134 - Earth’s Tree News

[Guest guest]

Today for you 41 news items about Mama Earth's trees. Location, number

and subject listed below. Condensed / abbreviated article is listed

further below.--British

Columbia: 1) Clearcuts are three times bigger than planned, 2)

Lodgepole pine is climate change friendly, 3) Map for Caribou

protection, 4) Lack of deep freeze limits logging,--Washington: 5)

Nisqually Land Trust acquires 404 acres, 6) Population growth faster

than parkland protection, 7) List of parkland preservation projects,--Oregon:

8) New clearcuts to begin in Mt. Hood, 9) Stream preservation near

Portland, 10) State Forest Resource Trust program, 11) Mt. Hood

Wilderness plan inadequate, 12) Roadless logging continues despite

court ruling,--California: 13) Tree-village: Nanning Creek/Spooner, 14) Tree-village: " Fern Gully, " --Idaho: 14) Judge bans snowmobiles to protect caribou--Colorado: 15) keep oil rigs out of Colorado wilderness, 16) Real Estate disclosure, --New Mexico: 16) Economic value of state's 1.6 million roadless acres--New York: 17) Logging Cornell University's Arnot Forest 18) Columbia Helicopters--Vermont: 19) Governor Jim Douglas thwarts wilderness protections,

--South East Forest: 20) timber harvesting to control disease, invasives, wildfire,--USA: 21) Forest use fees--Canada: 22) Maple Leaf Day, 24) Joint statement regarding boreal forest conservation, --Russia: 25) Permafrost melting

--Finland: 26) Birch trees in Finland, 27) Stop illegal logging in Russia--Uganda: 28) Low impact forest uses, 29) over assuming power to exploit tree products,--Kenya: 30) Kenya National Commission on Human Rights

--Rwanda: 31) No more planting of eucalyptus trees--Guyana: 32) Gold mine to get 30 square kilometers of rainforest,--Brazil: 33) Second year of its worst drought on record--China: 34) plans to teach 620 Siberian tigers to survive in the deforested wilds

--Vietnam: 35) turning the wild forest into " gold " --Philippines: 36) team to investigate destruction of the Sierra Madre--Malaysia: 37) Malaysia will use satellite technology to fight illegal logging

--Indonesia: 38) Borneo's orangutans--Australia: 39) POLICE move in to remove 30 conservationists, 40) 2 more arrests, 41) Illegal logs imported to Australia, British Columbia:1)

This particular logging activity appears to be a joint venture between

Kitasoo Forest Products and Western Forest Products. Helifor is doing

the actual logging. I tried to have a look at the logging the other day

(from my own boat on publicly owned water but was immediately

confronted by one of the loggers and told to leave in a - should we say

- less than polite manner.) So much for EBM style transparency. Most of

the cutblocks in Green and on Princess Royal Island are listed at about

ten hectares in size but a bunch are over twenty and thirty hectares

with one whopper at 72 hectares. That's about 72 football fields in

size. The cedar high grading happening on this coast is unprecedented

and I personally have not seen so many active logging camps, barges

loaded with old growth red cedar and helicopters flying every which way

carrying timber cruisers and fallers in over fifteen years.

ian2) The Lodgepole pine is an amazing tree. You

can find it at sea level and on the backside of the coast mountains

huddled against boulders at 6500 feet. One species, one adaptation,

capable of living in this huge range of habitats. That is what survival

is all about, having the genetic options available to adapt to a huge

range of conditions. We are all familiar with the coastal rain forests

and the way they are promoted as havens for biodiversity. We're always

reading about how many species there are per hectare, how many tonnes

of biomass per cubic meter are produced. The same is true of the

tropical rainforest. The Amazon Basin is touted as a global hotspot, an

area of such significance that it must be protected; must be treated

differently because of its wealth of diversity. While all of this is

factual, it is only valid in times of relatively constant climate

parameters. The one thing these rainforests cannot tolerate, the one

thing that kills them permanently, is a large scale shift in either

water or temperature regimes. Because of this, these rainforests,

whether tropical or temperate, actually occupy very restricted niches

in the global ecosystem and are intolerant of any real shifts in the

climate that supports them. We are approaching times of instability,

times of large shifts in climate, of large shifts in habitat structure

and availability. The gene pool needed to cope with this milieu needs

to be robust, adaptable and capable of living under a wide range of

conditions. The interior dry pine forests are a excellent example of

the gene pool needed in the coming turbulence of climate disruption.

These trees already have the ability to grow in wet warm places on the

windward side of the mountains while at the same time thriving in the

dry valley bottoms in the Fraser Canyon and on the highest tree line

patches on the western edge of the Chilcotin Cariboo. http://www.wltribune.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=37 & cat=48 & id=736390 & more=

3)

Five leading BC conservation organizations today released a map showing

recommendations for mountain caribou habitat protection in British

Columbia made by the BC government's own scientists. The map shows that

up to three million hectares need to be protected. "Time and time again

this government has delayed taking action on mountain caribou recovery,

while caribou populations continue to decline," said Candace Batycki of

ForestEthics. "We believe the public has the right to know what the

government won't release: what the foremost experts on the species are

calling for." Mountain caribou populations have continued to shrink as

the B.C. government has delayed a long-term recovery plan for the

species. Fewer than 1900 mountain caribou remain in 18 scattered herds

in the mountain ranges between Prince George and the US border, down

from an estimated 2500 animals as recently as 1995. "We support

science-based decision making when it comes to recovering BC's

endangered wildlife," said John Bergenske of Wildsight. "Now the

science is in and the BC government must take action and protect

mountain caribou habitat. Anything less just won't do the job." The map

is posted on the organizations' websites, and 65,000 copies of the

publication that includes the map are being distributed across BC. The

conservationists point to recent increases in the South Selkirk

mountain caribou herd as evidence that recovery actions can work. Due

in part to past reintroduction of animals, a moratorium on new

commercial recreation tenures, selective predator management, and most

importantly habitat protection, this herd has recently increased from

33 animals to over 40 animals. Candace Batycki, ForestEthics, cell

604-219-7457 John Bergenske, Wildsight, 250-422-3566;4)

