Greetings Citizens,
We trust you made it into some wild country this summer. If you did venture out, you’ve taken a very important step to establish ‘standing’ to speak on behalf of ecosystems! Now, it’s time to go a step further.
TAKE ACTION to protect the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Forest Service extended the public comment period for their proposed NEPA revisions to August 26, 2019. Some red flags include: eliminating public involvement opportunities for 93% of proposed agency actions, green lighting 4,200-acre deforestation sales under categorical exclusions (CE), converting illegal off-road vehicle routes to official Forest Service roads or trails, and building up to 5 miles of new roads at any given time. This is egregious and a gross attempt to usurp power from the public. Speak up now, or the Forest Service will make you hold your peace (and ours)!
Here’s a real-life example of what could happen if we don’t protect NEPA. The Forest Service has proposed culvert replacements in an area that significantly overlaps with the Lolo Insects and Disease timber sale, which the Forest Service approved last month. Some of these proposed culvert replacements are along proposed log hauling routes connected to the timber sale and some of these culvert replacements are close to or within steelhead critical habitat. This is not about fish passage; this is about preserving roads for future timber sales in the Central Zone of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest. The agency is trying to push this overlapping project through by skipping public comment and with no environmental analysis under a categorical exclusion. But, you can stop that by commenting! READ MORE AND COMMENT.
Want to help Friends of the Clearwater conduct a science census using your photography skills September 7-8, 2019? Join us for a BioBlitz near the Mallard Larkins Pioneer Area on the Clearwater National Forest. A BioBlitz is an event where we find as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time to get a snapshot of the area’s biodiversity. We’ll visit a logged area and an unlogged area in our national forest to compare the biodiversity in each. Prepare to campout at an established campground in the Nez Perce- Clearwater National Forest, and bring your own food and gear. When we return, there will be a debriefing dinner where we upload, identify, and discuss our findings. Please RSVP by September 3rd, 2019 for complete trip logistics.
Before heading out for a long Labor Day weekend jaunt, fuel up at FOC’s End of Summer BBQ Thursday, August 29, 2019 from 6PM-8PM at Moscow’s East City Park! FOC will provide vegan, vegetarian and beef patties and hotdogs, buns, condiments, non-alcoholic beverages, and charcoal. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share, your own plates and utensils, blankets, and lawn chairs. This is a great opportunity for new community members to meet seasoned wild land advocates and learn about FOC. For more information call (208) 882-9755.
Let’s keep it wild!
Ashley Lipscomb
Membership and Development Director
P.S. Our new membership match challenge is still in full swing until December 31, 2019! Your first-time donation will be doubled dollar-for-dollar by a generous donor! CLICK HERE to multiply your money.