Protection Act, Library of Congress

S. 1930: Combat Illegal Logging Act of 2007, Library of Congress

U.S. Department of Commerce Rules for Fair Trade; USW, Sierra Club Challenge Subsidies from Illegal Logging, Business Wire

House committee aims to impose royalties on hard-rock mining, Las Vegas Sun

Hard-rock mining boom compels reform - Gross royalties, bonding and public oversight should be implemented, The Ft. Collins Coloradoan editorial

Speaker urges mine law reform, Star-Tribune

Rahall rehab of mining law, Mount Blogmore: Rapid City Journal

H.R. 2262: Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007, Library of Congress

New Bill Will Help Species Imperiled by Climate Change, Earthjustice

Easterners, Westerners argue over NREPA wilderness bill, North County Times

Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007: Full Committee Markup Of H.R. 2262 Tuesday, October 23, Committee on Natural Resources

NORTHERN REGION (Region 1):
Montana and Northern Idaho

State needs its own wilderness protection plan - Federal proposal won't provide locally created solution, Missoulian

Stepping Out in the Swan Range - Working for Big "W" Wilderness, Lakeshore Country Journal

Helena-area logging project proposed, Helena Independent Record

Montana's bill for wildfires exceeds $100M, Billings Gazette

Fire costs keep on going up, Helena Independent Record editorial

OHV use doubled over last six years, Ravalli Republic

Lewis and Clark NF: Hunter rankled by limit on camping seeks congressional help, Helena Independent Record

Lewis and Clark NF: Rangers to enforce 16-day camp limit, Great Falls Tribune

Good travel plan, Great Falls Tribune

Cutting cords: Many options for cutting firewood, Helena Independent Record

Need to harvest, Great Falls Tribune

Mill loses forceful forest advocate, Daily InterLake editorial

OHV safety and ethics, Ravalli Republic

Jumbo debate / Some wonder why area closed for most of winter, Missoulian

Rough summer sinks Plum Creek earnings, Missoulian

Wolves in N. Idaho wilderness elude officials, Great Falls Tribune

Trek of a lifetime complete, Helena Independent Record

Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF: In Ennis, Forest Service office utilizing solar power, The Montana Standard

Loggers say feds' request breaches Nez Perce deal , Idaho Statesman

Nez Perce Forest Invites Public to Comment at Recreation Site Analysis Meeting, USFS

Front Travel Plan, Great Falls Tribune

Likes Travel Plan, Great Falls Tribune

Forest Service publishes Bitterroot Forest Plan Monitoring and Evaluation Report for public scrutiny, Missoulian

Bitterroot NF: Comment period extended for travel plan, Ravalli Republic

Big Sky Coalition hoping to spur changes, Ravalli Republic

Meeting on Custer forest travel plan draws about 50, Billings Gazette

Custer NF: Red Lodge ski resort suitor emerges, Billings Gazette

Helena: City considering ban on wooden roofing materials, Helena Independent Record

Eastern politicians don't understand how we do things, Great Falls Tribune op-ed by Congressman Rehberg

Forestry leader ends long career, Daily InterLake

Forest Service publishes Bitterroot plan for public scrutiny, Missoulian

The big wild: NREPA wilderness bill finally gets traction in Congress, Missoula Independent

East, West clash over 24M-acre Northern Rockies wilderness bill, E&E Daily at American Lands Alliance

Factions argue over wilderness bill - Wilderness bill debate boils down to East versus West, Billings Gazette

Congressional panel debates controversial wilderness bill, Bozeman Daily Chronicle

H.R. 1975: Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, Library of Congress

Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA), The Wild Rockies Action Fund

Logging Against the Clock - Timber Salvage Underway After a Tough Fire Season, Flathead Beacon

Wildlands CPR Leads Collaborative Group on Restoration Principles, Wildlands CPR

Conservationists Win 2 Year Battle to Gain Access to Forest Service Data - Forest Service must turn over off-road vehicle impact data for 84 Western Forests, Wildlands CPR

Planning Montana's Travel, Wildlands CPR

Bitterroot Quiet Use Coalition Takes Off, Wildlands CPR

Diverse coalition highlights public demand for conserving forest resources, quiet and public safety, Wildlands CPR