Chipman grew up in Williams Lake, a hub town in the Interior forest

industry where logging contractors traditionally relied on minus-40

Celsius winter temperatures to sustain an annual peak in logging

activity. The deep freeze made a hard surface, supporting fast,

efficient movement of heavy logging equipment that would, at other

times of the year, become mired in soft ground. In Chipman's mind,

nothing, not even the rapid spread of the mountain pine beetle, can

match the absence of cold winters as a fundamental change in the way

trees are harvested in B.C.'s interior forests. The Intergovernmental

Panel on Climate Change, an international body of scientists, estimates

the world's average temperature has risen 0.6 degrees Celsius since the

beginning of the last century -- and projects it will rise between 1.4

and 5.8 degrees in this century. Even a change of 3.5 degrees would

have enormous significance for B.C.'s climate -- that's the average

temperature difference between Prince George and the Southern Okanagan

over the last century. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/index.htmlWashington:5)

The Nisqually Land Trust has acquired 404 acres of forestland near

Mount Rainier National Park that had been slated for logging by its

previous owner, Pope Resources. The $1.4 million purchase is the

largest in the trust's 17-year history and the first of a long-term

effort to change the face of timber harvesting in the upper Nisqually

River watershed near its headwaters in the national park. The so-called

Mount Rainier Gateway Initiative calls for permanent protection of

about 4,500 acres of private timberlands between the Gifford Pinchot

National Forest and two state forests - Tahoma and Elbe Hills. Adding

to that effort, the state Department of Natural Resources has agreed to

protect 404 acres of spotted owl habitat in the Tahoma forest.The

forests provide habitat for spotted owls, marbled murrelets and bald

eagles, all of which are listed as threatened under the federal

Endangered Species Act. The forests also are view corridors for

tourists entering the national park and are critical for preserving

water quality in the upper Nisqually watershed. " To protect habitat in

perpetuity, you have to make it part of a sustainable system, " land

trust executive director Joe Kane said. " In the Ashford area, that

system includes working forests, recreational opportunities and a

commitment to the long-term health of the community. " Kane said some of

the acreage earmarked for conservation could remain in private

ownership, but managed with new forestry in mind, which features

variable density thinning of tree stands instead of clearcuts. " We're

trying to ward off large-scale timber harvesting in the upper

watershed, " he said. The land trust's work has the support of the

Nisqually River Council and the Nisqually Headwaters Coalition,

grassroots groups of upper Nisqually Valley residents working to

conserve key forested hillsides and open spaces outside the park. http://159.54.227.3/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060926/NEWS/609260308

6)

Population growth and development is outstripping state efforts to

preserve natural areas, park space and working farms in this state.

That's the conclusion of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation

Coalition, a nonprofit citizens group of farmers, hikers, hunters,

conservationists and businesses that has lobbied the Legislature since

1989 to set aside funds for everything from open space and wildlife

habitat to boat launches and urban trails and parks. The coalition,

co-chaired by former Govs. Dan Evans and Mike Lowry, has had

considerable success, securing more than $450 million for more than 775

projects encompassing 160,000 acres statewide. Among the $21 million of

funded projects enjoyed by thousands of Thurston County residents are

the Chehalis Western Trail, the Woodard Bay Natural Resources

Conservation Area, Camp Kenneydell Park on Black Lake and Rainier Vista

and Wonderwood community parks in Lacey. But in that same time, the

state's population has grown by 25 percent and is projected to grow

another 2 million people in the next 25 years. Meanwhile, program

funding has stayed relatively stable at about $50 million every two

years. " With population growth and development, the need is getting

ahead of what we're able to provide, " said Karen Munro, a Mud Bay

resident and member of the coalition board. " We won't have the

opportunity to set these special places aside if we wait another 20 or

30 years, " said Eric Erler, executive director of the Capitol Land

Trust. http://www.theolympian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060925/NEWS05/609250317 7)

These are the projects in Mason and Thurston counties slated for

funding if state lawmakers allot $50 million for the Washington

Wildlife and Recreation Program A 90.7-acre expansion of the Woodard

Bay Natural Resource Conservation Area on Henderson Inlet, $2.3

million. A 70-acre expansion of Millersylvania State Park at Deep Lake,

$1.57 million. Purchase and development of a city of Olympia park with

paths and a boat launch on West Bay Drive at " Rotary Point, " $366,134.

Purchase by Mason County of 500 acres of forested wetlands and Decker

Creek shoreline, $694,000. Here are the projects in Mason and Thurston

counties that need a boost in state funding to $100 million to move

forward. A 1,200-acre expansion of the Bald Hills Natural Resource

Conservation Area in southeast Thurston County, $4 million. Purchase of

the 56.7-acre lower Union River estuary by the state Department of Fish

and Wildlife, $1.9 million. Purchase of 365 acres of Skookum Creek

riparian area by the Squaxin Island Tribe, $953,000. Improvements,

including a viewing platform, at McLane Creek Nature Trail, $250,000. http://www.theolympian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060925/NEWS05/609250317

Oregon:8)

According to the Forest Service, next Monday chainsaws will rip through

a popular recreational area on the Mt. Hood National Forest and

clearcut 222 acres. The Forest Service sold the Eight Mile Meadow

Timber Sale to the highest bidder in August, sealing this forest's

fate. The plans call for logging over 90% of the trees, however it is

not being called a clearcut. Instead the logging is a "salvage"

operation because it is logging an area that has experienced high

mortality due to bark beetles. But the wildlife that depends on this

unique and recovering ecosystem are not the only forest users who are

threatened by the proposed logging: the Eight Mile and Fifteen Mile

trails will be sandwiched by the proposed clearcuts. Bark filed suit in

federal court on August 14 to protect wildlife, hikers and bikers from

the Forest Service's proposal. However, the court set no date for

actually hearing the case and due to a little-known loophole in the

system, if logging in Eight Mile Meadow occurs BEFORE the case is

heard, the decision becomes moot as the trees would no longer be

standing. In this case, Bark asked the Forest Service and the timber

company who bought the sale, South Side Enterprises out of Washington

state, to delay logging until the court considers the timber sales

legality. The Forest Service and timber company refused, and Bark was

forced to file for a temporary restraining order from the court. The

Forest Service is breaking its own rules. According to the Forest

Service's Mt. Hood Management Plan, they are required to protect the

visual quality of hiking trails with a 660-foot buffer. In the case of

the Eight Mile Meadow Timber Sale, the Forest Service will leave less

than 75 feet between the clearcuts and the trails. Despite these

clearly illegal plans and a pending court case, the judge announced

this week that he will not issue a restraining order. http://www.bark-out.org/content/article.php?section=news & id=3219)

On Monday the city's Bureau of Environmental Services presents a plan

for stream preservation throughout the nearly 11,000-acre hilly

corridor of southwest Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties

called the Fanno Creek and Tryon Creek watersheds. Five years in the

making, the wide-ranging plan calls on homeowners, business leaders,

government agencies, neighborhood associations and school groups to

work together to revitalize the waterways and prevent pollution from

reaching arterials of the Tualatin and Willamette rivers. That means

restored streambeds, improved fish and wildlife habitats, captured

storm-water runoff, stabilized water flow and revegetated stream banks.

