Judge Blocks Timber Sales in Three States

[G_j]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5535221,00.html

Judge Blocks Timber Sales in Three States

Tuesday January 10, 2006 3:47 AM

By GENE JOHNSON

Associated Press Writer

SEATTLE (AP) - A federal judge who struck down a Bush administration decision to ease logging restrictions last summer issued an injunction Monday blocking as many as 144 timber sales in three states.

The sales in Washington, Oregon and northern California had been approved under the administration's decision to stop requiring that the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management look for and protect rare plants and animals before logging on 5.5 million acres covered by the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan.

The Bush administration eliminated the so-called ``survey and manage'' rule in spring 2004 as part of a legal settlement with the timber industry. Environmental groups sued over the decision, arguing that it was arbitrary and that the government had not evaluated what the impact would be on protected species such as the great gray owl.

<snip>
In her decision Monday, she reinstated the survey-and-manage rule, and made clear that no timber sales would proceed unless they met that standard.

..more..

[Rainscents]

1. Great news!

:woohoo:

[kineneb]

2. another "activist" judge

who obeys the letter of the Law! Score one for the flora and fauna.

[Carla in Ca]

11. Amen.

But get out the hankies for Pombo. He's gotta be crying now.

Woo Hoo!!!!!

[roguevalley]

3. thank God!

[wordpix]

4. take that from the environmentalists and spotted owls, you repuke thugs

[wordpix]

5. this is a big movement on the part of BushCo, "streamlining" timber sales,

mining and development of all types in the national forests, BLM lands and other public lands.

[glitch]

6. All part of the looting, because there is no such thing as too rich

when you don't have a soul.

This is great news!

[Divernan]

7. You KNOW Bush will have the fed agency appeal, at taxpayers' expense.

Big Lumber has bribed their lobbyists and the Bush administration handsomely for the right to go onto public lands and clearcut publicly owned timber. The lumber industry is one of the major sources of Corporate Welfare promoted by Bush.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

8. I just hope she watches her back.

She's put out some scary people.

[WhiteTara]

9. Thank you Judge. Your greatness

shines a light for humanity and the earth.

[XemaSab]

10. Excellent news!!!!

:D

[G_j]

12. the Orcs lose a round

:thumbsup: