Four Forests Restoration Initiative (“4FRI”), Arizona

[cmsms_row data_padding_bottom=”30″ data_padding_top=”0″ data_bg_color=”#7b8855″ data_bg_color_custom=”true” data_color=”first” data_padding_right=”15″ data_padding_left=”15″ data_width=”fullwidth”][cmsms_column data_width=”1/1″][cmsms_heading type=”h5″ font_weight=”400″ font_style=”normal” text_align=”center” target=”self” custom_colors=”true” color=”#f0ebd8″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”30″ animation=”slideInRight” animation_delay=”0″]Under the guise of restoring forests located in the four corners area of the American Southwest to their natural historic condition, the US Forest Service has proposed a massive logging project on over 400,000 acres of National Forest lands in northern Arizona as part of the so-called “Four Forests Restoration Initiative” (a.k.a., “4FRI”).[/cmsms_heading][cmsms_text animation=”slideInLeft” animation_delay=”1000″]

In addition to being based upon unsupported and outdated assumptions about historic fire regimes, historic forest conditions and fire ecology, the massive “4FRI” logging project poses a particular conservation risk to the Federally listed Mexican spotted owl by targeting owl habitat for logging (including nest core areas), ostensibly to “save” the owl from mixed-intensity fire.

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Mexican Spotted Owl
Copyright 2006 Monica Bond

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The Forest Service has no evidence that fire is a threat to spotted owls
and has ignored current scientific research showing that:

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A

Optimal Mexican spotted owl nesting/roosting habitat is much denser than the unnatural conditions the Forest Service intends to create on most of the 400,000 acres through logging.

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B

Spotted owls, including the Mexican spotted owl, are thriving in territories that have experienced mixed-intensity fire but have not been post-fire logged.

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C

Mexican spotted owls have left their unburned old forest nest core in order to winter in mixed-intensity fire areas, where the food they eat (i.e., the small mammal prey base) is 2 to 6 times more abundant than in unburned old forest.

[/cmsms_text][/cmsms_column][/cmsms_row][cmsms_row data_padding_bottom=”30″ data_padding_top=”0″ data_bg_color=”#ffffff” data_bg_color_custom=”true” data_color=”default” data_padding_right=”15″ data_padding_left=”15″ data_width=”fullwidth”][cmsms_column data_width=”1/1″][cmsms_heading type=”h2″ font_weight=”400″ font_style=”normal” text_align=”center” target=”self” margin_top=”50″ margin_bottom=”30″ animation_delay=”0″]Check out our comments![/cmsms_heading][cmsms_text animation_delay=”0″]

John Muir Project 4FRI Draft Environmental Impact Statement Comments

John Muir Project 4FRI Objection Letter

Objection from William Baker, P.HD.

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