" We've developed a list of about 140 projects, some of which are

currently under way, " says Amin Wahab, project manager for the city.

" We're looking at everything from restructuring culverts and adding

bioswales to daylighting portions of some creeks, " which involves

uncovering waterways to encourage the return of nutrients, bugs and

fish. Projects don't yet have price tags. Current agency and department

budgets will absorb the bulk of the work, and volunteer groups will

pitch in. Work should be finished in five to 10 years. More than a

dozen creeks -- such as Ash, Pendleton, Vermont, Arnold and Woods --

swirl around and under about 38 square miles of Southwest. In rainy

months, they function like veins, pumping soil nutrients and pollutants

down the hillsides into the Tualatin and Willamette. Years of

development, road construction and neglect have taken a toll. Many of

the streams disintegrated, having been plowed over or so clogged with

chemicals and debris that native fish and wildlife have disappeared.

That's about to change. With guidelines from the federal Clean Water

Act and Endangered Species Act -- along with the Southwest Community

Plan and the 2005 Portland Watershed Management Plan -- the Bureau of

Environmental Services completed extensive assessments of the two

watersheds. http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/portland_news/115888830315040.xml & co

ll=710)

The Forest Resource Trust program had its genesis in the early 1990s in

the thick of the timber wars when then-Secretary of State Phil Keisling

led an attempt to find some common ground between environmentalists and

forest product companies. " It was one of the few places in the early

1990s that they could sit at the same table together and agree on

something, " Keisling said. The thing they agreed on: Private lands that

were cut over before state replanting laws emerged and were then

covered over by scrub trees and blackberries weren't doing the

environment or the industry any good, Keisling said. Well-stocked

forests - even tree farms - would be more beneficial for fish and

woodland creatures, scenic quality, biodiversity, carbon sequestration

and other good stuff like that, Baldwin said. The best place to grow

trees - those with Class I or Class II soils in the lowlands - had by

then been cut over and were left to blackberries and scrub. " Yeah,

there were some big trees there, but the land doesn't regrow those

trees very fast once you cut them - and yet here's the land that's most

productive from a forestry standpoint lying fallow, often covered with

brush or blackberries, " Keisling said. http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/09/27/b1.bz.trust.0927.p1.php?section=business

11)

Federal government investigators challenge as inadequate land

appraisals that justify the trade of public and private property in a

pending Mount Hood wilderness bill, saying taxpayers could not be sure

they were getting a fair deal. In a letter released Tuesday by the U.S.

Government Accountability Office, investigators said the two appraisals

did not meet industry standards for private or government appraisals.

Significantly, the appraisals may have underestimated the value of

publicly owned land at Government Camp, the GAO said. At issue is an

exchange between a reluctant U.S. Forest Service, which owns 120 acres

at Government Camp, and Mt. Hood Meadows, which owns 769 acres near the

Cooper Spur ski area on the mountain's northeast slopes. http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1159336505195450.xml & coll=

712)

Loggers continue working on the ground while lawyers spar over two

controversial timber salvage sales in roadless areas of the Rogue

River-Siskiyou National Forest. U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth

Laporte in San Francisco last week reinstated President Clinton's 2001

roadless rule that prohibits logging and other development on national

forest roadless areas. She did not call for logging to stop on the two

salvage sales. The agency believes the two salvage sales containing

trees killed by the 2002 Biscuit fire are exempt from that ruling

because they were previously authorized. A conference call on Monday

with the judge, attorneys representing both the agency and the Silver

Creek Timber Co. of Merlin, which bought the two sales, and opponents

did not change that perception, Burel said. " The judge clarified that

Blackberry and Mike's Gulch are not currently enjoined, meaning at this

moment in time the court ruling does not apply, " she said, noting the

reasoning was based partially on the significant investment made in the

units. Another session with the judge and the attorneys is set for Oct.

4. Those opposed to ongoing logging in the two roadless units say they

haven't given up. The plaintiffs, which include the Siskiyou Regional

Education Project in Grants Pass, will submit a brief to the judge this

morning, arguing that her ruling should be applied retroactively. http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2006/0927/local/stories/loggingupdate.htm

California:13)

Logging resumed near the Nanning Creek/Spooner tree-village in the days

before and after September 15th this year. Activists remain in the

tree-tops above the timber town of Scotia, CA, maintaining their

non-violent defensive positions in the Old Growth Redwood canopy.

Activists continue to arrive in Humboldt County, CA, inspired to take

to the tree- tops and experience tree-sitting, while supporters in town

and abroad keep working to raise donations and spread the word. Your

help is needed, and there are many opportunities to get involved, so

visit their website, give them a call, and help save some of the last

Old Growth Redwood groves left on Earth! http://spoonerdirect.org/ 14)

The timber harvest plan(THP) containing the tree- village known as

" Fern Gully " will be expiring on October 8th, 2006, unless

Maxxam/Pacific Lumber(PL) file for an extension, which could prolong

the THP for another two years. Maxxam/PL usually hire their contract

extraction climbers to forcibly remove tree- sitters before the

expiration of a THP, yet they now have to give a 10-day notice before

sending in their climbers, as a result of a recent settlement agreement

in the Freshwater S.L.A.P.P. suit. Once Maxxam/PL serve the notice,

activists could potentially file for a temporary restraining order(TRO)

to prevent the non-deputized climbers from extracting them. Hopefully

Maxxam/PL will not use the ultra-hazardous extraction climbers in Fern

Gully, and will allow this Old Growth Redwood grove to continue to

stand on the hills above Garfield Elementary School in the rural

community of Freshwater. Fern Gully needs your help, so please contact

us to learn how you can help! http://ferngully.wesavetrees.org/Idaho:14)