Science Coordinator Organizes Conference Session, Wildlands CPR

National firefighting costs down when compared to 2006, KPAX News

New 'Big Sky Coalition' urges forest management changes - Bitterroot group calls for giving wildfires less fuel, Missoulian

Dismal failure - Only 1,000 acres of reduction of fuels in Montana?, Great Falls Tribune

Driscoll decides to oppose quarry reopening on Bitterroot NF, Ravalli Republic

Capitol Christmas tree candidates still needed, Ravalli Republic

Gallatin NF users reminded of rules, Billings Gazette

Helena NF: Hunters reminded that some routes are closed to motorized vehicles, Great Falls Tribune

Helena NF: Twilight of the dam, Helena Independent Record

Mike Horse dam: A mini Milltown, Helena Independent Record

Dakota Grasslands: Trail revamped, The Dickinson Press

Conservation group wins battle for Forest Service records, Oregonian

Lewis and Clark NF: Forest users sound off on Rocky Mountain Ranger district travel plan, Great Falls Tribune

Lewis and Clark NF: Most questions center around motorized travel in Great Falls meeting, Great Falls Tribune

Lewis and Clark NF: Learn about new management plans for area forests, Great Falls Tribune

Applauds travel plan, Great Falls Tribune

USFS can't cut its way out of wildfire risk, The Wilderness Society

Wilderness and wildfires, Queen City News

Black Cat fire could have been far worse, Missoulian

Hunting over bait not Forest Service's fault: Jack Ward Thomas, Ravalli Republic

Forest service offers high-tech recycling, Montana Standard

Investors hoping to rouse Sleeping Giant, Billings Gazette

New Land Barons Bring New Alliance, New West Network

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

To dump or not to dump?, Aspen Times

Musgrave's support sought in hard-rock mining debate, The Coloradoan

Fate of national forest roads and trails will be decided in 2008, Glenwood Springs Post Independent

White River Forest travel plan delayed, Glenwood Springs Post Independent

Wagon road at issue in forest project, Durango Herald

Colo. Trail group backs bike use, Summit Daily News

Local mountain bikers step up - Summit Fat Tire Society to boost lobbying, stewardship efforts, Summit Daily News

Burnt Mountain lawsuit advances, Aspen Daily News

Ranchers, government officials wrangle over Pawnee grassland management issues - Prairie dogs, prescribed burns and developing better relations, The Greeley Tribune

Black Hills NF: Upper Spring Creek Project Area Notice of intent to prepare an EIS, Federal Register

New rule could let USFS cite miners, Ouray News

Snowcat ski area would be larger than Vail, Vail Daily News

Wilderness vs. energy: battle brews over pipeline, Aspen Times

Report: Full protection for canyons - Institute wants Dominguez to be conservation area, Daily Sentinel

GMUG NF: Forest Service seeks public opinion about recreation site analysis, Montrose Press

Exploring the previously closed south slope of Pikes Peak, KXRM News

White River Forest travel management plan nears action stage, Summit Daily News

CO Delegation Calls for Full Funding for Rocky Mountain Forests to Address Potential Hazards, Cherry Creek News

Inn owners sketch plans for snowcat skiing in Coal Basin, Summit Daily News

Judge asked to revisit tangled roadless ruling, Billings Gazette

Black Hills NF: Single-track riders want more trails in new system, Rapid City Journal

Badlands' Summit Trail now open to the public: USFS Dakota Prairie Grasslands, Bismarck Tribune

GMUG planners make new recommendations, Ouray News

Public Lands Partnership receives second big award, Ouray News

No advantage seen in changing status of Pikes Peak, The Gazette

Black Hills National Forest Investigation: Construction Stakes Found on Timber Haul Route, Black Hills Portal

Cost of wildfires raises zoning issues, Rapid City Journal editorial

A gem with a fresh future - Park's original purpose was to protect the area from uncontrolled timbering, The Pueblo Chieftain

Roadless debate goes back before judge, Star-Tribune

SOUTHWESTERN REGION (Region 3):
Arizona and New Mexico

Forest officials to spray for fir tree looper pest, El Paso Times

Destruction at Gila NF campsite prompts federal charges for frat members, Silver City Sun-News

