In November 2003, the U.S. Forest Service proposed an immense salvage logging program, called the Biscuit Fire Recovery Project, in the Siskiyou National Forest in southwest Oregon. The Forest Service presented its proposal as the Preferred Alternative in a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and requested public comments, pursuant to requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. By the January 20, 2004 comment deadline, the Forest Service had received nearly 23,000 public responses from many different individuals, organizations, and agencies.
Conservationists have strongly opposed the Forest Service’s logging proposal because of the extremely harmful impacts they believe it would have on the unique and fragile resources of the Siskiyou National Forest. Many conservation groups have proposed a Siskiyou Wild Rivers Conservation Alternative that would protect the area’s resources while allowing a modest amount of salvage to occur.
In order to gauge overall public reaction to the Biscuit DEIS, the Siskiyou Regional Education Project and The Wilderness Society have performed an analysis of the DEIS comments. Key findings include:
- Out of 22,856 public comments, 95% OPPOSE the Forest Service’s Preferred Alternative.
- Out of 22,856 public comments, 90% SUPPORT the Siskiyou Wild Rivers Conservation Alternative.
- Out of 1,332 individually written letters (not form letters), 82% OPPOSE the Forest Service’s Preferred Alternative.
This straightforward analysis clearly shows that public comments on the Biscuit DEIS are overwhelmingly opposed to large-scale salvage logging and in favor of an approach that involves much less salvage logging. The Forest Service should demonstrate that it listens to the public and abandon its extreme logging proposal in favor of the conservation alternative.
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