Judge bans snowmobiles to protect caribou in northern Idaho A judge has

declared nearly 470 square miles of national forest land in northern

Idaho off-limits to snowmobiles in an effort to save the last mountain

caribou herd in the contiguous 48 states. In a 31-page ruling Friday,

U.S. District Judge Robert H. Whaley banned snowmobiles throughout a

caribou recovery zone in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests until the

U.S. Forest Service develops a winter recreation strategy taking into

account the impact of the loud, exhaust-spewing devices on the herd. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WA_SNOWMOBILES_CARIBOU_WAOL-?SITE=OREUG & SECTION=HOME & TEMPL

ATE=DEFAULT Colorado:15)

Your opportunity to keep oil rigs out of Colorado wilderness Boasting

some of Colorado's most pristine backcountry and an abundance of elk,

antelope and other wildlife, the White River Resource Area located in

northwestern Colorado contains some of the most extraordinary examples

of geological, cultural, and scientific values of any roadless area in

the state. Yet, incredibly the BLM is considering increasing oil and

gas wells in this area by as many as 15,000 wells! Please take action

today to help us protect this area and its remarkable wildlife and

wilderness. Located in northwest Colorado, the White River Resource

Area encompasses nearly 2.7 million acres of federal, state, and

private lands in Rio Blanco, Moffat and Garfield Counties. An explosion

of natural gas drilling, and potential oil shale production have placed

this area at risk in recent years. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

is currently amending its Resource Management Plan to consider

increasing the number of oil and gas wells in the area by as much as

1,100 to 15,000 wells. Currently only a handful of wells are in

operation. This area is home to some of Colorado's most pristine

backcountry, world-class hunting, and abundance of flora and fauna. http://www.wilderness.org16)

Frisco - Facing a pine-beetle epidemic that could kill up to 90 percent

of the forest around them, Summit County real estate agents will begin

taking the unprecedented step of including the potential for dead trees

in their disclosure reports to property buyers. " I don't care what it

is you're selling, whether it's real estate or cars, a buyer is hoping

that they're going to be getting what they see and that the seller is

being honest with them, " said Ken Deshaies, past president of the

Summit County Board of Realtors. In Colorado, the best estimates are

that beetles have destroyed more than 7 million trees in the past 10

years. And seemingly healthy forests in many places around the state

are, in fact, dying as still-green trees exhibit the up-close signs of

pine-beetle infestation - the defensive, popcornlike sap around bore

holes and sawdust on the ground. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4395974New Mexico:16)

The assumption that natural areas are valuable only when used for

logging, grazing, drilling or other development leads to biased

decisions that favor development over preservation, says the author of

a report on New Mexico's roadless areas. The state's 1.6 million acres

of roadless national forests and more than 100,000 acres in Valle Vidal

in northern New Mexico generate tens of millions of dollars a year in

the economic benefits of clean water, outdoor recreation and forests

that absorb carbon dioxide, according to the study commissioned by a

Santa Fe-based environmental group, Forest Guardians. Environmentalists

contend the study released Monday supports their argument for permanent

protection for roadless areas in national forests. The state has

petitioned the Bush administration to protect all of New Mexico's

roadless national forest areas and the Valle Vidal. In New Mexico, the

Forest Guardian's report concluded that economic benefits from roadless

areas include $42 million annually in water quality benefits from

530,000 acre-feet of clean water flowing from road less land. The study

said the economy reaps $22 million to $24 million associated with

absorption of carbon dioxide that otherwise would remain in the

atmosphere and exacerbate global warming. It also said recreational use

that doesn't depend on motorized vehicles generates $27 million. The

study was led by John Talberth, senior economist with the Center for

Sustainable Economy of Santa Fe. He said his research team, which

included economists from the University of New Mexico, used various

techniques to quantify the value of roadless areas. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4401615New York:17)

The use of timber harvesting to improve wildlife habitat will kick off

a series of four October events at Cornell University's Arnot Forest on

Jackson Hollow Road between Cayuta and Van Etten in the Town of Van

Etten, Chemung County. Three others will deal with wild apple tree

plots intended to attract and benefit wildlife, the growing number of

black bears and coyotes in the region, and finally a Twin Tiers Maple

Syrup School featuring Glen Goodrich of Cabot, Vt. http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060925/COLUMNISTS12/609250338/1002/N

EWS0118)

Columbia Helicopters, Inc., the world leader in heavy-lift helicopter

operations, will soon conduct a selective harvest helicopter logging

project near Northville, New York.A Boeing Vertol 107-II is being used

for the project. The company is logging approximately 600,000 board

feet of maple and cherry from the site for Bailey Forest Products of

Johnstown, New York. The project should take 7 – 10 days to complete.

The timber is being removed from land owned by the Hatchbrook

Sportsman's Club, a 15 member private hunting club whose members reside

in Glenville and Burnt-Hills, NY, small towns south of the logging

site. The Club became interested in the selective harvesting by

helicopter process after reaching an impasse with the State of New York

over access to the land. The property is landlocked by state-owned

land, with no motor vehicle access to the logging sites. Not only will

the Club be able to receive income from its otherwise inaccessible

timber, the remaining timber, land and wildlife will also benefit from

the project. Columbia Helicopters has a great deal of experience in

lifting timber from hard-to-reach areas using existing road systems.

The Portland, Oregon-based firm was the first company in the world to

use helicopters to remove timber from forests, and has since become the

industry leader. Columbia Helicopters' environmentally sensitive method

of logging is becoming increasingly important in the Pacific Northwest.

http://www.verticalmag.com/control/news/templates/?a=2434 & z=5Vermont:19)

Two years ago, when campaigning for re-election as Vermont's governor,

Jim Douglas proclaimed himself to be a Republican in the mold of

Vermont's exalted senator George Aiken, the father of eastern

wilderness. Many people wondered if he would live up to that lofty

standard. Now we know: Douglas is no Aiken; he's not even close.

