February 2007, Newsletter #19 Welcome to THE RED LODGE CLEARINGHOUSE, the full-service information source for collaborative groups throughout the Interior West committed to resolving resource-use conflicts. The issues demanding a collaborative approach to resource management continue to be many, varied, and surprisingly front page news. The President's State of the Union address signaled more pressure on development despite a strong plea on the part of certain corporate managers, strange and stranger bedfellows resisting BLM lease policy, comings and goings of Forest Service leadership and more. But for us at the Clearinghouse the most gratifying news item of the month is Arnie Bolle's induction into the Gallery of Outstanding Montanans, recognized as "an avid conservationist who played an instrumental role in redirecting U.S. Forest Service policy during the last quarter of the 20th Century." We start with changes at the top... Dale Bosworth returns to Missoula in time to see the much-respected Gail Kimbell off to Washington. All agree, she's in for two tough years. Retiring USFS chief Dale Bosworth makes way for Gail Kimbell BY DAN BERMAN, LAND LETTER, 01/18/07 Forest Service chief Dale Bosworth announced his retirement Jan. 12 after nearly six years at the position. He will be replaced by the Northern Region forester, Abigail Kimbell. SEE FULL STORY >> Bosworth warns about impact of climate change BY DAN BERMAN, E&E NEWS PM, 01/12/07 At an Agriculture Department ceremony today, Bosworth repeated his "four threats" slogan but also advised foresters to be ready to adapt to global warming. "The biggest challenge will be the effect of climate change on the natural resources in our care," he said. SEE FULL STORY >> MILLIONS TO GO HUNGRY, WATERLESS: CLIMATE REPORT >> New chief faces same challenges EDITORIAL, THE MISSOULIAN, 01/17/07 Running the Forest Service isn't the easiest job in the country, not with all the competing demands the public makes of its forests. Often overlooked, however, is that most of us want many of the same things from our forests — things like clean water, abundant wildlife, recreational opportunity, useful wood and a legacy to leave future generations. With her own clear vision and an unwavering sense of purpose, Gail Kimbell now has the opportunity to guide Americans toward the least-acknowledged resource in the national forests: common ground. SEE FULL STORY >> USFS facing 25 percent budget cut over three years, chief warns BY DAN BERMAN, GREENWIRE, 01/29/07 The White House and Congress are not expected to do the Forest Service any favors with future budgets, so the agency's Washington headquarters and nine regional offices will have to cut costs by 25 percent over the next three years, USFS Chief Dale Bosworth told employees last week. SEE FULL STORY >> BITTERROOT RECREATION SITES UP FOR REVIEW >> USFS to study public input on potential campground closures BY DAN BERMAN, E&E NEWS PM, 01/26/07 In response to negative media attention and congressional inquiries, the Forest Service today announced it would take two months to review and improve public participation in studies to determine whether or not to close campgrounds and recreation sites nationwide. SEE FULL STORY >> Colorado can live without NEPA BY BOB BERWYN, VAIL DAILY, 01/23/07 When the 2.3 million-acre White River National Forest updated its management plan in 2002, then-forest supervisor Martha Ketelle touted the high level of public involvement as a highlight of the process.... But next time around, the process could look quite different. Last month, the Forest Service decided that, from now on, the White River forest can revise its management plan with no formal public involvement, and without studying a range of alternatives as required by the National Environmental Policy Act. SEE FULL STORY >> READ MORE ABOUT NEPA >> Forests eye new work model BY WILLIAM MCCALL, CASPER STAR-TRIBUNE (AP), 02/02/07 EUGENE, Ore. — Mary Rey, under secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, announced this week the Forest Service will try a new business model for contract work in federal forests to help prevent worker abuse and encourage investment in rural communities.... The goal is to make forest management projects into long-term projects stretching over 10 years to allow contractors to invest in equipment and training for workers, and to allow them to build stronger ties to the community. SEE FULL STORY >> Jonathan Lash of WRI, Fred Krupp of EDF, and Frances Beinecke of NRDC and ten broadly-based major corporations called for mandatory limits on carbon-dioxide emissions. A coalition for firm limit on emissions BY FELICITY BARRINGER, NEW YORK TIMES, 01/18/07 Ten major companies with operations across the economy — utilities, manufacturing, petroleum, chemicals and financial services — have banded together with leading environmental groups to call for a firm nationwide limit on carbon dioxide emissions that would lead to reductions of 10 to 30 percent over the next 15 years. SEE FULL STORY >> SCIENCE PANEL CALLS GLOBAL WARMING "UNEQUIVOCAL" >> From Terence Hunt, Associated Press White House Correspondent: "While setting cutback goals, the President spurned the appeals from environmentalists and some major corporations to impose mandatory ceilings on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in hope of slowing climate change." Sportsmen unite for Wyoming Range BY BRODIE FARQUHAR, CASPER STAR-TRIBUNE, 01/25/07 A coalition of hunter, angler and sporting organizations — 13 in all — launched a statewide effort this week to help preserve the Wyoming Range.... The group hopes to prevent oil and gas development in the Wyoming Range. The coalition’s proposal comes down to no new leases on public lands in those mountains, and a process that would allow for leases to be retired, traded or bought out at fair market value. SEE FULL STORY >> SPORTSMEN FOR THE WYOMING RANGE >> 200 sportsmen from 31 groups tell lawmakers, ‘We're watching' BY ROGER PHILLIPS, IDAHO STATESMAN, 01/17/07 Camouflage clothing is usually worn to blend in, but about 200 hunters and anglers wore it to stand out at the Statehouse on Tuesday. Representatives from about 31 sporting organizations, from bowhunters to bass anglers, gathered for the first "Camo Day" to make their unified presence known to lawmakers. SEE FULL STORY >> Idaho Sportsmen's Caucus Advisory Council >> Conservation group, unions joining forces BY BLAINE HARDEN, WASHINGTON POST, 01/16/07 In a first-of-its-kind alliance that could fundamentally reshape the environmental movement, 20 labor unions with nearly 5 million members are joining forces with a Republican-leaning umbrella group of conservationists — the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership — to put pressure on Congress and the Bush administration. SEE FULL STORY >> Union Sportsmen's Alliance >> Gallatin groups to cooperate BILLINGS GAZETTE (AP), 01/24/07 After years of wrangling, environmental groups seeking state protection for the Gallatin River have decided to work with developers to protect the river while still preserving property rights. American Wildlands has decided to suspend its pursuit of an Outstanding Resource Water designation for a 38-mile stretch of the river between Yellowstone National Park and its confluence with Spanish Creek. SEE FULL STORY >> Blackfoot plan balances diverse goals, from logging to conservation BY MICHAEL JAMISON, THE MISSOULIAN, 01/26/07 A wildly diverse group thinks it can change the way the woods work, and on Wednesday unveiled its private plan for public forests near Seeley Lake.... The loggers are praising it, as are the wilderness advocates. The ranchers like it, and so do the snowmobilers and the outfitters and the hunting groups. SEE FULL STORY >> READ ABOUT THE BLACKFOOT CHALLENGE >> READ PROPOSAL (.PDF) >> Should hunters be happy with half a herd? BY DR. ROLLIN SPARROWE, JANUARY 2007 The recent release of research findings from the fifth year of vital studies of mule deer use of the Mesa on the Pinedale Anticline has again produced the customary “spin-doctoring” that has characterized the debate over Wyoming’s wildlife affected by energy development. Headlines like “Mesa Herd Stabilizes” do a disservice to both deer and the interests of Wyoming deer hunters. SEE FULL STORY >> THEODORE ROOSEVELT CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP >> Diverse groups protest BLM lease sale near Pinedale BY APRIL REESE, LAND LETTER, 02/01/07 The Bureau of Land Management plan to offer 28 parcels of Wyoming lands in an upcoming oil and gas lease sale has been hit with complaints from a broad array of interests. Environmental activists, hunting groups and landowners