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“Fix Our Forests Act” is Just Another Destructive Logging Bill in Disguise
In the wake of recent wildfires that have devastated numerous human communities, Representatives Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Scott Peters (D-CA) have introduced the “Fix Our Forests Act.” The bill, touted as a solution to enhance forest health and protect towns from wildfires, in reality is a logging bill that would roll back bedrock environmental laws and would actually increase, not decrease, the threats to vulnerable communities.
Biden Old-Growth Amendment is Logging Plan in Disguise
The Biden Administration’s new Old-Growth Amendment Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) predictably endorses commercial logging in old-growth forests, under the guise of wildfire management and forest health. This draft allows the logging of mature and old-growth trees, contradicting extensive scientific research, including studies by the U.S. Forest Service itself, which show that such practices worsen wildfire risks. Ignoring pleas from over 200 scientists, the administration’s plan prioritizes logging over genuine forest protection, putting these vital ecosystems and surrounding communities at greater risk.
Over 200 Scientists and Over 200 Environmental Groups Urge Biden to Protect Mature and Old-Growth Forests for Real
In early 2024, over 200 scientists and over 200 environmental and environmental justice groups signed letters to the Biden Administration, urging the Administration to completely protect all mature and old-growth forests on federal public lands from logging, including “thinning”, and regardless of the reasons that federal land agencies claim for wanting to sell public trees…
Sen. Feinstein and Rep. Panetta join Republicans in Disasterous Logging Bill
With a short title of the “Emergency Wildfire and Public Safety Act of 2020” you would think that this piece of legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress would be focused on actually protecting communities from wildland fire. Unfortunately, you would be mistaken. Out of its 53 pages, 4 Titles and 13 Sections, there is exactly…
Who Was John Muir, Really?
We have often been conditioned to think idealistically about great historical figures as icons, institutions, or superheroes, despite the historical context of their times, but that’s a mistake. They are all people, and their lives have arcs that may involve major changes and transformations. They are a product of their upbringing but it is up…
Over 200 Top U.S. Climate and Forest Scientists Urge Congress: Protect Forests to Mitigate Climate Crisis
As multiple current legislative proposals attempt to shoehorn measures that would increase logging, or increase funding for logging, into COVID-19 stimulus packages, over 200 top U.S. climate and forest scientists are now asking Congressional leaders to avoid using the pandemic emergency as a means for stripping away forest protections and promoting logging
A Trillion Trees in Rep. Bruce Westerman’s Hands Means A Trillion Stumps
BY RACHEL FAZIO | FEBRUARY 15, 2020 In an effort to springboard off President Trump’s recent pledge to join the global community in planting a trillion trees to increase the amount of carbon drawn out of the atmosphere and help us to mitigate the worst effects of the climate crisis, Rep. Bruce Westerman, a pro-logging…
Senator Feinstein on the Wrong Path Regarding Forests
At the Tahoe Summit this week in Lake Tahoe, California Senator Dianne Feinstein unveiled her plan to fight climate change, by pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into logging and vegetation removal projects on public-lands, and circumventing public participation in how National Forests are managed. Although she did not speak of it at this event,…
CALL Gov. Newsom TODAY! Urge Him to Use Housing Funds to Help Fire-Affected Communities Rather than Log Wildlife Habitat in the Rim Fire.
California received $70 million dollars in funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that was supposed to help communities affected by wildfire. Instead of using this money to assist people in communities where many homes were lost during recent fires (like Paradise or Santa Rosa), California is planning to use these…
Urge the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to STOP Funding Logging in California’s Forests!
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Logging Didn’t Stop the Camp Fire
Since the Camp Fire burned there has been a lot of discussion in the media and much chest pounding from pro-logging advocates and politicians, including of course President Trump, that if only California would log more of its forests, towns and lives would be saved. Nothing could be further from the truth, and in this…
CALLS NEEDED NOW: To Keep Dangerous Logging Provisions out of the Farm Bill
With the Camp and Woolsey fires in California on the verge of being put out, and the shocking loss of thousands of homes, 80+ lives and hundreds still missing settling in, people are looking for answers as they try to understand how a tragedy such as this can be prevented in the future. But not…
Save the Date #GivingTuesday
Happy Giving Season! #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday-NOVEMBER 27-following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. We at John Muir…
Help Protect Rim Fire Habitat- Please Send your Email Today!
Habitat in the Rim Fire is under threat and we need your help today! A state agency, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, is planning to use Federal taxpayer dollars, which were supposed to help communities recover from natural disasters, to log rich habitat created by the Rim Fire in remote areas of the Stanislaus National…
ACTION ALERT: Tell Sierra Nevada Conservancy – #ProtectRimFire Forests and Wildlife from Logging
Nature’s Resiliency on full display in Rim Fire. Don’t Cut down my home for biomass energy!
ACTION NEEDED: Sierra Nevada Conservancy Biomass Logging Threatens Rim Fire Burn Area Recovery!
May 3, 2018: In 2013 the Rim Fire burned 257,000 acres in/near Yosemite, now the resilience of our native forests is on full display!
