HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES "Dear Colleague" Letter In Support of
the Act to Save America's Forests"

Following is the "Dear Colleague" letter which the House sponsor of the Act to Save America's Forests, Representative Anna Eshoo, and Representative Carolyn Maloney sent to the other Representatives asking them to join them in supporting (cosponsoring) the Act to Save America's Forests too.

Congress of the United States
House of Representatives
WASHINGTON, DC 20515

April 19, 2004

HELP SAVE AMERICA'S FORESTS

Dear Colleague:

We're writing to urge you to join us as an original cosponsor of The Act to Save America's Forests.

There's overwhelming scientific evidence that we're destroying America's natural legacy through overly aggressive logging practices on federal forestlands. Clearcutting, roadbuilding, and excessive logging are causing alarming amounts of environmental damage, especially in ancient forests, roadless areas, and other fragile forests. Many species, plant and animal, are being pushed toward extinction, and less than 5 percent of our nation's biologically rich virgin forests still remains.

Federal forest policy must move in a new direction. The Act to Save America's Forests gets at the problem by banning clearcutting on all federal forestlands. It also ends logging in the last virgin forests, roadless areas and other core areas of the federal forest system. At the same time, the bill allows limited and ecologically sustainable logging outside core forest areas - lands that have already been logged.

This legislation makes economic sense, since the maintenance associated with logging on federal forestlands drains hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal budget annually.

It also makes scientific sense. The Union of Concerned Scientists and 600 of America's leading scientists in ecological sciences and related fields have strongly endorsed the Act. Last year, Dr. Jane Goodall visited the U.S. Senate and spoke in support of the Act. In the 107th Congress, 122 Members cosponsered the Act (a list of last Congress's cosponsers is attached).

The Act to Save America's Forests is a sensible bill that ensures that future generations of Americans will be able to inherit and enjoy our nation's irreplaceable natural forest treasures.

If you'd like to become an original co-sponsor or have any questions, please contact Steven Keenan with Representative Eshoo at 5-8104 or at steven.keenan@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Anna G. Eshoo                                             Carolyn Maloney
Member of Congress                                    Member of Congress