Locals help in Ca. wildfire efforts, Silver City Sun-News

Sick of being sick from controlled burns, Arizona Daily Sun letter

Tonto National Forest: Controversial Ariz. land swap gets House hearing, E&E Daily [$]

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Public Motorized Travel Management Plan Notice of intent to prepare an EIS, Federal Register

Overlooked red-rock trail leads to splendid overlooks, The Arizona Republic

Madera Canyon group gets grant from state, Tucson Citizen

Cholla Forest, Tohono Chul Park

Petrified Forest moves toward recognition as world treasure, Arizona Republic

Dust to dust, Arizona Daily Sun

Forestry Seminar: What's dying and what isn't: Ecosystem resilience and the impact of a changing climate on Southern California's Mountains, Arizona Daily Sun

Santa Fe NF: Newly remodeled Paliza campsite a Jemez attraction, Santa Fe New Mexican

Valles Caldera issues stir passions, Los Alamos Monitor

Gila, Chihuahua foresters share info, Silver City Sun-News

County wants study of Lincoln forest roads, Ruidoso News

Forest restoration to receive $4 million in grants, Ruidoso News

Critics Say Too Many Fires Suppressed In Southwest - A look at fire suppression costs for Southwest forests, Arizona Republic AP

Wildfires should cause concern, but are nothing new to arid southwest, Las Cruces Sun-News

Forest product entrepreneurs to meet in area, Ruidoso News

Mill workers laid off: Seventy Mescalero Forest Product laborers lose jobs without notice - Mescalero tribe under investigation after layoffs, Alamogordo Daily News

Mescalero Apache Tribe shuts down sawmill, Las Cruces Sun-News

Water conservation comes home to Mescalero, Ruidoso News

Commissioner decries river appropriations, Ruidoso News

Prescribed smoke gets in our eyes, Ruidoso News

Forest Service burns area south of Grants, Gallup Independent

Blazing balance - Memories of Cerro Grande burn brightly as firefighters set controlled burns to help prevent another disaster, The New Mexican

House Committee passes mine reform bill, Douglas Daily Dispatch

Ventana Canyon a jewel - Trail offers nearby escape from city lights, sounds, Arizona Daily Star

Snowbowl's bid to recycle sewage revived - Court of Appeals agrees to take look at dispute, Arizona Republic

Fee Finale? - A long court case leaves more questions than answers, Tucson Weekly

Recreationers still confused about Tonto Pass, The Payson Roundup

New Forest Guidelines Threaten Wildlife - Conservationists Challenge Controversial Coconino NF Logging Project, E-Wire

Ninth Circuit Court Allows Review in Legal Case of Recycled Sewage on Sacred Mountain, Native American Times

Kaibab NF: Public comments sought on Williams tubing plans, Arizona Daily Sun

Ski area to use artificial turf for 2 sled runs, Arizona Daily Star

With panorama, a hint of danger: Mingus Mountain in Prescott National Forest, Tucson Citizen

Camp Verde Schools get title to 75 acres for future schools, Camp Verde Bugle

Rogue Mining Firm Hopes to Expand Operations in Santa Fe NF Jemez Mountains, Albuquerque Journal

Wolf Supporters Seek to Overturn Gila NF Grazing Decisions, KTAR News

Forest Service Rubber-Stamps Grazing in Wolf Recovery Zone - Conservation Groups Sue to Protect Lobos and Other Species, Forest Guardians

Suit Filed in District Court to Protect Wolves and Other Species from Conflicts with Livestock, Forest Guardians

Mount Lemmon not so free after all, Tucson Citizen op-ed

9th Circuit to revisit Ariz. snow-on-holy-land lawsuit, E&E News

Douglas has new district ranger, The Daily Dispatch

A logging era comes to a close, once again, Alamogordo Daily News

Alamogordo Sawmill Closes, Leaving 70 Unemployed, Journal AP

Commission selects fire plan developer, Carlsbad Current-Argus

When do I quit watering my pecans?, Carlsbad Current-Argus

Third renowned archeologist deems Lower Pecos eligible for international recognition, Southwest Texas News

Warming is called a threat to forests, Arizona Daily Star

Spraying Won't Begin in Lincoln Forest Until Next Month - Pest spraying delayed to protect endangered butterfly, Rocky Mountain News

