Urgent alert-Minnesota Wolves Need Your Help   Sierra Club Action-#198           EDF News

 Follow-Up to Minnesota Wolves Need Your Help   Stop India's Maheshwar Dam  ENS News 4-24-00

                                                                                                                                         RAN News

from World Wildlife April 17, 2000

Earth Day Actions

If you have any questions or comments, please go to:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/forms/feedback.cfm *


--Earth Day Actions: Earth Day is April 22, 2000.
Explore WWF's Earth Day site to learn more about what
you can do this earth day to help save our living
planet! Download a new WWF screensaver, send a free
electronic Earth Day postcard, and even learn simple
recipes to replace your household cleaners!  Come be
part of the celebration, and learn what WWF is doing
around the world to support Earth Day 2000. You can
learn more about what you can do for Earth Day 2000 at:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/earthday

--How can you help? Here are 5 steps you can take to
help protect our planet from global warming:
1. Install low-flow showerheads that use less water.
2. Ask your utility company for a home energy audit.
3. Whenever possible, walk, bike, carpool, or use
mass transit.
4. Insulate walls and ceilings to save about 25% on
heating bills.
5. Support the Earth Day 2000 Clean Energy Agenda at
http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org

--Miles for the Wild: Take action to save endangered species!
Miles for the Wild runs through Earth Day, April 22nd. Earn a
minimum of 5 miles per dollar donated. ClickMiles earned by
donating will be doubled by an anonymous donor will match
donations over $200. Also, shop at AnimalPlanet.com, Ebags.com,
WorldSpy.com or AreYouGame.com, and a percentage of your
purchase will go to WWF. Go Wild! Get Miles!
http://www.worldwildlife.org/miles/index.htm?m417

--Help save our living planet, pass this email message on to a friend.


This email is being sent to everybody who accepted
World Wildlife Fund's Living Planet Pledge, signed up for
the Earth Day Alert, or  joined our "what's new" mailing
list. These lists are now combined into one "what's new
at WWF online" list. The purpose of this message is to keep
you informed about what WWF is doing, as well as what
you can do to help save life on Earth and protect wildlife
and wildlands.

from Union of Concerned Scientists April 17, 2000

Sign UCS's Clean Car Pledge online

and you'll be able to enter a free drawing to win a new Toyota Prius, no strings attached.  The Prius is the first family-sized, hybrid-electric vehicle to go on sale in the U.S.  It should get an average of 55 MPG and meet California's stringent SULEV standard for tailpipe emissions.

To sign the clean car pledge, just click on the pledge
site at http://www.cleancarpledge.org.  After signing
the pledge, you will be able to enter the free contest.
The contest winner will be announced on Earth Day,
April 22.

To help UCS's clean car campaign, please forward this
email to as many friends, family and colleagues as
possible.  If they sign online before April 22, they
will also have an opportunity to win the Prius.

For more information about the Clean Car Pledge
Campaign, please contact Michael Pancook at the Union of
Concerned Scientists at mpancook@ucsusa.org or 510-843-
1872.

GOOD LUCK!!!

from Wilderness Society April 19, 2000

Wilderness Society News - http://www.wilderness.org.au

19 April 2000

VICTORY

Southern NSW Forest Agreement: major step forward for forest protection
but wilderness areas still threatened by woodchipping
 * http://www.wilderness.org.au/projects/Forests/srfaresult.html

Help us achieve more wilderness victories.
Become a Wilderness Defender.
Freecall 1800 030 641 or visit
http://www.wilderness.org.au/join/#wilderness_defender

______________________________________________________________________

LATEST MEDIA RELEASES

- Tuckey changes export regulations to protect Daishowa
- "Who will be the next to fall?": Victims of violence in Victoria release
report of violence and police bias
- New blueprint to take SA parks system into the 21st Century
- Central Western NSW forests safe from the charcoal burner but await full
protection
- NSW carbon and biodiversity credits proposal: big questions remain
unanswered
- WA rallies against old growth assault
- Cape York wake up call to Prime Minister and Queensland Premier
 * http://www.wilderness.org.au/news/media/

______________________________________________________________________

EVENTS

- [Sydney] Staying Alive: The Future of the Reef - 6 May
- [Hobart] Wilderness Society Slide Show - 2 May
- [Tasmania] Styx Valley to be lit by 'Star of Hope' - 24 April
- [Launceston] Ben Lomond Forest Tour - 23 April
- [Byron Bay] Blues and Roots Music Festival - 21 April
- [Tasmania] Discover the Secret Giants of the Styx Forest - Jan-May
 * http://www.wilderness.org.au/calendar/

______________________________________________________________________

POSITION VACANT

Melbourne: Fundraising/Office Manager

 * http://www.wilderness.org.au/calendar/20000419_ev.html


______________________________________________________________________

This message comes to you from The Wilderness Society News List.

