September 15, 2004
Sen. Smith Lies: Calls needed to stop a salvage logging rider
On September 15, Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) threatened to eliminate all environmental law pertaining to logging in the Biscuit Fire area. In an attempt to intimidate environmentalists days before court-ordered mediation with the timber industry, Smith has vowed to push through a salvage logging rider which would force the destruction of 19,000 acres of ancient forest.
To justify his thwarting of the law, Smith claims that environmental lawsuits have stopped all logging and reforestation work in the Biscuit area. Smith's lies are easily disproved. For example, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals record clearly shows that only a handful of sales have been legally enjoined, 47 million board-feet of timber out of a total of 372 mmbf proposed.
Below you will find photographic and video evidence damning to Smith's bogus claims. Video shot on September 14, 2004 shows the felling of a burned old-growth tree. Workers have loaded and hauled thousands of truckloads of burned and green trees from Biscuit this summer and the work continues to this day.
Download Quicktime Movie 3.0 Megabyte file
Download Low Quality Quicktime Movie 0.19 Megabyte file
You will also find a still shot below, showing numerous workers cutting and piling young burned trees in a plantation at Biscuit. This ongoing work is an attempt at reforestation of burned plantations and is happening now throughout the Biscuit area, despite Smith's incorrect claims.
 Police officer |
 Cutting, piling and replanting. |
Earlier photos dispel additional Biscuit myths. Some timber sales are filled with green trees, including endangered old-growth Port Orford Cedar. Activists examining the Biscuit timber sales, looking for inaccuracies, have been subject to police harassment. When it comes to the more than 100 trees stolen in one Biscuit logging area, however, no arrests have been made.
PLEASE MAKE TWO CALLS TODAY
The quicker we can demonstrate a strong public mandate to protect the Biscuit the better. We can squelch Smith's drive to push this through and strengthen Senator Ron Wyden's (D-OR) weak opposition to business by rider. Below you will find numbers for both Senators. Just call the receptionist (local business hours Monday thru Friday) and register your opinion. Smith's people could be told that you are disappointed that he is throwing out environmental law to log at Biscuit. Wyden's people could be asked for a public statement renouncing Smith's moves.
EXTRA CREDIT - You can (some have and it is fast) call each of the offices and say the same things. You can call on each of several days. You can also spread the message. The following story has more information about the proposed Biscuit logging project.
Senator Gordon Smith
DC 800-839-5276 (Ask for Gordon Smith)
Portland 503-326-3386
Medford 541-608-9102
Eugene 541-465-6750
Bend 541-318-1298
Pendleton 541-278-1129
Senator Ron Wyden
DC 800-839-5276 (Ask for Ron Wyden)
Portland 503-326-7525
Medford 541-858-5122