Groups Urge Emergency Federal Protection for Rare Checkerspot Butterfly - Insecticide Spraying in Heart of Butterfly's Range Imminent, Forest Guardians

County to revisit wildfire protection plan, Carlsbad Current-Argus

Wood pellets may be scarce this season, suppliers say, Silver City Sun-News

Trackways, wilderness must be protected, Las Cruces Sun-News editorial

Recreation an excuse for destruction, Los Alamos Monitor

Medium-rare, with a side of dead trees, High Country News

U.S. Forest Service says 75-year-old man was flashing near La Luz Trail, Albuquerque Tribune

Park Ranger Sentenced To Five Years' Probation For Fatal Shooting at Elephant Butte - Man who didn't pay fee shot twice in the back of the head, Albuquerque Journal

Petrified Forest trying to counter drop in visitors, Tucson Citizen

Apache-Sitgreaves NFs Public Motorized Travel Management Plan: Notice of intent to prepare an EIS, Federal Register

Appeals court to revisit ruling barring snowmaking at AZ resort, Union Tribune AP

R-E-S-P-E-C-T, High Country News

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

BLM moving to authorize first county road claim, Salt Lake Tribune

Valley's eyes are on mining reform bill - As the House prepares for a vote, some see bill as a chance to protect Idaho's water from toxins, Idaho Statesman

Boise National Forest FLREA Notice of Proposed New Fee Sites, Federal Register

Forest Service seeks comment on Wasatch Front canyon permits, Salt Lake Tribune

Uinta Forest to sell permits for yule trees, Deseret Morning News

Caribou-Targhee NF: Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Smoky Canyon Mine Expansion, Federal Register

Simplot: No condemnation for property, Hemscott News

City-federal land swap plan presented to state lawmakers, Nevada Appeal

Wasatch-Cache and Uinta forest service to merge, Salt Lake Tribune

Forest merger underway in Kamas - Change could impact more than 20 jobs, Park Record

Salmon-Challis NF Biologist wins award, The Challis Messenger

Bridger-Teton NF: Gas well plan proceeds with study, Billings Gazette

Suspicious Package Found At Pocatello Forest Service Office, KIFI News

Plotting out access to public lands on the Fishlake NF, Richfield Reaper

Limbo for forest's wild, scenic and contested rivers, Vernal Express

Governor: Roll back Bridger-Teton NF leases, Billings Gazette

Promoting Alternatives to a Motorized Utah, Wildlands CPR

Seeds of change - Post-fire restoration, High Country News

Bridger-Teton NF Upper Greys Vegetation Treatment notice of intent to prepare an EIS, Federal Register

Freudenthal: Cancel Bridger-Teton NF leases, Jackson Hole Daily

Caribou-Targhee NF: Vandals Strike Cherry Springs Recreation Area, KPVI News

Birding group to donate money to fix vandalism at Cherry Springs site, KIDK CBS 3

More Public Land Vandalized, KPVI News

Caribou-Targhee NF Smokey Canyon Mine: Panels F & G Final EIS Update, Federal Register

Uinta Mountains- Kaysville camper killed by lightning, Deseret Morning News

A monumental job comes to an end - Grand Staircase- Escalante manager looking forward to retirement this month, Salt Lake Tribune

Exactly where is Warfield? - Misnamed "Frenchman's Bend" hot springs actually Warfield Hot Springs, Idaho Mountain Express

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST (Region 5): California

Southern California Wildfires Take Staggering Toll; Change Needed to Protect People and Nature, Center for Biological Diversity

N.M. locals help in Ca. wildfire efforts, Silver City Sun-News

U.S. Fires Release Large Amounts of Carbon Dioxide, New Study Shows, National Center for Atmospheric Research

We must stop fighting wildfires with old equipment, old thinking, Daily Star

Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn the rich, Los Angeles Times

Forest Service is to blame for fires, The Spectrum

Flaming the federal fire response, San Diego Union-Tribune at SF Chronicle

A tinderbox not named Katrina, Oregonian

Residents who bucked wildfire orders describe life behind lines, SF Chronicle AP

Effects of Fires on Environment Worry Experts - Fires are going to happen, Los Angeles Daily News

Forestry Seminar: What's dying and what isn't: Ecosystem resilience and the impact of a changing climate on Southern California's Mountains, Arizona Daily Sun