This is a free, low-volume, announcement-only email list, so you won't get
bombarded by messages from other people on the list. We expect to be
sending no more than 1 or 2 messages per month to this list.

The Wilderness Society is a national, community-based, environmental
advocacy organisation whose mission is to protect, promote and secure the
future of wilderness and other high conservation areas.

Since its formation in 1976, The Wilderness Society has protected over
five million hectares of wilderness in Australia, including Kakadu, the
Daintree, Kangaroo Island, south west Tasmania, Australia's sub-Antarctic
Islands and Shark Bay.

To take action on behalf of wilderness today, visit our website at
http://www.wilderness.org.au/

______________________________________________________________________

To subscribe to this list, visit our website at
http://www.wilderness.org.au/about/newslist.html


______________________________________________________________________
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from Worldwildlife April, 2000

Save Soda Mountain For All Americans

Dear WWF Conservation Action Network Activist:

Please help convince President Clinton to designate public lands in the
Soda Mountain area of southern Oregon as a national monument and
protect its globally outstanding rare and diverse plants and wildlife.  
Soda Mountain's wild and scenic landscape of high ridges and steep
canyons shelters one of the great treasure-troves of life in the West.  
The region encompasses trout streams, ancient stands of fir and pine,
flower-strewn meadows, towering volcanic cliffs, and rich grasslands
dotted with magnificent oaks.  Here the plants and animals of several
ecoregions merge into an amazing array of natural variety.

For the past six months, the Soda Mountain area has been under study
by Secretary of  Interior Bruce Babbitt as a candidate for national
monument designation.  World Wildlife Fund, the Soda Mountain
Wilderness Council, and numerous other local, regional, and national
groups support national monument designation for the Soda Mountain
area.

Unfortunately, this ecologically priceless landscape is now threatened
by commercial livestock grazing, logging, off-road vehicle abuse, and
piecemeal management.  President Clinton needs to hear about the
vital importance of this region for the biodiversity of the West, and
about the critical need to protect it as a national monument for future
generations.

Please show President Clinton that there is tremendous support for
protecting this phenomenal landscape.  Go to
http://takeaction.worldwildlife.org/ to send him a free message today

from the Coalition to Protect Predators April 19, 2000

                           URGENT ALERT
MINNESOTA WOLVES NEED YOUR IMMEDIATE HELP

On April 18th, 2000, the Minnesota Senate passed a wolf management
plan that will threaten the long-term survival of wolves in Minnesota
and the Great Lakes region as a whole.  The bill goes to the House for
a vote on Wednesday, April 19th (where it is expected to pass) and
then lands on Governor Jesse Ventura's desk. 

PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL GOVERNOR VENTURA BY
FRIDAY, APRIL 21st AND ASK HIM TO VETO HOUSE FILE
3046.

The most serious problem with this bill is that it sets very lenient
standards for the taking of gray wolves.  It allows citizens to obtain
"predator control certification" permits to trap and shoot wolves
within a one-mile radius of areas where livestock or pet depredation
has occurred.  However, wolf controllers are not obligated to trap only
offending wolves, but are permitted to kill all wolves in a designated
"predator control area."  In addition, depredation incidents don't have
to be current.  Anyone who has experienced livestock or pet
depredation within the past five years can request a predator control
area be opened for wolves.  This system almost guarantees that the
wolves being killed won't be the offending animals. Wolf controllers
will be paid $150 per wolf killed, a modern form of bounty and an
incentive to kill as many wolves as possible .

Also according to the bill, the state will be divided into two zones, A
and B.  Taking of wolves by individuals is allowed in both zones if
wolves are considered to be a threat, with threat defined as the
perception that wolves are "stalking, attacking, or killing livestock, a
guard animal or a domestic pet."  The term "stalking" is a more
obscure description of behavior than the word "pursuing," which is the
term used in other wolf management plans.  Anyone can claim they
believe a wolf is "stalking" their livestock, just by seeing it in the
vicinity of their farm. Within Zone A, the alleged wolf protection zone,
wolf control areas can be set up for 60 days and in Zone B, the
timeframe is not regulated at all.

