New Bush Law allows logging of Chattahoochee

[SavageLlama]

Bush's new regulation today allows for logging, mining and road building in National Parks and forests, including areas of the AT.

"One of the Chattahoochee Forest tracts is the 8,350-acre Kelly Ridge roadless area straddling the Appalachian Trail near the Georgia mountain town of Helen, about 120 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta."

http://www.news-journal.com/news/con...3_forests.html


This is outrageous. Bush has to go.

[icemanat95]

Take into account that all this is doing is recinding a previous executive order put in place by President Clinton, and it also puts into place additional protections that were not present prior to Clinton's executive order. All that has happened is that a regulation that arguably runs counter to the purpose of the National Forests will be rolled back. Also you can expect the usual delays in implementation due to court battles injunctions, and endless lawsuits. It ain't the end of the world folks, not by a long shot.

[willyhort0w2]

bush is a jackass im sorry but I can't stand republicans for that reason, they do not care about the country they care only about the dollers in theit wallets.

[Connie]

..and we are told, here in the western states, our states are being logged so the eastern states can increase their forests, and after all, our states are more suitable for farming (agribusiness).

time for a bouncing smiling idiot ..

may i suppose all their cronies ..don't get to continue stealing billions $$$$$ from Iraq oil, reported on BBC, since the handover ..so more plundering of resources is called for.

If you haven't noticed, he does get to make laws.

The "new laws" apparently practically nobody read re-defining "patriotism" and "health" ..are at thomas.loc.gov ..if you want to like to read some real horror.

I hope the "special presidential powers" and the "new laws" are rolled back ..

Do you think lawyers will do that, for us.. yeah. Aren't all the members of the Senate and the House of Respresentatives lawyers ? The Congress.

While not a requirement for lawyers in the U.S., lawyers have become members of the B.A.R.

Doesn't being a "member" of the B.A.R. mean British Accredation Registry, by order of Her Majesty the Queen, London, England.

George Bush the Younger, is a "cousin" to Her Majesty the Queen of England, from both his maternal and his paternal lineage.

Do you think all those "jokes" about King George, are not all simple-minded silliness? (another rhetorical question)

The founders of this country created a new nation ..that was against King George, and all kings, all queens, and all royal courtiers.

Hmm ..royal courtiers.

I see *them* every day !

[Jack Tarlin]

To Willy, who feels that Republicans "dont care about the country":

The National Forests that you are evidently so concerned about would not exist without the efforts of a Republican, Theodore Roosevelt, who was largely responsible for the creation of the Bureau of Forestry, later renamed the U.S. Forest Service. More than 200 million acres of land was saved from unregulated development by Roosevelt's unstinting efforts. He was also instrumental in the growth of our National Park Service, and in the creation of more Parks and National Monuments than I can think of.....the Grand Canyon comes to mind, for one.

That the present Administration's environmental record is pretty horrible is not something I'm going to dispute, but to damn all Republicans is both unfair and wrong. John McCain, for example, took a very prominent role in the recent efforts to prevent oil development and exploration in Alaska. For you to say that men such as McCain don't care about this country is ludicrous and insulting.

When it comes to environmental issues, there are good men and women on both sides of the aisle in Congress; to baldly state that there are no good Republicans at all is a statement as wrong as it is harsh.

While we're on the subject of unfeeling and callous Republicans who don't care about the country, try this one on for size......whaddyou think of Abe Lincoln's character?

[smokymtnsteve]

neo-cons..there are NO good neo-cons

[JimSproul]

Ever get to Springer using FS 42? Maybe forest service roads aren't all bad!

Painting with a broad brush is dangerous and not that bright. You should take a look at photos of the "North Country" of New Hampshire from the early part of this century. It was in terrible shape, over logged, overused, unmanaged. Today it is very pretty country, with roads, with logging, mixed use including (Thanks to the AMC and others) hiking and backpacking trails.

If we MUST have political debate here (and I don't think we need to) then lets keep it civil. On the whole, we are a group of mostly thinking people. Our hobby depends on public lands paid for by EVERY taxpayer, Republicans, Democrats, etc...................

[icemanat95]

Keep in mind folks that Wingfoot's reputation basically unravelled around unthinking, knee-jerk politics.

Many web forums I am a member of don't allow political discussions because they are so divisive.

And be aware, not all hikers are liberals, democrats, etc. There are a lot of us out there who are quietly conservative in our outlooks.

[Moose2001]

Geesh....if you guys want to bash politics....why don't you go over to Wingy's site!! You'd be right at home there!

[smokymtnsteve]

I'm a conservative..I believe in conservation...unlike the radical in the whitehouse

[Connie]

neo-cons ..would that be like Neo ..from The Matrix ?

I think the hidden take-over was in 1932.

When was it The Corporation of the United States of America "invented" their charter ? Laws by fiat. Nobody voted for that.

Nowadays, if you aren't a member of the World Trade Council, and that ilk, you do not get on the federal ballot.

neo ..i like that part.

cons ..more of the same stuff.