Working behind the scenes, Douglas sabotaged the U.S. House's approval

of the New England Wilderness Act of 2006 (S.2463), a bill supported by

the congressional delegations of New Hampshire and Vermont, and

approved by unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate on Sept. 19. The

differences between Aiken and Douglas are crystal clear. Aiken would

have championed the establishment of more wilderness, rather than block

it. Aiken would have built bipartisan support for wilderness, rather

than undermine it. Aiken would have offered solid reasoning for his

actions, not flimsy excuses. http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060927/NEWS/609270310/1039/OPINION03

South East Forests:20)

In early 2004 the Forest Service had approved limited timber harvesting

to control disease, invasive species, and wildfire threats in national

forests in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Environmental activist groups filed administrative appeals in April

2004, alleging the management plans would harm watersheds in the

region. Management plans for the forests at issue had not been updated

since 1985. Revised plans were considered necessary to address changing

conditions in the forests. " After a thorough scientific analysis and

consideration of thousands of public comments, the revised plan was

approved by retired Regional Forester Robert Jacobs on April 16, 2004, "

said Kimberly Feltner, spokeswoman for the Daniel Boone National Forest

in Virginia. Added Feltner, Nevertheless, activist groups such as the

Sierra Club and Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) vow to delay

the projects still longer. Representatives of SELC have said they will

challenge several of the projects individually in court, and they are

debating whether to challenge the decision in its entirety. " We will

continue to file legal challenges to stop the worst projects on these

public lands which citizens increasingly value [more] for recreation

and environmental values than for timber, " said Sarah Francisco, staff

attorney for SELC. " We're not going to let them log our roadless areas

or our old-growth forests. We're not going to let them muddy our clean

mountain streams or build roads through remote wildlife habitat. And

we're not going to let them scrape away the forested views along our

trails. " Stretched thin by the need to respond to incessant activist

challenges regarding forest management plans, the Forest Service

required more than two years to address the activists' allegations. http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=19729USA:21)

One-third of adults in the United States say they have gone on a

camping vacation in the past five years, making it the No. 1 outdoor

activity in the country, according to the Travel Industry Association.

Why, then, have national forests begun closing, shortening seasons or

levying steep new fees at campgrounds? What sense does it make to close

campgrounds at the very time that many Americans want nothing more than

a quiet place to pitch a tent? The answer is that the Forest Service is

starved of money to support and maintain campgrounds, hiking trails and

other facilities. Logging revenues are history. The Bush administration

has no interest in outdoor recreation. It's not a priority of Congress,

either. So now the chains and padlocks are about to go up at dozens of

Northwest campgrounds and other sites. The little-used, quiet

campgrounds, with rotting outhouses and moss-covered picnic tables,

will close first. The agency promises to invest what little money it

has in the most popular campgrounds. All this will have the effect of

funneling more and more people into fewer, larger and noisier

campgrounds. If that doesn't sound like your idea of camping, then push

back. Write your representatives in Congress. Complain to the Forest

Service and the Bush administration. http://www.oregonlive.com/editorials/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1159226725288600.xml & col

l=7Canada: 22)

Maple Leaf Day is celebrated every year on the last Wednesday in

September during National Forest Week. It gives Canadians a chance to

reflect on the bond between their lives and the maple leaf – a symbol

of Canadians' historical, economic and environmental link to trees.

Participants were treated to a workshop on the health of trees and

given a guided tour of the arboretum which houses various species of

trees and shrubs. Nationally, there are 41 communities commemorating

Maple Leaf Day. Ken Jewett, founder of Maple Leaves Forever, was on

hand to help present the tree saplings for planting. He says,

"Celebrations like Maple Leaf Day give people an opportunity to see and

learn first hand the impact of a healthy forest on our environment."

Maple Leaves Forever is an organization dedicated to restoring the

Maple tree to the Canadian landscape. Carla Grant, Executive Director

of the Ontario Forestry Association, says, "The theme of National

Forest Week is 'Connecting People and Forests,' and events like Maple

Leaf Day help highlight the importance of forests in our daily lives as

Canadians." In Ontario, there are 59 different tree species and over 71

million hectares of forested land, making Ontario the second largest in

terms of total forested land area among the provinces. This represents

17% of Canada's total forested land area and 2% of the worlds' forests.

http://www.huffstrategy.com/MediaManager/ReadRelease.php?ReleaseID=29923)

The Canadian Wildlife Service is investigating the destruction of great

blue heron nests on Irving-owned land near Cambridge Narrows, N.B. The

forestry company J.D. Irving built a logging road on the land last

summer. It runs through the middle of the nesting colony. Company

spokeswoman Mary Keith says the company has no comment on the situation

while the investigation is underway. Jim Brown is a member of the

Kennebecasis Naturalists Society, and is among several conservationists

who are outraged by the destruction. He estimated that between 12 and

20 nests were destroyed by the logging road, which cuts a wide and

muddy track through the centre of the colony. Intact nests are visible

in tree tops on either side of the road, and damaged nests are also

mixed up among the tangle of cut logs and brush on the roadside.

Another nest dangles from a tree, knocked out of place by a falling

tree cut by a harvester. Brown received an anonymous tip about the

wrecked nests, and passed the information along to investigators with

the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources, who then alerted the

Canadian Wildlife Service. " I was absolutely astonished that this thing

could happen, " he said. " If you were to ask a senior DNR official, or a

forestry company representative, they would tell you that this is

virtually impossible to have happen, with all the checks and balances

that are in place. " http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2006/09/27/nb-heronnests.html24)

The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and the Canadian

Boreal Initiative (CBI), today issued a joint statement regarding

boreal forest conservation. This first ever statement of its kind is a

commitment by both organizations to ensure planning for conservation of

ecological and cultural values prior to new forest tenures in

unallocated part of Canada's boreal forest. The statement recognizes

the urgent challenges facing the boreal forest and some key elements of

a path forward to a more sustainable future for ecological, economic

and cultural sustainability. The agreement references the need for

conservation planning, and scientific and traditional knowledge

research as well as the respect for Aboriginal rights in resource

development decisions. " This agreement is particularly important for

the future of the boreal as it highlights the shared belief that

planning for conservation should occur before new forest tenures are

allocated in Canada's boreal region, " said Larry Innes, Interim of the CBI. " This agreement, which also recognizes that

Aboriginal people must be consulted on decisions affecting their

constitutional rights, is another step in a broader effort on the part

of both our organizations to expand dialogue and work collaboratively

to support the long-term sustainability of the boreal forest and the

communities that depend on it. " http://www.borealcanada.caRussia:25)