Though at present the gray wolf still enjoys the protection of the
federal Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is
hoping to delist wolves in Minnesota and give management of the
species back to the state.  While the FWS has said that they will not
delist wolves unless the states have management plans in place that
ensure the long-term survival of the species, there is no guarantee that
they won't move forward with delisting as soon as any plan is passed. 
 

Please call Gov. Ventura immediately, remind him that he was
elected under the platform of being the people's governor and ask him
to veto House File 3046. This bill does not reflect the type of wolf
management desired by the people representing myriad stakeholders on
Minnesota's wolf citizen's roundtable committee.  The passage of this
wolf bill undermines the democratic process and shows a complete
lack of respect for all those who reached a good faith compromise on
the management of Minnesota's gray wolves during the five months of
intense negotiations last year.  Furthermore, it puts wolves in the
Upper Midwest in imminent danger of becoming endangered once
again.
Gov. Ventura can be reached at:
Phone: 651-296-3391
Fax: 651-296-2089
jesseventura@jesseventura.org or office@jesseventura.org 
 

from the Coalition to Protect Predators April 19, 2000

  Subject: RE: ACTION ALERT - Help needed to Protect MN Wolves!

URGENT COALITION MEMBERS
You may ahve recieved the following alert form Defenders.... and it may
have been confusing to you with the new bill numbers ... the text about the
bill  of the alert is correct EXCEPT for the last paragragh regarding the
roundtable process. .

Here is what happened ... HF 1415 originaled form an amendment    tacked
on to another hunting tax bill  #  3046 (along with other amending tax
laws)     We need to make this clear ... that the wolf plan has been
slipped by the full Senate who refused to vote on it Monday ...  so they
stuck it on this bill just to get it passed since HF1415 is stalled in
conference ....
The action that occured is not posted under the legislative wolf
bill info....

PLEASE PLEASE ... DO NOT SUPPORT THE ROUNDTABLE BILL WHEN YOU WRITE TO
VENTURA!!!!  THOSE OF US WHO WERE STAKEHOLDERS ON THE ROUNDTABLE BILL AND
HAVE FOUGHT FOR THE WOLF HERE FOR OVER 30 YEARS DO NOT SUPPORT THIS
POSITION !!!!!!


WRITE AND OR CALL VENTURA BUT ......... There is no reason

There is no reason to mention of the roundtable process as if it
provided any better management .. it was almost as lenient as this
amendment AND certainly just as bad!!  By trying to point to it as good
management we may be stuck with it ,  a landowner shoot on sight bill,  as
a precedent in the future .

  THE ROUNDTABLE BILL does NOT  represent the  "type of wolf
management desired by the

people representing myriad stakeholders"  on the RT panel ...

as a stakeholders who actually served on that panel for days and
hours ,   we  find  it very upsetting to have it stated below that WE
support it...

Groups that want to continue to supporrt the liberal killing plan
called the  roundtable bill  may  do so BUT  don't claim the people who
served on that panel do support it ....
only a few "environmentalists" who brokereed the deal do support
it , and also testified they support hunting and trapping of wolves in the
future.   In fact,  even the ranchers,trappers, hunters and DNR hate the
Roundtable for the opposite reason ... they wanted more killing .   It is
not sound to keep pointing to the Roundtable bll as a good compromise
...........

REMIND JESSE WE HAVE A  New State motto  FOR TOURISM.....

" If you want to kill something ... come to Minnesota "

I'LL SEND NEWS ARTICLES NEXT ......  THANKS , Karlyn  .


WOLFLINES ACTION ALERT
===================================================
April 18, 2000

                            URGENT ALERT
             MINNESOTA WOLVES NEED YOUR IMMEDIATE HELP

On April 18th, 2000, the Minnesota Senate passed a wolf management
plan that will threaten the long-term survival of wolves in Minnesota
and the Great Lakes region as a whole.  The bill goes to the House for
a vote on Wednesday, April 19th (where it is expected to pass) and
then lands on Governor Jesse Ventura. s desk.

PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL GOVERNOR VENTURA BY
FRIDAY, APRIL 21st AND ASK HIM TO VETO HOUSE FILE
3046.

