SAMPLE
LETTER:
February 12, 2004
Jack Blackwell, Regional Forester
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
1323 Club Drive
Vallejo, CA 94592
Dear Mr. Blackwell:
I am writing in regard to the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Giant
Sequoia National Monument (GSNM) dated Jan. 12, 2004. The Forest
Service's chosen alternative - Modified Alternative 6 of the GSNM
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) - is a flawed decision
that fails to implement the protective purposes of the Monument,
as set forth in the April 2000 Presidential Proclamation. Modified
Alternative 6 does not reflect my views on how that land should
be managed.
Modified Alternative 6 allows the greatest amount of logging within
the Monument. This pro-logging
alternative is contrary to the Proclamation, which states "[r]emoval
of trees, except for personal use
fuel wood, from within the Monument area may take place only if
clearly needed for ecological restoration and maintenance or public
safety." This management plan would arbitrarily allow trees
up to 30 inches in diameter to be removed from the forest, a diameter
limit not supported by the best available science. Instead of logging
large trees, I would suggest that you consider an alternative that
would remove the brush, lower branches, and small diameter trees,
up to 4 inches in diameter, which are the most flammable materials
in the forest. Removing these would protect the large trees that
are essential elements of the old forest ecosystem.
Modified Alternative 6 is also the most costly to taxpayers, in
both dollars and damage to our publicly owned land. Its implementation
will cost us $34,386,100; $13,994,000 will be used for mechanical
thinning of conifers. The Forest Service's inability to manage our
money and our land responsibly is of great concern to me. For example,
the plan proposes to construct new roads within the Monument, contrary
to the Proclamation, even though the 900 miles of existing roads
are more than enough for any recreational purposes. More importantly,
the Forest Service is unable to maintain even the current road network.
The plan proposes to pay for road maintenance by asking for even
more government money to attempt to reduce the existing $14-billion
maintenance backlog. It is evident that the Forest Service will
not be able to maintain the areas proposed for logging or prevent
them from becoming flammable brush fields.
As an American citizen, I own the Giant Sequoia National Monument
and all public lands in this great nation. I demand that you throw
out the FEIS and ROD and start over, using a more modest and protective
approach that relies on the best scientific research and adheres
to the protective purposes of the Proclamation.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address |