Large amounts of greenhouse gases are currently locked in the

permafrost and in organic soils, and if released could accelerate the

greenhouse effect." According to the latest meteorological data,

Siberia seems to warm up even faster than previously predicted by the

Hadley Centre climate model. The warming trend affects mainly the

winter months and leads to an earlier snow melt. The resulting earlier

onset of spring can be detected from a range of satellites, and is

believed to be advancing by as much as 0.5 to 1 day per year since

satellite observations began in 1982. Russian scientist Dr Tchebakova

reported that rainfall in Central Siberia has decreased over the last

30 years. Together with the measured higher temperatures this increases

the risk of catastrophic forest fires. To get better estimates of

carbon emissions, Professor Wooster from Kings College London has been

measuring the heat released from forest fires. But not only do fires

release greenhouse gases while they burn. Dr Le Toan from Toulouse

presented model results which strongly suggest that burned forest areas

release greenhouse gases into the air for up to 30 years after a fire. http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/umwelt_naturschutz/bericht-70982.html

Finland:26)

In the decades between the 1950s and 1970s birch trees in Finland were

considered 'flora non grata' by foresters as they weren't commercially

useful. They were routinely cut down and poisoned to reduce their

numbers. In some areas, the Finns even resorted to spraying the birch

forests with the deadly defoliant Agent Orange, of Vietnam War infamy.

Now however, the birch tree is commercially useful as pulp for the

paper industry. Not surprisingly after destroying so much birch forest

for decades, the Finns don't have enough birch forest left for the

requirements of their timber industry. So now they import birch logs

from Russia, many of which are illegally logged. Our recent

investigation revealed the extent of this trade in illegal logs across

the Russian-Finnish border. The response of the Finnish Government to

the illegal logging uncovered by the investigation has been to shrug

its shoulders: no government action required. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/finland-chainsaw-26090627)

'Hi, my name is Sini Harkki and I would like you to help me in Finland.

I'm a student and in my spare time, I work to save forests in Finland

and around the world. I've been working with Greenpeace helping an

undercover investigation team to expose wood that's been illegally

logged in Russia and imported into Finland. We are trying to make the

Finnish Government take responsibility for this problem, but they've

been avoiding the issue. When we told our Government about this illegal

logging scandal they said that they shouldn't get involved! Wood from

Russia is made into many things, like paper, cardboard for packaging,

plywood and furniture - and you might even be buying it. You can help

by sending a letter to Mr Mauri Pekkarinen, Finland's Minister of Trade

and Industry, asking for laws to stop illegal timber being importedand sold in Europe.' http://write-a-letter.greenpeace.org/70Uganda:28)

The question is, do you cut off your toe because it has jiggers? Or do

you remove the jiggers and allow the toe to recover? It is only

acceptable that we renovate, rehabilitate and restore such resources

and attain the benefits for which they were set up. Pajobo claims that

"a huge chunk of low quality forest was leased for only sh300 million."

The truth is that this compartment had mature trees that had reached

harvestable age. And 2,437 m3 of round wood equivalent to 2,000 trees

of at least 50cm of diameter above breast height were sold (not

leased). These are about 10% of the total number of trees above 10cm

diameter (poles size). By international forestry ratings, this is in no

way a poor secondary tropical forest. Low impact does not mean low

commercial value. It means delicate and not subject to butchering and

decimation such as that proposed by SCOUL. Low impact forest uses

allowed in such zones include recreation and eco-tourism, harvesting of

non-wood products, research and education. Mabira is a regenerating

forest following massive invasion and destruction by encroachers and

their subsequent removal with full support from the NRM government in

the late 1980s. To refer to a regenerating forest (young trees) as a

low value resource and therefore deserving destruction is similar to

saying that the young generation should be done away with because they

are not of decision making age. http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/459/52328029)

Moyo district environment officials have clashed with the National

Forestry Authority officials over the control of community lands and

forest products from the district. The rivalry emerges amidst lucrative

business deals from the sale of forest products like timber, charcoal

and logs to South Sudan by residents. The products are said to be on

high demand in Sudan than on the local market, the reason residents are

flocking the markets. The District Environment Officer, Mr Morris

Edema, has however, accused officials of the forestry body (NFA) of

over assuming powers in the control of tree products from the

area. " National Forestry Authority officials are over exercising their

powers without knowing their boundaries, " Edema said. He said the NFA

has impounded and sold several community pitsaws, bags of charcoal and

timber without the consent of the district environment office. Edema

said the NFA officials impound the products claiming they are being

produced illegally. The forestry body has also often been accused of

encroaching on refugee lands in Itula sub-county, Obongi County. http://allafrica.com/stories/200609251339.htmlKenya:30)

The report compiled by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights

says the taxpayer lost over Sh9 billion worth of prime land to crooked

individuals who received and sold the land to third parties. Among

those listed is a prominent Rift Valley politician and other

individuals who were well connected at the time. " The allocation of

Ngong Road Forest provides a sad example of how public resources have

been used to enrich a few individuals and how State corporations were

used to perpetuate grand corruption, " says the report. The grabbing is

traced back to 1996, when a title deed Grant no I.R 70244 for the

forest was issued to the Treasury PS to hold in trust for the PS

Ministry of Environment.Unknown to the public, the title left out an

area covering 339.8ha. In 1999, the title was surrendered to the

Commissioner of Lands and a leasehold title for 538.2ha issued to the

PS Treasury to hold in trust of Ngong Road Sanctuary. This time round,

another 450ha was left out from the title issued in 1996. In total, an

area covering 789.8ha was left out of the boundaries of Ngong road in

the issuance of the title deeds. It was thereafter allocated to private

individuals for personal and financial gain. The report says State

corporations were not just pressured to lose land entrusted upon them,

but they were also pressured to purchase illegally acquired land at

exorbitant prices. " Many became captive buyers of land from politically

connected allottees, " says the report. In 2001 land, which was part of

Ngong Road Forest was illegally excised, subdivided into 32 plots and

allocated to 13 companies. Between August 28 and the following day in

the same year, the 13 companies sold the plots to Kenya Pipeline

Company for Sh262,388 million. Other illegally allocated land parcels

included 8.8ha set aside for Lang'ata Women's Prison, but later a big

portion was allocated to private developers who have constructed

residential houses. http://allafrica.com/stories/200609250098.htmlRwanda:31)

No more planting of eucalyptus trees and those previously planted in

marshlands or other areas should be uprooted, said an official at the

ministry of lands, environment and Forestry. Claudien Habimana, the

director of forest at the ministry, told The New Times on Tuesday

September 26, that public speculations on dangers of eucalyptus trees

mostly in the areas with low ground water resources prompted government

this year to take serious measures against the species. " We have

communicated to district authorities about the planting of these trees

and we have assigned a special team to monitor the whether the order is

being executed " Habimana said. He point out that the mature eucalyptus

trees in hilly areas with no close contact to water catchments won't be

uprooted until the final results from the field study being carried out

by Institute of Agriculture and Scientific Research (ISAR) is unveiled.

