Shortsighted men...in their greed and selfishness will, if permitted, rob our country of half its charm by their reckless extermination of all useful and beautiful wild things." |
 Forests: Georgia's Forests Are Worth More Standing Tall Bush Administration Policies Place Forests on the Chopping Block
In the 1980s, Larry witnessed how destructive logging practices damaged pristine lands in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Later, his concern grew about the general overuse of the forest and the widespread use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on public lands. Today, Larry is most concerned about the Bush administration's decision to rewrite the landmark Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which deals a crippling blow to one of the most popular conservation policies in American history. "We need to protect our few wild places in the East because that's all we have left," Larry says. "Now with the Bush administration changing the Roadless Rule, we could be in real trouble. We could see a return to logging in these places when what we really need is more protection." The importance of clean water, wildlife, and scenic beauty in north Georgia is abundantly clear "National forest protection is an economic issue," says Larry Winslett. "Communities like the one where I live need standing forests to attract tourism dollars-no one visits the forest to see clearcuts and roads." The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, commonly known as the Roadless Rule, is a historic, hugely popular conservation plan that protects nearly 60 million acres1 of the last wild, unroaded areas in our national forests from more taxpayer-subsidized commercial logging. But on July 12, 2004, the Bush administration launched a process that places the burden on individual governors to decide whether federal lands in their state should receive federal protection from logging- road construction and commercial logging.2 This announcement is one more plank in the Bush administration's platform of rewriting national forest management policy to satisfy the desires of timber company executives. Despite the greatest public involvement in the history of federal land use rulemaking-with more than 600 public hearings and well over 2 million comments registered in favor of protecting our wild forests-the Bush administration put the Roadless Rule on hold shortly after taking office.3 Locally in the Southern Appalachian Forests, one and a half million more people live in this region today than did just 25 years ago. Much of the Southeast-some 2,200 communities containing more than 7 million people-is served by water that originates on national forest lands. Several of the region's river systems are the most biologically diverse in the temperate world, attracting global attention. Recreation visits increased 72 percent between 1976 and 1991, a percentage that is expected to double by 2040. Activities such as hiking, biking, paddle sports, hunting, and fishing are increasing at even higher rates. Many mountain counties are enjoying annual revenues in the multimillions of dollars from whitewater sports and fishing on national forest land.4 Nearly 100 percent of the cold-water stream fishing on public lands occurs on the 1,770 miles of cold-water streams in the Chattahoochee National Forest, and with an additional 430 miles of warm-water streams, 19,000 acres of lakes, and 3,900 acres of wetlands, the 90,000 fishermen who visit the forest generate more than $43 million in annual revenue for Georgia.5 Nationally, the Forest Service estimates that goods and services from national forests contribute $145 billion to the gross domestic product of the United States every year-less than three percent of which results from timber. Wild forests represent the single largest source of clean water in the United States; more than 60 million Americans in 3,400 communities in 33 states rely on national forests for their drinking water.6 With so much on the line, both environmentally and economically, our national forests are under terrific pressure. We should invest wisely in the natural richness and cultural uniqueness of these mountains. Sadly, the timber industry only sees short-term profits, and the Bush administration shares the industry's vision for these last pristine wild forests. More than half of our national forest land has already been degraded by logging, road-building, and other destructive activities. The thousands of miles of roads that already scar our national forests-mostly built for the logging industry and paid for with tax dollars-have put at risk important wildlife habitat, caused mudslides, and polluted some of the country's most pristine waters. We can do better. Georgia needs its national forests standing and healthy, not only for people like Larry to maintain their livelihoods, but to protect the health of surrounding communities. For more information contact:
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