The most serious problem with this bill is that it sets very lenient
standards for the taking of gray wolves.  It allows citizens to obtain
. predator control certification. permits to trap and shoot wolves
within a one-mile radius of areas where livestock or pet depredation
has occurred.  However, wolf controllers are not obligated to trap only
offending wolves, but are permitted to kill all wolves in a designated
. predator control area..   In addition, depredation incidents don. t have
to be current.  Anyone who has experienced livestock or pet
depredation within the past five years can request a predator control
area be opened for wolves.  This system almost guarantees that the
wolves being killed won. t be the offending animals. Wolf controllers
will be paid $150 per wolf killed, a modern form of bounty and an
incentive to kill as many wolves as possible.

Also according to the bill, the state will be divided into two zones, A
and B.  Taking of wolves by individuals is allowed in both zones if
wolves are considered to be a threat, with threat defined as the
perception that wolves are . stalking, attacking, or killing livestock, a
guard animal or a domestic pet..   The term . stalking. is a more
obscure description of behavior than the word . pursuing,. which is the
term used in other wolf management plans.  Anyone can claim they
believe a wolf is . stalking. their livestock, just by seeing it in the
vicinity of their farm. Within Zone A, the alleged wolf protection zone,
wolf control areas can be set up for 60 days and in Zone B, the
timeframe is not regulated at all.

Though at present the gray wolf still enjoys the protection of the
federal Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is
hoping to delist wolves in Minnesota and give management of the
species back to the state.  While the FWS has said that they will not
delist wolves unless the states have management plans in place that
ensure the long-term survival of the species, there is no guarantee that
they won. t move forward with delisting as soon as any plan is passed.


Please call Gov. Ventura immediately, remind him that he was
elected under the platform of being the people. s governor and ask him
to veto House File 3046.

*********THE COALITION DOES NOT SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING ACTION  OR
STATEMENT*********
This bill does not reflect the type of wolf
management desired by the people representing myriad stakeholders on
Minnesota. s wolf citizen. s roundtable committee.  The passage of this
wolf bill undermines the democratic process and shows a complete
lack of respect for all those who reached a good faith compromise on
the management of Minnesota. s gray wolves during the five months of
intense negotiations last year.
*******************************************************                          

from Global Response April 20, 2000

Dear Members of Global Response's "Quick Response Network:"

Last year Global Response conducted 2 successful letter campaigns opposing
Terminator Seed technology.  Our letters to Monsanto helped persuade the
company to abandon development of terminator technology.  And letters to
the General Secretary of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
helped persuade him to declare his opposition to the development of
terminator technologies.  Here's a report from Rural Advancement Foundation
International (RAFI) on the latter victory:

FAO'S DIOUF SAYS NO TO TERMINATOR
In a recent interview, the Director General of the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) Jacques Diouf declared FAO's opposition to
Terminator. Diouf pointed out that the technology would affect farmers in
both the North and the South. Diouf's public rejection of Terminator
reverses earlier statements made by one high-ranking FAO official. The
positive change could be attributed, in part, to the letter-writing
campaign of Global Response (a US-based non-profit organization) whose
4,000 members in forty countries wrote to Director General Diouf last year,
asking him to oppose the Terminator as a matter of global food security. In
publicly rejecting Terminator, FAO's Diouf has come to the defense of the
1.4 billion people who depend upon farm-saved seed for their survival. As
the United Nations' voice for global food security, and in the context of
its Food for All campaign, FAO member states should now consider a formal
resolution to reject Terminator.


Now RAFI has released a new report on the status of Terminator Technology,
and a call for letters to the US Department of Agriculture which continues
to support Terminator research and development.  Please read the RAFI press
release, below, and write letters to the USDA!


RAFI
Rural Advancement Foundation International
www.rafi.org  |  rafi@rafi.org

USDA Betrays Public Trust with
Two New Terminator Patents

Will USDA's Biotech Advisory Board Demand Accountability?


The Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI), an international
civil society organization based in Canada, announced today that the US
Department of Agriculture (USDA) holds two new patents on the controversial
Terminator technology, the genetic engineering of plants to render their
seeds sterile. If commercialized, Terminator would make it impossible for
farmers to save seeds from their harvest, forcing them to return to the
commercial seed market every year.

"The US government is advancing research and squandering taxpayer dollars
on a technology that has been universally condemned because it is bad for
farmers, food security, and biodiversity," says Pat Mooney, Executive
Director of RAFI. "It's an egregious misallocation of public resources for
the sole purpose of maximizing seed industry profits," adds Mooney.