His remarks on possibilities taken by government on dangers of

eucalyptus trees, was in response to the recent scientific findings

unveiled by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) on high water

consumption rate of eucalyptus trees. http://allafrica.com/stories/200609270450.htmlGuyana:32)

The French government will soon decide whether to grant the last

required environmental license for industrial open-air gold mining in

the primary rainforests of French Guyana by the Canadian multinational

Cambior. The site chosen for the project covers 30 square kilometers of

rainforest and an important nature reserve. Local peoples are

protesting by organizing the " No to the Cambior project at Kaw

Mountain " campaign made up of a coalition of 24 organizations in French

Guyana against the gold mining activity. The gold mining activities as

planned by Cambior S.A. will devastate the ecology of these priceless

tropical rainforests of Guyana and their inhabitants. Take action now:

Protected areas, water resources and indigenous peoples will all be

devastated if French Government grants environmental approvals -

decision expected soon!http://www.rainforestportal.org/alerts/send.asp?id=french_guyanaBrazil 33)

The Amazon rainforest, home to a fifth of the planet's plant and animal

species, 200 indigenous cultures, and 30 million people, is in danger

of dying. The Amazon is in the second year of its worst drought on

record. Rivers and lakes have turned to sand and mud, and millions of

fish have died. Brazil's government has declared a state of emergency

across all 253 towns in the region that depend on boats for food,

medicines, and fuel. The drought is being linked to record water

temperatures in the south-west Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, and the

constant destructive logging. But here's the alarming bit. Starting in

2002, Dr Dan Nepstead from the world-class Woods Hole Research Centre

did an experiment in which he covered 2.5 acres of the rainforest with

plastic sheets to see how it would cope when deprived of rain, and

surrounded the area with sophisticated sensors. In the first year, the

trees managed okay. In the second year, they dug their roots deeper in

search of water. In the third year they started dying. The tallest

trees crashed to the ground, exposing the forest floor to the sun. By

the end of the third year, they had released 2/3rds of the carbon

dioxide they had been storing, adding it to the atmosphere's burden.

The Amazon stores 90 billion tonnes of carbon, enough to increase

global warming by 50%. If the drought continues next year, Dr Nepstead

expects mega-fires to sweep across the forest. " With the trees gone,

the soil will bake in the sun and the rainforest could become a

desert. " If the Amazon were to die, the impact would affect the entire

planet, since the hot, wet Amazon evaporates vast amounts of water that

rises high into the sky, drawing in the wet north-east trade winds

which pick up moisture from the Atlantic. Without the forest to absorb

the water and store the carbon, much of the world would become hotter

and dryer. The speed of deforestation is a big factor behind the

drought. About a fifth of the Amazon rainforest has been razed

completely, but another 22% has been logged enough to allow sun to

penetrate the forest floor and dry it out. That brings the total to

42%, close to 50%, which the climate models predict to be the tipping

point for the death of the Amazon. http://www.earthfuture.com/econews/China:34)

CHINA will train 620 endangered Siberian tigers to survive in the wild

as part of a controversial effort to return them to the shrinking

north-east forests. The captive-bred tigers would be taken from

enclosures in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, to a 15-hectare

fenced patch of forest near the mountainous border with North Korea,

Liu Dan, of the Siberian Tiger Artificial Propagation Base, said. Mr

Liu said a trial release of 12 tigers four years ago was promising,

although 10 were back in captivity. Other experts said the plan was

doomed unless the forests of north-east China were better protected

from logging and human encroachment. The world's tigers are at an

estimated 5000 to 7000, down from more than 100,000 in the 19th

century. Siberian tigers, native to northern China, southern Russia and

parts of North Korea, are near extinction in the wild because of

hunting and loss of habitat. Only a few hundred live in the wild. http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/tigers-learn-the-law-of-the-jungle/2006/09/25/1159036473165

..htmlVietnam:35)

After leaving the army, Long did various works to support his family`,

however poverty still followed up his family. He had sleepless night to

find ways to escape poverty. Finally, he discussed with his wife to

sell off all their assets to invest in a farm. He and his wife came to

the chief forest manager to lease forest land to grow aloe wood trees.

The chief forest manager was so happy because for years on the poor

land, none thought of turning the wild forest into " gold " . He did not

hesitate to give him 35 hectares with a 50 years leasing duration.While

local people were still shocked with Long's decision, he announced to

borrow bank loans to build a 3 kilometre road from the commune's main

road leading to the forest. He has effectively used the forest land to

grow suitable trees. His farm has been grown with 10,000 aloe wood

trees since 1997. By now, 3,000 trees have been harvested, bring about

a profit of over VND 40 million. Mr Long said that it was true that all

people could grow aloe wood trees. This required patience for a period

of 10-20 years. Mr Long's way of doing farm work has helped improve his

family economy and the district of Huong Son. More importantly, he has

recruited all unemployed youths to work at his farm and help them

stablise their life with stable income. http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/life/250906/life_t.htmPhilippines:36)

LUCENA CITY -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has

formed a team to investigate the extent and causes of the continuing

destruction of the Sierra Madre mountain ranges in Quezon province. The

team was formed upon the request of the Metro Reina (Real, Infanta,

General Nakar) Multi Stakeholders Forest Management Council (MRMSFMC).

