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Act
to Save America's Forests Reintroduced
WASHINGTON,
D.C., July 26, 2002 - The Act to Save America's Forests has
just been reintroduced in the US House of Representatives.
This groundbreaking legislation will protect vital ecological
areas, including the last remaining virgin forests and roadless
areas, and end clearcutting throughout our national forest
lands.
Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, lead sponsor of the Act,
stated in a letter to her Congressional colleagues, "There's
overwhelming scientific evidence that we're destroying America's
natural legacy through overly aggressive logging practices
on federal forestlands... It's evident that federal policy
must move in a new direction." Eshoo is joined by 121
original cosponsors in publicly addressing the dire state
of our national forests.
The Act to Save America's Forests is widely supported
by the scientific community. Over 600 of America's leading
scientists have signed a letter supporting the Act. The Union
of Concerned Scientists has endorsed the Act, as has
Dr. Peter Raven, Dr. E.O. Wilson, and Dr. Jane Goodall. Most
recently, Dr. Oswald Schmitz of the Yale School of Forestry
has written in support of the Act.
The reintroduction of the Act with so many original
cosponsors is a very positive sign. It demonstrates that a
substantial portion of Congress wants a major shift in management
of our national forests towards protection and restoration,
and away from the destructive policies of the past century
that have left but a small portion of our virgin forest ecosystems.
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