350 Wenatchee Climate Conversations NCW

The Trump administration just put out a plan that would leave the public with no role in more than 90 percent of the decisions made for our national forests. This is a clear violation of the public trust and of major laws like the National Environmental Policy Act, and it’s designed to ramp up clearcutting and bulldozing of millions of acres in national forests.

Make no mistake: These new rules would give Trump’s Forest Service free rein to increase destructive logging and road building. They would leave citizens with almost no voice in the management of their public lands.

Tell the Forest Service to drop this immoral, unlawful plan and protect our national forests. These precious lands give refuge to wildlife, supply clean water to communities, and offer recreation to millions.

Some of the plan’s worst loopholes would allow:

• Bulldozing five miles of logging roads at a time with no public input;
• Logging up to 4,200 acres at a time with no public input; and
• Legitimizing illegally created offroad-vehicle routes.

The Forest Service claims these decisions won’t cause any harm, so there’s no need to consider impacts or check with the public. That’s cynical and false. These public lands are the birthright of all Americans: They shouldn’t be handed over to timber companies to destroy.

Act now to insist that the Trump administration withdraw this dangerous plan and keep the public’s voice in all forest decisions.