"It's disgraceful," says Hope Shand, RAFI's Research Director. "We were
shocked to discover USDA's new patents because when we met with US Deputy
Secretary of Agriculture Richard Rominger on two separate occasions last
year, his staff assured us in no uncertain terms that there were no more
patents in the works. Why didn't we get the straight story?" asks Shand.

"Despite mounting opposition from national governments, United Nations'
agencies, farmers, scientists, and civil society organizations around the
world, USDA continues to ignore the public outcry at home and abroad," adds
Silvia Ribeiro, RAFI Programme Officer. Last month for example, the
Director General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
declared FAO's opposition to Terminator. Earlier this month, the state of
Maryland (US) introduced a bill to ban Terminator seeds. (See RAFI
Communique, "Suicide Seeds on the Fast Track," Feb./March,
2000,http://www.rafi.org).

According to RAFI, the new patents on genetic seed sterilization were
issued in 1999 (US Patent No. 5,925,808 issued on July 20, 1999 and US
Patent No. 5,977,441 issued on November 2, 1999). The patents are jointly
owned by USDA and Delta & Pine Land (the world's largest cotton seed
company), the owners of the original 1998 patent. The USDA's new patents
share the same titles, inventors, and abstracts as the earlier patent, but
they describe new innovations and demonstrate that USDA scientists are
continuing to refine the technology and advance the research.

On October 28, 1999 representatives from a broad base of civil society
organizations (CSOs) met with US Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman to
demand that his agency abandon research and development of genetic seed
sterilization. Participants included the American Corn Growers Association,
Consumers Union, National Family Farm Coalition, Ralph Nader of Public
Citizen, International Center for Technology Assessment, Mothers and Others
for a Livable Planet, Consumer Federation, Sustainable Agriculture
Coalition, RAFI, and RAFI-USA. Less than five days later, USDA won a new
patent on Terminator.

Duped and Betrayed:  "We feel duped and betrayed," says Gary Goldberg, CEO
of the American Corn Growers Association.  "We demand to know why the USDA
continues to invest taxpayer dollars on anti-farmer research that, if
commercialized, will hold farmers hostage to giant agribusiness
corporations," said Goldberg.

Destroying National Seed Sovereignty: USDA's growing portfolio of
Terminator patents sends an ominous message to the rest of the world, says
Rafael Alegria, General Coordinator of Via Campesina, the largest
confederation of peasants' and small farmers' organizations in Africa,
Asia, Latin America, Europe, and North America. "It amounts to a
declaration of war against the 1.4 billion people who depend on farm-saved
seeds - mainly poor people - and it's an assault on global food security,"
explains Alegria.

Neth Dano, Executive Director of SEARICE, the Southeast Asian Regional
Institute for Community Education, agrees, "This technology goes far beyond
intellectual property. A patent expires after 20 years, but if Terminator
seeds are commercialized it will give a handful of multinational Gene
Giants a monopoly with no expiration date. This technology aims to
eliminate the right of farmers to save seeds and do local plant breeding,
and it will destroy the concept of national seed sovereignty."

Litmus Test for USDA's Biotech Advisory Board: USDA's newly-appointed
Biotech Advisory Board will hold its first meeting on March 29-30. "It's a
litmus test for the USDA advisory board," explains RAFI's Shand. Will they
or won't they demand accountability from USDA? There's no doubt that the
biotech advisory board has a full plate and it's loaded with controversial
GMO (genetically modified organisms) issues, but Terminator must be the
number one priority," stresses Shand.

Launching Pad for Bioserfdom: Without effective action by civil society and
governments to ban Terminator seeds, RAFI concludes that suicide seeds will
be commercialized, with potentially disastrous consequences for farmers,
food security and the environment.

"Terminator has grabbed the spotlight, but we are equally concerned about
the closely related genetic trait control technologies (Traitor Tech) which
enables a plant's genetic traits to be turned on or off with the
application of an external chemical - the company's proprietary chemical,"
adds Ribeiro. "Although the USDA and Delta & Pine Land are the high-profile
crusaders, the goal of genetic trait control is industry-wide," concludes
Ribeiro.

Coming Soon: In May, 2000 RAFI will release a status report on Terminator
and Traitor patents, which will examine the current goals of private and
public sector institutions that are promoting bioserfdom with genetic trait
control technology.


