$140 million gift to the timber industry

[SocialistLez]

http://www.alternet.org/news/149223/senator_tester_slips_bill_calling_for_mandatory_logging_of_public_lands_into_omnibus_spending_bill?page=entire

"U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), strongly backed by Obama and Vilscak, has a bill that was written in secrecy by timber industry lawyers and timber industry lobbyists, a bill often referred to as the “Tester Wildlands Logging Bill,” that was unable to withstand scrutiny from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee due to the financial and environmental costs of its Congressionally-mandated logging quotas, but has now somehow magically appeared on pages 893 to 942 of the 1,942-page $1.3 trillion Senate Omnibus Spending Bill."

"This sets a dangerous precedent for forest management, endangers wildlife and amounts to a $140 million gift to the timber industry courtesy of taxpayers."

[mike_c]

1. as a resident of California's north coast where the timber wars have raged...

...for decades, I deplore the short-sightedness of this legislation and look forward to some more direct action in the woods to stop the rape of North America's remaining timber resources for corporate greed. Earth First!

[Bobbieo]

2. Where was our Sec'y of the Interior is all of this - Guess!!!!