Republican’s 2018 Farm Bill: Forget Nutrition, Let’s Cutdown our Public Land Forests Instead!
April 27, 2018: In a partisan move, Republicans in Congress have decided that instead of being the lungs of our planet, or, you know, ecosystems which give us clean air, clean water, offer the best carbon storage and sequestration and provide refuge for both wildlife and people alike, our Forests are crops and only…
Protecting America’s Forests From Logging is Necessary to Reach Climate Goals
April 25, 2018: Climate Change is happening, temperature on the Earth is rising, in fact 17 U.S. towns are starting to relocate due to climate caused sea level rise. So how does forest protection factor into this equation? Most people understand that protecting rainforests in Brazil and Indonesia is essential to combat the impacts of…
ACTION ALERT: Congress Rollsback Environmental Laws In Bad Omnibus Deal – Call Senators Today
It is not Christmas, but Congress has a big gift for the timber industry in its newly proposed must pass (by this Friday, March 23rd at midnight no less) Omnibus Appropriations Bill which contains anti-environmental policy provisions that would expedite Logging on National Forests – exempting, through a Categorical Exclusion (“CE”) logging projects as…
Environmental Groups To Congress: Wildfire “Funding Fix” Will Not Help Forests Or Communities
March 19, 2018: Today, forest protection organizations from around the country sent a letter to Congress detailing why the so called “Wildfire Disaster Funding Act” fails to fix any issues related to wildland fire. It would not protect communities, it would not lower costs, and it would harm our public forests. The text of…
Congressional “Fire Funding Fix” Proposals Bad Deal for the Environment, Scientists Say
MARCH 16, 2018: Today over 200 Scientists sent a letter to Congress urging them to walk away from behind-closed-door Omnibus Appropriation bargaining to bring into existence a so called “Fix” for the way that wildfire suppression is funded by the Federal Government. Current backroom proposals run the gamut of authorizing billions of dollars each year…
Little Hoover Committee Report Ignores Best Available Science in Favor of Logging
Governor Brown’s Little Hoover Commission released a Report this week “Fire on the Mountain: Rethinking Forest Management in the Sierra Nevada”. Unfortunately this report is often factually inaccurate, ignores science and simply pushes for more logging to prop up dwindling rural economies. The John Muir Project submitted extremely detailed comments and attended public meetings –…
New Study: Post-Fire Logging is a Threat to California Spotted Owl
BIG BEAR CITY, California (18 Jan 2018)- Wildlife ecologists studying the rare spotted owl in the forests of California have discovered that large, intense wildfires are not responsible for abandonment of breeding territories. Instead, the researchers found that post-fire logging operations, which are common on both private and National Forest lands, most likely caused declines…
More Bad News For Bears Ears!
The reduction of Bears Ears National Monument to 15% of the original size has been a controversial topic in the western states since the action was proposed in the early days of the Trump presidency, and rightly so. This vast geological wonderland was given Monument protection by President Obama under the Antiquities Act to…
Conservationists Urge Congress: Keep It Clean on Year End Spending Bills
No Anti-environmental Riders on Government Funding! As Congress attempts to keep the government open as the year comes to a close , conservationists voice their concern over controversial provisions which would roll back environmental laws, weaken protections for endangered species and exacerbate climate change. From Gray Wolves, to National Forests, to the Sage Grouse,…
Myth Bustin Monday – TRUTH: Fires Benefit Wetlands!
Clark County Wetlands Park, Las Vegas Nevada. Photo from Vegas.com website. When you think of wildfires, you may not immediately think of wetlands. But the seldom seen blazes in these ecosystems carry incredible ecological benefits! Wetlands are areas of land that are saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally. What makes wetlands so distinct…
Myth Bustin’ Monday: Wildland Habitat Destruction No Help For Homes.
As many of you know, neighborhoods in Southern California have been heavily and tragically impacted by fire over the past week. One of the Myths that has been floating around for years, and gains traction whenever there is a fire which affects communities, is that increasing logging (or as they now like to call it…
Myth Bustin’ Monday: Dead Trees and Fire Intensity
December 4, 2017 In the West, we often have periods of drought. With these periods of drought our native bark beetle populations have a tendency to increase. This is a natural process, nature’s design for balancing our ecosystems in times of scarcity, which results in the least fit trees within our forests being killed. Ecologists…
Wildfire Science Briefing to U.S. Congressional Offices a Success
On June 22, 2017 the John Muir Project organized and participated in a panel briefing for Congressional offices to help inform them about the science related to Wildfires. Over 39 Congressional and Senate offices as well as committee staff from both houses attended the briefing. In addition, John Muir Project produced a live video feed…
Rim Fire Burn Area Under Attack Again! Comments Due by June 26th 2017
About four years ago, the Rim Fire spread across and burned 257,000 acres near and in Yosemite National Park. In the immediate aftermath of that fire logging interests began pressing the U.S. Forest Service to open up burned forest lands to clearcutting. Environmentalists challenged the logging interests, in an effort to protect California Spotted Owls…