FEDERATION OF WESTERN OUTDOOR CLUBS

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REINSTATEMENT OF SURVEY AND MANAGE RULE

The Federation believes that the Northwest Forest Plan of 1994 obligated the Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest to survey proposed timber sales for the presence of rare plants and animals before proceeding with logging, and that logging plans had to have management provisions to protect species identified in the surveys.  This was the so-called "look before you log" rule.  When timber sales had been proposed without such safeguards, they could be appealed because the agency had failed to exercise due diligence.

The Bush administration repealed this "survey and manage" rule, thus expediting more timber sales at the expense of species that were already rare and in trouble.  Now a federal judge has held the Forest Service was legally in error in repealing this rule.

The Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs applauds this ruling and urges the Bush administration to reinstate this rule, rather than appealing this decision to a higher court.

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