alike claim the lease sales might result in harm to mule deer habitat. SEE FULL STORY >> Fire danger fuels trees-for-fuel plans BY JEFF BARNARD, WASHINGTON POST (AP), 01/20/07 After nearly 90 years of sawing pine and Douglas fir logs into lumber, Rough & Ready Lumber Co. is branching into the energy business, building a $5 million plant to burn logging debris and to produce electricity that it can sell at a "green tag" premium to the regional power grid.... Since Congress reauthorized a federal energy production tax credit for biomass, solar and wind power last month, at least two other sawmills in Oregon are going forward with biomass projects.... Spurred by the massive Rodeo-Chedeski fire of 2002, which burned 400 homes, the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona has let a 10-year contract to thin 150,000 acres that is generating small logs for lumber, wood pellets for stoves, and fueling a 3 megawatt biomass plant, said Forest Supervisor Elaine Zieroth. SEE FULL STORY >> Senator Wyden joins the discussion: climate change and Biomass BY DAN BERMAN, GREENWIRE, 01/29/07 The new chairman of the Senate Public Lands and Forests Subcommittee wants to "intensively" explore the link between global warming and worsening forest fires.... Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) joins retiring Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth and growing scientific research in expressing concern about the effect of rising temperatures on fire seasons and fire intensity.... Wyden also plans to use his new post to prod the Forest Service to accelerate biomass stewardship contracts such as one announced earlier this month in Oregon.... But the service has been slow to implement stewardship contracting to get companies to use woody biomass, something Wyden plans to change. SEE FULL STORY >> Expanding bioenergy requires sustainable practices, experts say BY ERIC BONTRAGER, LAND LETTER, 02/01/07 If the energy industry is going to run to the forests for its next source of fuel, sustainable forest management practices must be in place to prevent a "biofuels frenzy" that will bleed the woods fast and dry, speakers at a bioenergy conference in Washington, D.C., said last week. SEE FULL STORY >> Read more about biomass and stewardship contracting on our home page. Bush directive increases sway on regulation BY ROBERT PEAR, NEW YORK TIMES, 01/30/07 President Bush has signed a directive that gives the White House much greater control over the rules and policy statements that the government develops to protect public health, safety, the environment, civil rights and privacy. In an executive order published last week in the Federal Register, Mr. Bush said that each agency must have a regulatory policy office run by a political appointee, to supervise the development of rules and documents providing guidance to regulated industries. The White House will thus have a gatekeeper in each agency to analyze the costs and the benefits of new rules and to make sure the agencies carry out the president’s priorities. SEE FULL STORY >> Reservoir logs BY MICHAEL BEHAR, WIRED MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2007 I’m standing on a steel barge in the center of Ootsa Lake, a 154-square-mile reservoir in northwestern British Columbia. A chafing wind blows from the west, where the snowy, nearly treeless slopes of the Kitimat Range vanish into overcast skies. I jump as a voice booms over the outdoor PA system: “Clear to cut!” A few seconds later, a massive spruce tree erupts from the murky water. SEE FULL STORY >> TRITON LOGGING COMPANY >> More kids in the woods USDA FOREST SERVICE Recent studies document that children are gravitating away from outdoor experiences and towards a virtual indoor reality. This growing disconnect from nature has serious ramifications for the health — physical, mental, and spiritual — of our children. In addition, the growing disconnect with nature also has serious ramifications for the future stewardship of our public lands. Developing personal connections with nature is critical in helping build a future generation who understand environmental processes and human’s role in the environment — and who have the knowledge, skills and interest to become engaged in the management of their public lands. SEE FULL STORY >> NO CHILD LEFT INSIDE >> HOME PAGE  |   CONTACT US