[env-trinity] Action Alert For North Coast Salmon & Wilderness

[Daniel Bacher]

8 July 2005

Dear Friend of the wild North Coast,

We need your help to counter the work of the anti-environmental shock troops 
against H.R. 233, a measure by Congressman Mike Thompson that would protect 
a handful of the last roadless public lands in the Klamath~Siskiyou and 
Redwood regions.

These public wildlands not only are refugia for an array of rare plants, 
birds and animals, such as the Darlingtonia, northern goshawk and the 
wolverine, but for humans seeking solitude in an increasingly troubled 
world.  Most of the would-be protected areas also provide the last streams 
carrying pristine cold water to rivers where salmon and steelhead struggle 
to thrive.

The East Fork of Blue Creek is one prime example.  Protecting this area as 
part of the wilderness system would spare a low-elevation, old-growth forest 
that provides remarkable cold and clear water to the main-stem of Blue 
Creek--the most significant lower Klamath river tributary for fall Chinook 
and Coho salmon. Protecting such areas is key to restoration of the wild 
Klamath salmon.

Recently the Blue Ribbon Coalition [BRC] caused a stir in Del Norte 
County--where Blue Creek flows--by falsely claiming to the Board of 
Supervisors there that protection for the East Fork would create a fire 
hazard for nearby communities and close roads to off-road vehicles.  These 
are falsehoods because there are no nearby communities to the East Fork, and 
there are no roads to be closed.

The Blue Ribbon Coalition's funders have included: the American Forest and 
Paper Association, American Petroleum Institute, Boise Cascade, Battle 
Mountain Gold, Chevron, Colorado Mining Association, Crown Butte Mines, 
Exxon, Louisiana Pacific, Marathon Oil, Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas, Ski-Doo, 
Suzuki and Yamaha to name a few.

Even the Republicans for Environmental Protection [REP] have decried the 
BRC's tactics, saying in 2002:

"The Blue Ribbon Coalition is peddling an unbalanced, extreme position on 
Public Lands access that is curtailing the very freedom they say they're 
re-defending.  The freedom to enjoy our public lands, our American heritage, 
is being diminished by the intrusive proliferation of motorized vehicles 
throughout the public domain, the lands that belong to every American 
citizen."

Please turn me over...

On the other hand, the Thompson wilderness bill (H.R. 233) is the product of 
many meetings and the involvement of many governmental officials throughout 
the district.

Every Humboldt County Supervisor has endorsed Thompson's measure.  The areas 
in it also were included in the Boxer/Feinstein wilderness bill that passed 
the Republican-dominated U.S. Senate last December.

On July 14, the  House Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the 
Thompson bill.  Opponents hope to get areas like the East Fork of Blue Creek 
carved out, and we need your support to give some balance.

Your letters will bolster the hearing record and show that many reasonable 
people,  businesses and organizations do support the Thompson measure.  
Please send a letter to the addresses below today, but no later than July 
22.   Ask that your letter be included in the hearing record.

If you would like more information on this important measure, please call me 
at 707-822-6918 or go to: 
<http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-233> or 
<http://www.californiawild.org> for more details.

The NEC continues to work for the protection of our Redwood Coast and 
Klamath~Siskiyou wildlands.  Your tax-deductible contributions enable us to 
work for protections for our region's wild places.  If you can help out with 
a donation--we will be able to get the message out to more people.  We 
deeply appreciate your support.

Sincerely,

*
Tim McKay, executive director

P.S., Please get your support letters in as soon as possible to:


The Honorable Richard W. Pombo, Chairman
House Resources Committee
1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-6201

The letters should also be cc'd to:

The Honorable Nick J. Rahall, II, Ranking Member
House Resources Committee
1329 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-6201

And, if you can, we'd love to have a copy of your letter, to.


Tim McKay, executive director, (707) 822-6918 (w), 677-3172 (h)
Northcoast Environmental Center
575 H Street
Arcata CA 95521
www.yournec.org