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Federal court overturns Bush's forest management policy
Clean water, wildlife protected by Sierra Club victory
Statement of Sean Cosgrove, Sierra Club Forest Policy Specialist
Today the United States District Court for Northern California ruled that the U.S. Forest Service could no longer use forest management regulations set out by the Bush administration in 2005, because they violated the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Administrative Procedures Act. The Sierra Club opposed these regulations in order to protect wildlife and clean water, and keep real opportunities for public input.
"The Bush administration's rules would have undone 20 years of protections for wildlife and clean water," said Sierra Club Forest Policy Specialist Sean Cosgrove. "This ruling is a huge victory for all Americans who hunt, fish, and enjoy our National Forests."
"These regulations were designed by a former timber industry lobbyist," Cosgrove said. "They put the timber industry first and citizens and wildlife last. They would have silenced the voices of citizens in local forest planning, and allowed destructive projects to move forward with little oversight."
"The court verified what we already knew — that the Bush administration has used every angle possible to undo protections for our wildlife, forests, and clean water," said Cosgrove. "At a time when wildlife face mounting threats, we need to move towards responsible forest management that protects our public lands for future generations instead of giving them away to special interests.