Dear Friends,
First and foremost, we hope this message finds you and your loved ones healthy during this time of crisis. Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests Supervisor Cheryl Probert has, yet, to respond to our request to extend the public comment period for the forest plan revision due to the COVID-19 outbreak. FOC extension request_March 2020. The current comment deadline is still April 20, 2020.
If you are able to submit a public comment, we have a number of resources that you may find helpful. Near the top of this page you will see our most recent critique of the forest revision, Nez Perce-Clearwater Forest Plan Has No Accountability, shortly followed by our revision Citizen Alternative. The alternative is guided by the best available science and would offer strong protections for soils, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat and old growth compared to the agency’s draft plan. The alternative also calls for the Forest Service to protect all 1.5-million acres of roadless areas on the forests from motorized and mechanized intrusion. The Weitas Creek Roadless Area, indeed, should be recommended for wilderness in the new forest plan.
The Citizen Alternative, which unfortunately, has not, yet, been analyzed by the Forest Service, would also mitigate for climate change by managing these forests as carbon sinks instead of as tree farms. The alternative supports natural grizzly bear recovery in the Clearwater Basin, too. You can learn more by reading this brochure, Show Support for Grizzly Recovery.
Due to the depth of the forest plan revision, we want to make the public comment process as simple as possible for you. Contained within our main resource page is a guideline to commenting on the forest plan revision. It contains components of the plan that we are most concerned with, as well as who to submit your comment to.
In addition to your public comment, please consider signing this on-line petition created by our allies WildEarth Guardians. Due to the government’s propensity to count signatures on a petition as one single comment, however, we ask that you submit an individual comment and sign the petition.
Let us know if we can be of any further assistance. Our staff is currently working from home because of the virus outbreak, and we can be reached by email, which are listed below. Please join us in holding the government accountable by demanding that this new forest plan adheres to the best available science and our public land laws. The new forest plan will dictate management direction for these two national forests for the next few decades.
Stay safe and thank you!
Brett Haverstick
foc@friendsoftheclearwater.org
Katie Bilodeau
katie@friendsoftheclearwater.org
Gary Macfarlane
gary@friendsoftheclearwater.org