For more information:

Hope Shand, RAFI
Tel: 919 960-5223
Email: hope@rafi.org

Rafael Alegria
General Coordinator,
Via Campesina
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, C.A.
email: viacam@gbm.hn

Neth Dano
Executive Director,
SEARICE
The Philippines
Tel:  63-2-922-6710
Email: searice@philonline.com.ph

Gary Goldberg
CEO,
American Corn Growers Association,
Tel: 918 488-1829
http://www.acga.org


Action Needed:

1. USDA should cease negotiations with Delta & Pine Land on the licensing
of it's jointly held patents, and abandon all research and patents on
genetic seed sterilization.

2. USDA should adopt a strict policy prohibiting the use of taxpayer
dollars to support genetic seed sterilization.

3. USDA should terminate all research on Terminator seed technology as well
as the closely related genetic trait control technologies. Remote control
of a plant's genetic traits, triggered by proprietary chemicals, is grim
news for farmers and the environment because, if commercialized, farmers
will become more dependent on chemical inputs manufactured by the
agrochemical/seed industry.

4. USDA should use public research dollars to re-invigorate public plant
breeding for family farmers and sustainable agriculture. Instead of
engineering seeds for sterility, USDA should boost breeding programs that
will lessen farmers' dependency on chemicals, fertilizers, and other
expensive inputs.

Send a Message of Protest to US Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman:

A sample letter to US Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman can be found on
RAFI's web site:

http://www.rafi.org

Secretary Dan Glickman
USDA
200-A Whitten Bldg.
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20250
USA
Email: agsec@usda.gov
Tel: 202 720-3631
Fax: 202 720-2166

RAFI (the Rural Advancement Foundation International) is an international
civil society organization based in Canada.  RAFI is dedicated to the
conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and to the socially
responsible development of technologies useful to rural societies.  RAFI is
concerned about the loss of agricultural biodiversity, and the impact of
intellectual property on farmers and food security.



--------------------------------------
GLOBAL RESPONSE is an international letter-writing network of environmental
activists.  In partnership with indigenous, environmentalist and peace and
justice organizations around the world, GLOBAL RESPONSE develops "Actions"
that describe specific, urgent threats to the environment; each "Action"
asks members to write personal letters to individuals in the corporations,
governments or international organizations that have the power and
responsibility to take corrective action.  GR also issues "Young
Environmentalists' Actions" and "Eco-Club Actions" designed to educate and
motivate elementary and high school students to practice earth stewardship.

P.O. Box 7490 Phone: 303/444-0306
Boulder CO, USA 80306-7490 Fax:   303/449-9794

To receive Global Response "Actions" and "Emergency Actions" by email:
Send a blank message to: globresmembers-subscribe@igc.topica.com

Visit our website at: http://www.globalresponse.org

To unsubscribe from this email list, send a blank message to globresmembers-unsubscribe@igc.topica.com

_________________________________________________________
Enlighten your in-box.         http://www.topica.com/t/15

from Sierra Club April 19, 2000

SC-ACTION  Vol. II # 195
     DEFENDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
     Monday, April 10, 2000



     ALL FOREST SPECIAL ** ALL FOREST SPECIAL ** ALL FOREST SPECIAL

     TAKE ACTION: CALL YOUR SENATOR - STOP CLEARCUTS FOR KIDS BILL
     2) NEW WILD FOREST VIDEO AVAILABLE - GET YOURS TODAY
     3) LA TIMES SAYS "SAVE THE GIANTS"
     4) Bill TO End Commercial Logging Marches Forward!

     ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***

     My first view of the high Sierra, first view looking down into
     Yosemite, the death song of Yosemite creek, and its flight over the
     vast cliff, each one of these is of itself enough for a great
     life-long landscape fortune - a most memoarable day of days -
     enjoyment enough to kill if that were possible.

                             John Muir, My First Summer in the Sierra
     ***  ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***   ***

     1) HELP STOP THE "CLEARCUTS FOR KIDS" BILL

     Almost a century ago, Congress passed a law requiring the U.S. Forest
     Service to turn over 25 percent of its logging revenues to rural
     counties to fund schools and roads. That outdated law creates a
     perverse incentive for affected communities to support high levels of
     logging.  Although education funding is the excuse for supporting this
     program, many counties spend 75% of their payment on roads, not
     schools.

     In recent years, because of a decrease in logging in some communities
     -- due to both unsustainable logging practices and various protection
     measures -- payments to counties have declined, and some rural county
     budgets have suffered. The Clinton administration has proposed
     de-linking county payments from timber cuts, to provide stable funding
     for schools and reduce the incentive to continue an unsustainable
     logging program.