Arborist looks to clones to save ancient redwoods, Arizona Daily Sun

A Landscape Born to Burn, Los Angeles Times

Rethinking Fire Policy in the Tinderbox Zone, New York Times

About those burned-down houses in California, Smirking Chimp

In the Ashes, Californians Ask How to Defeat the Santa Anas! - Hubris leaves debris, New York Times

Preparing for the next time, Los Angeles Times

Before Fires, Bush Cut Fire Preparedness Budgets, Outsourced Forest Service Work, The Huffington Post

Global Warming didn't light California's Fires, but did fan the flames ..., Political Cortex

Creating Our Own Hell on Earth - Climate Warming Causes Drought Fueled Mega-Fires, Common Dreams

The Southern California Fires - Hotter world may fan flames, San Francisco Chronicle

Thirst for property values leaves Bay Area at risk of wildfires - "Shelter in place" neighborhoods did not lose a single house in the recent firestorm, San Francisco Chronicle

Wooded hillsides, narrow roads make Bay Area a 'disaster waiting to happen', San Francisco Chronicle

Enormous fires threaten vast swaths of nation, Chicago Tribune

Playing with fire, now nature hits back, Sydney Morning Herald

How California reaped its firestorm - Nature did not intend us to build cities in deserts, The Times -London

California wildfires could snuff out rare species, Terra Daily AFP

California wildfires fan political conflagration, San Francisco Chronicle

Fingerpointing ensues over copters grounded during wildfires, San Francisco Chronicle

Forest Service firefighters pause to remember 5 killed last year, OC Register

Feinstein seeking $1 billion for fire recovery, prevention, San Francisco Chronicle

Fire-relief package may ignite new debate, Los Angeles Times

When the Hills Are Burning, Washington Post

A thin cloak of survival, Los Angeles Times

A dangerous, and coveted, job on the line, Los Angeles Times

Wholly willing to fight for Holy Jim, Los Angeles Times

Battling in the backcountry - Forest Service's nimble trucks can reach hillside neighborhoods, Los Angeles Times

Massive B.C. waterbomber finally sees Calif. fire action, Vancouver Sun

Mexican 'bomberos' helping California wildfire effort, Terra Daily AFP

Another way the rich are different: 'concierge-level' fire protection, Los Angeles Times

Six Rivers NF: Roads closed to prevent spread of root disease, The Eureka Reporter

Lassen National Forest Public Wheeled Motorized Travel Management EIS, Federal Register

Motorized Route Designation Process Continues - Temporary Forest Order Issued in the Tahoe NF, Tahoe National Forest

Plan cuts fuel for a Sierra fire - Logging project near Oakhurst aims to keep firestorms from blowing up, Fresno Bee

Forest roads and trails top Butler II BAER rehab list, Big Bear Grizzly

Logging giant auctions forest land - Nevada County land among 5,000 acres on the auction block, Sierra Sun

Kirkwood pushes master plan forward, awaiting El Dorado National Forest's completion of an Environmental Impact Statement, Tahoe Daily Tribune

Kirkwood Implements New Environmental Initiatives - NFF: Every lodging rental unit includes an extra $1 fee to be used for funding local projects within the El Dorado National Forest, Kirkwood Mountain Resort

Forest Service greenhouse is key to meadows restoration, Mt. Shasta News

Rare forest orchid protected on the Monterey Peninsula, Salinas Californian

Half a million flee Southern California fires, 1,300 homes burn, San Francisco Chronicle

Santa Ana wind makes October the cruelest month in California, San Francisco Chronicle

Massive California Fires Consistent With Climate Change, Experts Say, Oregon State University at Science Daily

California's age of megafires - Drought, housing expansion, and oversupply of tinder make for bigger, hotter fires, Christian Science Monitor

The fire last time. And the time before that. Los Angeles Times

Forest Service chief: More blazes like California's on the way, Tahoe Daily Tribune

Technology helps firefighters on land, in air, CNN

Barber's calculations led to denial of logging proposal - Los Gatos graduate determines acreage,San Jose Mercury News

2000 Year Old California Redwood's Fate In Mediators Hands, Reuters

Judge tells Pacific Lumber parties to pick a mediator, San Francisco Chronicle