Grex Environment Conference

View Responses

Grex Environment Item 26: Michigan Biodiversity Project
Entered by val on Thu Jan 12 00:00:27 UTC 1995:

        Conservation Action Alert

Boundry Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Threatened by Logging  -- Calls and 
Letters Needed

The U.S. Forest Service is planning to cut over 4 million board feet of
lumber in a critical ecological corridor linking the two segements of the 
BACAW.  This Wilderness is is of naional and global significance.  If
allowed, the logging will severly fragment the corridor and damage the
BACAW.  The area surrounding the sale site is already heavily fragmented
from previous timber sales including massive clearcuts on adjacent State
Forest Lands.

There are several major problems withe this timber sale, including:

%The Forest Service has failed to adequately evaluate the effects of 
the logging on the sensitive and rare species including Boreal Owl,
Canada Lynx, Pine Marten, Fisher, Wolverine and others.

%The role of the area as a corridor linking the Wilderness was 
completely ignored in the Environmental Assessment

%The suitablity of the old white pine stands in the sale area for 
a  Research Natural Area <RNA> was ignored.  The Superior NF has
indicated it intends to disregard the clear directions in the 
Superior NF Land and Resource Management Pland for designating RNAs 
though they plan on continuing to log potential RNA sites.

%Taxpayers will lose over $140,000 on this timber sale.  This is a 
budget-bustingBelow Cost Timber sale.

%The intergrety of the BACAW was never considered even though
!chat vampyre
clearcuts are planned within a 1/4 mile of teh Wilderness boundry.

The sale area is bisected by a snow moblie trail.  Loggin 
activity carries a very real risk to recreational users of the
trail.  A sled dog musher wasrecently killed by a logging truck in 
the area <within the last two years>.  The sale threatens sustainable
recreational and tourism economies.

In response tjo this loggin proposa, Superior dWilderness Action Network
and the Minnesota Ecosystms Recovery Project have appealed the sale and
are asking for it's complete withdrawl.  At a minimum, preparation of an
Environmental Impact Statement to correct the gross defeciencies in the 
Environmnetal Assessment is necessary.

What you can do:  Call or write Butch Marita, Regional Forester, Region 9
USDA Forest Service, 310 West Wisconsin Ave. Suite 500, Milwaukee, Wi
53203

Mr Marita is the Regional Forester for Region ( and will ultimately rule 
on this appeal.  Ask him to stop the Bear Cub Timber Sale on the Gunflint
Ranger District of the Superior National Forest.  Or, insist that the 
Forest Service prepare and Environmental Impact Statement on the sale.
Time is critical and your letters and calls will make a huge difference.
More info:  517-522-8084  <Michigan Biodiversity Project

6 responses total.

#1 of 6 by val on Thu Jan 12 00:03:15 1995:

sorry about the typos and the chat message.  this is what MBP is 
working on right now.  i'll get a description of the group in as soon as 
i can.  any help is appreciated!!

#2 of 6 by mwarner on Thu Jan 12 04:27:27 1995:

What is the time frame on this cut?  NFS does have a review period, but
unfortunately the window is very small on large cuts granted well in the
future.

  Who is the NFS biologist?  This person may be powerless, but might be a
better talking partner than the forester in looking toward future cuts.

#3 of 6 by rcurl on Thu Jan 12 06:49:03 1995:

Is the BWCAW a federally designated Wilderness Area, now? The Fall 1994
issue of Wilderness (The Wilderness Society) has a list of all such
wilderness areas in the US. There is none called Boundary Waters...
in Wisconsin (there is a Headwaters W.A.). I think I must assume that
the area is not designated as a Wilderness Area (yet), or the FS would
have a lot more opposition. I ask about this to determine the exact
legal status of the area, as what can be done depends upon that. 

Second, have any of the "heavy hitters" gotten involved? Sierra Club,
The Wilderness Society, National Audubon Soc., National Resources and
Defense Council, etc? I recall that Wisconsin has quite a strong
natural areas inventory system, but I don't know too much about the
particular activist state environmental organizations.

#4 of 6 by val on Fri Jan 13 17:38:46 1995:

Okay here are the answers to your questions:
        The appeal will be decided at the end of January so letters and 
calls need to be in by then.  Also this timber cut is scheduled for 
latere in this year.  

        Dave Zaber who wrote the appeal has talked to the state biologist
and he is completely ineffectual, they have argued several times on the phone.

        The BWCAW is not a Wilderness area i think the "wilderness"
is just part of hte areas name.  So this area is open to logging.

        Also the Sierra Club has gotten involved to some extent.
Most proposed cuts like this are stalled by individual action.  If there is 
enough puplic outcry, the USFS doesn't think the cuts are worth it.
An earlier proposed road through a wetland was stopped ion this manner/

Thanks for your time

#5 of 6 by nephi on Thu Mar 23 02:06:13 1995:

What was the resolution of this?

#6 of 6 by val on Thu Mar 23 14:11:38 1995:

they decided to go ahead with the cut, but eliminated all white pine stands
from the cut area  <since white pine in the BACAW has the worst record of 
regeneration due to several factors>
yet again the forest disservice goes ahead with a porely planned
cut  :(

Response not possible - You must register and login before posting.