Jay Lim, forest protection program coordinator of Tanggol Kalikasan

(TK, Defenders of Nature), a nationwide public interest environmental

law office, said the team would be led by Environment Undersecretary

Roy Kyamko. The TK joined the MRMSFMC in a dialogue earlier with

Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes. "There's really a need for an

impartial team to conduct the investigation," said Lim. The MRMSFMC is

a multisectoral council composed of local officials, military

officials, nongovernment organizations, indigenous peoples and Church

leaders from Northern Quezon. Infanta Mayor Grace America chairs the

council. In a resolution, the council said that "despite the DENR's

imposition of 'No Cutting' (total log ban) in the region to prevent

forest degradation … there are reported and documented cutting of trees

in the Sierra Madre." The group said it had found several cases

pointing to the involvement of environment officials in illegal

logging. It said the connivance works this way: Newly cut trees are

passed off as retrieved drifted logs and the environment officials

attach spurious documents to make it appear that the logs were just

retrieved and not newly cut. A source said the military in the area had

documents that would unmask the persons behind the illegal logging.

"The Army officials are just waiting for the formal probe to start to

submit the... documents," the informant said. The MRMSFMC has expressed

alarm over continued logging in the Sierra Madre, saying that this

threatened residents of Metro Reina. http://newsinfo.inq7.net/breakingnews/metroregions/view_article.php?article_id=23016

Malaysia:37)

Malaysia will use satellite technology to fight illegal logging and

forest fires nationwide in a bid to protect the country's dwindling

timber resources, a report said Wednesday. Deputy Prime Minister Najib

Razak said the satellite-based data gathering and monitoring system --

previously used in northeastern Kelantan state -- would provide

authorities with a real-time picture of the country's forests. " The

technology will enable the gathering of data on species of flora and

fauna as well as the volume of trees in our forests, " he said. Najib

said the government hoped the new plan would help it preserve the

country's timber resources, the New Straits Times newspaper reported.

In the 1990s alone, Malaysia lost more than 13 percent of its forests,

with much of the deforestation on the island of Borneo, which it shares

with Indonesia and Brunei. The World Wildlife Fund at the time

estimated that illegally logged trees made up about one third of

Malaysia's timber exports. http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Malaysia_To_Use_Satellites_To_Save_Rainforest_999.html

Indonesia:38)

Leading environmental and wildlife agencies called on Friday for a

united effort to protect the habitats of Borneo's orangutans whose

survival is threatened by mass deforestation. Aggressive destruction of

jungles has caused a breathtaking decline in orangutan numbers and

action is urgently needed to lift the threat of their imminent

extinction, non-governmental organisations and Indonesian officials

said. " We would like to develop an action plan putting together all

stakeholders, " said Jito Sugardjito, representing Fauna and Flora

International (FFI) at a meeting in the Borneo town of Pontianak.

Asia's only great ape - which translated from the local Malay language

means " person of the forest " - could be wiped out within 12 years,

environmentalists have warned. The red-haired apes, close kin to

humans, are found only on Borneo, which is shared by Malaysia,

Indonesia and Brunei, and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. In

Borneo, the number of orangutans is estimated to have dropped from 200

000 to 50 000 in the past decade. " Large-scale and co-ordinated actions

are needed so that the limited resources available for securing Bornean

orangutan can be used efficiently and effectively, " said Indonesian

government conservation official Adi Susmianto. Friends of the Earth

warned in a report in September that wildlife centres in Indonesia were

over-run with orphaned baby orangutans that had been rescued from

forests cleared to make way for new palm oil plantations. Malaysia's

palm oil industry denied the accusations on Thursday, saying palm oil

was a strategic, well-planned agricultural industry which supported the

preservation of wildlife including orangutans. " We want the government

to be more transparent and make a commitment to stop the rapid

deforestation, " said Darmawan Liswanto from the Yayasan Titian, an

Indonesian environmental charity. " At the moment it is very

uncontrolled. Nobody is responsible for logging, " he said.http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1 & click_id=31 & art_id=qw1129272840347B253

Australia:39)

POLICE have moved in to remove 30 conservationists who have tried to

prevent logging of forests at a Goongerah coupe in Victoria's east. The

protesters moved into the area yesterday and rigged three platforms in

the canopy of the East Gippsland logging coupe. They had also set up a

tripod on the road to prevent local logging contractors from accessing

the site. Protester Lauren Caulfield said police and officers from the

Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) arrived at the site

at 9.30am (AEST) today. " About 20 police officers are on site declaring

much of the Goongerah water catchment an exclusion zone ... indicating

they will be removing and arresting those up the tree sits and tripod, "

Ms Caulfield said. " Obviously we would prefer not to be forced to take

such actions to protect our water catchment and forests, but the simple

fact of the matter is that Premier Steve Bracks is failing in his duty

to protect these areas, " she said. Goongerah Environment Centre

spokesperson Billy Dain said the coupe was in a water catchment and was

of environmental significance. He said that the protesters were

prepared to be arrested. " By the end of the day I am sure that there

will be a few people arrested, " he said. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20478755-29277,00.html40)

Two women protesting against logging in the Goongerah catchment north

of Orbost have been arrested and charged. Between 30 and 40 protesters

had set up tree sits and a large tripod in the area holding up logging

for two days. The protesters say the logging will reduce the water

supply to the town of Goongerah and run-off into the Brodribb River. In

the past, protesters have been charged with hindering lawful logging

operations. However, yesterday the arrests were on charges of refusing

to leave a public safety zone. http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200609/1750217.htm?gippsland41)

THREE out of four logs exported from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia are

felled illegally and developed countries such as Australia should do

more to stop importing them, says a new report by the World Bank on the

forestry industry. The report by the bank's environment and rural

development departments singles out China for encouraging illegal

logging to supply its booming industry in finished timber products. The

report says illegal logging worldwide is causing losses of assets and

revenue in excess of $US10 billion ($13 billion) annually - more than

six times the amount governments spend on forestry management.

Governments are losing a further $6.4 billion a year in evaded taxes

and royalties through illegal logging. " Large-scale operators continue

with impunity, " says the report, Strengthening Forest Law Enforcement

and Governance. " Arguably, this is the worst form of violation of

equity of justice arising from a clear failure of governance and it

needs to be addressed. " The World Bank findings contradict a report

prepared recently by Australian consultancy ITS Global for Malaysian

forestry giant Rimbunan Hijau, the main logging operator in Papua New

Guinea. The report says consumer countries should do more to reduce the

motive for illegal logging by reforming markets. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20482982-30417,00.html