For Immediate Release: November 18, 1998
Contact: Steve Holmer or Liz Butler, American Lands, 202/547-9400
                        
  America's Last Wild Forests Still Unprotected
   Despite President Clinton's Promised Action

700 religious, scientific, conservation leaders urge V.P.
Gore to intervene in the Forest Service policy-making
process

WASHINGTON -- Over 700 religious, scientific, and conservation
leaders called on Vice President Gore today to make good on promises
to protect America's remaining unprotected forests.  In a joint letter, the
leaders urged the Vice President to ensure that the Forest Service saves
the last of these important areas.

"A year has passed since President Clinton promised to protect
Americans' last scenic wild forests, but they remain unprotected," said
Randi Spivak, President of American Lands.  "The U.S. Forest Service
is undermining the President's commitment to manage these areas
through science, not politics."

At stake are 60 million acres, or about 30% of the National Forest
system--still wild and roadless, but unprotected from logging, mining,
and oil and gas drilling and the destructive roads those activities require. 
These threatened areas are America's Heritage Forests.

Signers of the letter ask that Gore take advantage of this "unprecedented
opportunity to leave a legacy of Heritage Forests for future
generations...[and] adopt a final policy at the termination of the
18-month moratorium that forever protects America's Heritage Forests."

*  These unprotected wilderness areas provide unmatched opportunities
for camping, hiking, and other recreational pursuits, valuable habitat for
fish and wildlife, and abundant clean drinking water. 

*  The interim policy explicitly exempts vast tracts of America's
Heritage Forests located in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and
elsewhere.  It does not protect smaller, ecologically significant roadless
areas, and allows logging and mining to continue in some roadless areas. 

*  The Forest Service views the final policy (due at the end of the
18-month moratorium), as a "roads policy" only, addressing how new
roads will be built into these roadless areas, rather than as a policy to
keep existing roadless wildlands pristine.  

* Leadership by the Administration will be necessary to protect wild
forest areas.

"The Clinton-Gore Administration has an historic opportunity to make
the moratorium permanent and apply it to all 60 million acres of
America's Heritage Forests, protecting them for future generations,"
said Ken Rait, director of the Americans for Heritage Forests, an
umbrella group for dozens of local and national environmental groups
working on the issue.  "A true science-based policy will permanently
protect our remaining Heritage Forests from being decimated by logging
roads, clearcutting, and mining."  

The temporary moratorium was to be announced this week but still
awaits review by the White House.  Continued delay has left forests that
would otherwise be protected by the moratorium open to logging and
road building.  For example, the Dome Peak timber sale in Colorado's
White River National Forest--which involves logging and road building
inside an unprotected wilderness--could be awarded to loggers next
week.

President Clinton promised something quite different when he signed the
Forest Service's 1998 pending plan on Nov. 14, 1997.  In that statement
a year ago he said:

"...the Forest Service is developing a scientifically based policy for
managing roadless areas in our national forests.  These last remaining
wild areas are precious to millions of Americans and key to protecting
clean water and abundant wildlife habitat, and providing recreation
opportunities.  These unspoiled places must be managed through science,
not politics."

Wednesday's letter has been signed by over 250 scientists, and by
religious organizations including the Coalition on the Environment and
Jewish Life, Christian Society of the Green Cross, and the Christian
Environmental Council.  

"United Methodist policy states that our covenant with God requires us
to be stewards, protectors, and defenders of creation," wrote Dr. Thom
White Wolf Fassett, General Secretary of the General Board of Church
and Society of the United Methodist Church in a separate letter to Vice
President Gore.  "We urge the administration to adopt a strong and
effective roadless area policy.  Our Heritage Forests must be protected,
permanently and fully, as parks and wilderness."

The public can learn more about efforts to save America's Heritage
Forests on the Internet, at http://www.ourforests.org.  That site has
links to many groups working on forest issues around the country,
information on how to become a Virtual Volunteer, and a Real Video
clip of Peter Buck of the rock group R.E.M. warning about the
destruction of our wildlands.
                        
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