     But Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Larry Craig (R-ID) are backing a bill
     known as S. 1608, the "Secure Rural Counties and Community
     Self-Determination Act," that would force the Forest Service to increase
     logging to make more money and give management decisions on National Forest
     lands to local interests.  This bill holds schoolchildren hostage to an
     unsustainable logging program.  This bill is moving fast and could be voted
     on soon!!

     The bill also ignores the contributions of National Forests to
     recreation, wildlife, fishing and water quality. Nationally,
     recreation generates nearly $40 to the economy for every dollar
     generated by logging, and creates more than 30 times as many jobs. And
     increased logging destroys recreation opportunities. In addition,
     rural communities rely on National Forests for clean drinking water
     and logging can clog streams with silt and run-off. Communities should
     not have to sacrifice clean drinking water, jobs and wildlife habitat
     to fund their children's education.

     Rural schools deserve stable funding and National Forests should be
     managed without the pressure to generate money for county treasuries.
     The law should be changed to separate county payments from ties to
     logging.  Congress simply needs to make rural education a priority and
     fund county education programs.  The Clinton Administration has made
     such a proposal the last three years and Congress should move to enact
     it.

     Separating payments to counties from logging quotas is the right way
     to go.  This would free school systems from being forced to rely on a
     destructive logging program that pollutes our water supplies, destroys
     wildlife habitat and eliminates recreational opportunities in our
     National Forests.  As Michael Dombeck, Chief of the Forest Service
     said, "There's no reason the richest nation on earth should be funding
     the education of rural kids at the expense of our National Forests."

     
**  TAKE ACTION  **  TAKE ACTION  **  TAKE ACTION  **  TAKE ACTION
     CALL YOUR SENATORS through the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202)
     224-3121 and urge them to vote against S.1608.  Tell them that
     schoolchildren should not be held hostage to an unsustainable logging
     program!

     For more information contact: Sean Cosgrove, National Forest Policy
     Specialist, at (202) 547-1141.


     2) Sierra Club Wild Forest Video Flying Off The Shelves!

     Wild Forests provide the nation's best remaining fish and wildlife
     habitat, clean drinking water and outstanding recreational
     opportunities.  These precious areas are still at risk of being
     damaged by logging, off-road vehicles, mining and other destructive
     activities.  The US Forest Service will present a draft proposal for
     protecting these areas sometime in late April or May.

     Now, Sierra Club's Wild Forest Protection Campaign has created a hot
     new video that you can use in your outreach and education activities
     to help protect 60 million acres of America's Wild Forests.  You can
     get yours today!  These high quality 17 minute videos are fabulous
     tools to build public support in your area.  Using our other materials
     such as informational brochures, lapel stickers and postcards, you can
     make an exciting and informative presentation to your Chapter or
     group. All it will cost you is a phone call!

     For copies of your video and other materials call Julie Hudson at
     (202) 547-1141 or write julie.hudson@sierraclub.org


     3) LA TIMES SAYS "SAVE THE GIANTS"

     Recent polls say that 83% of all Californians LOVE the Sequoias and
     want them permanently protected.  The LA TIMES agrees as proven by
     this editorial that supports a new Sequoia National Monument:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     LOS ANGELES TIMES EDITORIAL
     Saturday, March 8,2000

     SAVE THE GIANTS

     The majestic sequoias of the central Sierra Nevada are giants of the
     ages. They are among the oldest and largest living things on
     Earth--surviving as long as 35,000 years and growing up to 300 feet
     high with a trunk diameter of 30 feet.  The giant sequoias (Sequoia
     giganteum) have been overshadowed lately by the battles over the fate
     of old-growth stands of the taller coast redwood (Sequoia
     sempervirens)

     But now, President Clinton is considering the creation of a new
     national monument to grant special protection to 38 sequoia groves
     scattered outside of Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon national parks.
     Most are now part of Sequoia National Forest, east of Fresno.

     The future of commercial logging is a factor in this decision, but the
     long-range value of these lands rests with recreation and appreciation
     of a unique environment.  These groves are survivors among many that
     have been cut  during the past century.  They need the special
     protection that monument status would confer.

     Clinton had ordered Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman to conduct a
     study and recommend whether to create the monument under authority of
     the Antiquities Act of 1906.  On Friday, Glickman recommended that
     Clinton establish a monument of 385,00 acres, giving the president time
     for a possible formal announcement on Earth Day, April 22.

     Monument status would grant greater protection to the trees than at
     present, but is less restrictive than national park status.  Mining
     and logging generally are not allowed in a monument, while grazing and
     recreation are. Rules can be adjusted to the specific needs of an
     area.