I am practicing speaking .."canadian": my grandfather was from Canada.

[icemanat95]

Calling someone a radical is divisive and subjective. A person significantly oriented to the left would look at a moderate and scream "radical conservative" since they view themselves as "normal" and thus "moderate." Be careful about slinging around labels, they have a nasty way of swinging back around on you.

[Chip]

SavageLlama, I agree ! See my post regarding the "North Shore Road" known as the "road to nowhere". Forum regarding National Parks - Great Smokies. This issue has been around for a while. Check out the web site I listed for more info.This could happen to any National Forest or Park. This country has already been logged coast to coast before and roads built out in the middle of no where.
There has to be a balance. Alot of energy and materials should be recycled to save our land, water, air and other natural resources we love to enjoy.
Greed and power, two of mankinds terrible traits rule the world....most sad!!!

[SavageLlama]

Have you guys seen this?

http://jibjab.com/thisland.html

It takes a while to d/l but it's worth it. Funny stuff.

[FatMan]

Lets stay with the facts here. First of all Bush did not create any regulation. All he simply did was reverse an executive order from the previous administration that has resulted in nothing but thousands of lawsuits that are tying up our court system. Second, this has absolutely nothing to do with National Parks. National Parks are part of the Interior Dept. Finally, the National Forest Service is part of the USDA (US Dept of Agriculture). It exists because our National Forests are recognized as a renewable resource (Fancy word for a Crop) and Forestry (logging) is exactly what they manage. Our economy requires our natural resources to grow and prosper. The Forest Service is responsible for managing the productivity of the National Forests. Managed Forestry will provide us with these resources and ensure that these resources are properly renewed for all generations to come. Not logging is not consistent the Departments Mission.

Now with that said, I certainly hope that they actively buffer our favorite recreation areas from the short term unsightly result from the logging that will occur.

[TJ aka Teej]

The National Forests that you are evidently so concerned about would not exist without the efforts of a Republican, Theodore Roosevelt >snip< whaddyou think of Abe Lincoln's character?

The elected Republicans from Nixon to the present have nothing in common with the Bull Moose's of T.R.'s day or the Republicans of Lincoln's era. Today's Republican party has been hijacked by extremely radical Straussians who hold the electorate in complete contempt. They believe in preserving the status quo of the upper class above all else, and at any cost. This move has many layers, not the least being the undoing of something 'Clinton'. That'll get them some votes in November, and they'll need every one they can get.

[Lone Wolf]

Here we go, ***n politics! Let's switch over to dykes and f**gs Then progress to abortion yea/nay.

[Connie]

Washington State - Western Washington, near Hoquiam on up the Olympic Peninsula has a "buffer" law: I think 20' or 30' from the roadway - not from the right of way.

Nevertheless that is mighty thin, in places, and driving the Lady Bird Johnson Scenic Highway on some rolling hills near the ocean lets you see "stump city".

Did I mention I am talking about the Olympic National Park "buffer"?

The 99 year lease for Japan to take lumber expired, and was renewed for another 99 years. Japan started by "pirating" trees off the National Park, using three lumber trucks per one tree trunk, and the Quinault indian reservation, using helicopters to remove cedar. Asian gatherers of boughs came in next.

The local loggers were discussing headin' out to the "rain forest" jobs to get some real trees, at Fred's Place (only restaurant) in Copalis Beach, I think was the name of the town.

On the "coast highway" Japan "clear cut" the so-called "re-forestation trees". That would be 30 year old trees, all green boughs and only a big enough trunk diameter for pole fences. Left no topsoil. Topsoil sells.

I haven't seen one tree trunk per three logging trucks, since the 1950's.

I did see sheds, bigger than the biggest hanger I ever saw at Boeing, Renton, WA plant. The sheds were at Reedsport, OR and have since been removed from Astoria, OR (there are too many tourists using the bridge between OR and WA says my Great Aunt Ann Heavensgate).

These huge sheds had a sign "Export".

A little shed had a sign "Domestic". It had some trash wood, for the local pulpmill.

I tried to take pictures, and I was warned off.

Oh, at Fred's Place, the restaurant, I was told if I went up to look at the "rain forest" up on Quinault or Elwah, there was a satanic cult up there in the forest that was killing travelers.

I said, "Oh, which one? There are five satanic cults in the neighborhood in San Francisco." That shut them up. My step-brother drove me up there to see the "rain forest", well, what is left. I saw the same area in the 1960's.

Remember: the "elite" is smarter than you, or me.

[smokymtnsteve]

Let's switch over to dykes and f**gs

you can switch if you like.

[Israel]

They believe in preserving the status quo of the upper class above all else, and at any cost.

I don't to turn this point into a major debate, but do you have any idea how much the upper income bracket pays in taxes????

Personally, I think having to pay 41% of your income to the governement for income tax is just a LITTLE too much. Think about how you would feel if you personally had to write a check to the government that equalled 41% of your yearly income. It will change your perspective I assure you. A person could do a phenominal amount of good in the world if they were given the chance to put that 41% to work in other civic minded ways.