FEDERATION OF WESTERN OUTDOOR CLUBS

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DESIGNATE ANCIENT FOREST RESERVES IN GIANT SEQUOIA NATIONAL MONUMENT 

Since the Giant Sequoia National Monument was established in California by presidential proclamation on April 15, 2000, the Forest Service has been trying to weaken and/or eliminate its protective provisions in order to maintain the practice of continued logging. It is decimating the monument under the pretense of "thinning for fire prevention," "forest health," "disease control," and steps needed for "public safety."

These activities compromise the closed-canopy ancient forests that provide habitat for California spotted owls, Pacific fisher, and ground-dwelling prey and shade plants that are highly intolerant of ground disturbances and/or unnatural shade reduction and the accompanying erosion of soils.

The danger of stand-replacing fire in such ancient forest stands is low, with no need for thinning for fire prevention. Irrefutable studies show that some of these stands have not experienced destructive wildfire for at least 2000 years.

Destructive activities of this sort are at odds with the basic purposes behind the establishment of the Monument, which were to protect natural conditions where they prevail and to restore natural conditions to the extent possible where they have been lost.

Because the Forest Service refuses to honor the intent of the proclamation that established this national monument, further legal restrictions are needed on what it can do.

The Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs advocates protection of natural conditions in the Giant Sequoia National Monument in areas that have not been disturbed by past management activities such as logging and road building. The Federation also supports restoration of natural conditions where such disturbance has occurred.

Furthermore, the undisturbed areas in the monument characterized by old-growth forests and intact healthy ecosystems should be designated as Ancient Forest Reserves.

The Federation calls upon Congress to designate all unroaded areas in the monument as wilderness under the provisions of the Wilderness Act of 1964.

Contact your representatives in Congress to ask them to support such legislation. Also contact Martin Litton of Sequoia Forest Keeper for further information.