     Timber companies have protested the proposed action, but not so much
     because of the protection for the big trees themselves which--unlike
     the tall coast redwoods--do not provide choice lumber.  Conditions
     imposed in 1992 by then-President George Bush prohibit logging within
     1,000 feet of a sequoia, but that could be undone by Congress.  The
     timber companies are concerned they won't be able to cut other species
     in the sequoia areas.

     Loggers argue that they keep the forest healthy by clearing underbrush
     and preventing catastrophic forest fires.  Actually, a certain amount
     of undisturbed undergrowth and other tree species are needed as mammal
     and bird habitat.  Historically, the fire-resistant sequoias thrived
     through periodic fires that cleared the forest floor.  This can be
     safely accomplished with controlled burns.  In fact, fire helps tree
     seeds to germinate.

     There's no question that politics surround the monument issue. Clinton
     is interested in leaving a legacy of environmental protection.  But
     the outcome is what's important.  In this case, these unique giants
     and their environment need to be preserved for future generations. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     4) NATIONAL FOREST PROTECTION AND RESTORATION ACT MOVES AHEAD!

     Due to the fine work of Sierra Club members and other conservationists
     across the nation the National Forest Protection and Restoration Act
     has reached the level of 80 co-sponsors!  Just last week Sierra Club
     forest protection leaders stormed Capitol Hill to push for the
     protection and restoration of America's National Forests.

     The ECL campaign is moving forward with awesome outreach materials
     such as an award winning video, bumperstickers, factsheets, banners
     and incredible energy.  You can help with this historic effort by
     contacting Sean Cosgrove at (202) 547-1141.

     ----------------------------------------------------------------
     Sierra Club Legislative Hotline - 202-675-2394
     Sierra Club National Headquarters - 415-977-5500
     Sierra Club World Wide Web - http://www.sierraclub.org
     Sierra Club Vote Watch Website - http://www.sierraclub.org/votewatch/

     White House Comment Line - 202-456-1111
     White House Fax Line - 202-456-2461
     Clinton's e-mail - president@whitehouse.gov
     Gore's e-mail - vice-president@whitehouse.gov
     White House Address - 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC 20500

     US Capitol Switchboard - 202-224-3121
     To contact your senators - http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cf
     To contact your representative - http://www.house.gov/writerep/

     SC-Action,  Vol. II, #196
     DEFENDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
     April 12, 2000

     **********************************************************************

     1.Featured Action: Thank Senators Who Voted to Protect the arctic
     2.San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Supports Sequoia Protection
     3.Sierra Club Releases Spencer Abraham's Environmental Record
     4. Club Activists Battle Cincinnati Mega-Mall Proposal

     **********************************************************************


     1.Senate, House Thank Yous on Arctic and "It ain't over'til it's over"

     Last week, the Senate voted 51-49 to table an amendment  by Senator
     Roth (R-DE) (which would have removed the Arctic Refuge drilling
     assumption from the FY 20001 Budget Resolution.  Because it was set
     aside, the $1.2 billion in anticipated revenues from Arctic Refuge
     drilling remains in the budget resolution. We are presently trying to
     pressure the House-Senate Conference Committee on the Budget to strike
     the provision from the bill (see details on latest House action
     below).  Of course, the Budget Resolution cannot, by itself, mandate
     drilling in the Arctic Refuge.  Drilling proponents must also pass
     authorizing language through the full Senate and House and then
     overcome a veto by President Clinton.

     It was a narrow defeat.  Eight Republicans voted to protect the Arctic
     Refuge while four Democrats voted against us.  Republicans voting
     pro-environment:  Roth (DE), Jeffords (VT), Chafee (RI), Bob Smith
     (NH), Snowe (ME), Collins (ME), Fitzgerald (IL), and Lugar (IN).

     Democrats voting anti-environment: Akaka (HI), Breaux (LA), Inouye
     (HI), and Moynihan (NY).

     Thanks to everyone who took the time to make phone calls, write
     letters, and roundup supporters these past weeks.  It was a tremendous
     showing.

     Take Action:  Please take the time to thank those Senators who voted
     to protect the Arctic Refuge and feel Thanks yous are greatly
     appreciated by Senate offices as they endured a tremendous amount of
     pressure to vote with the powerful Alaska delegation and the
     Republican leadership.

     The Capitol Switchboard phone number is (202)224-3121
     Or write your senator at US Senate, Washington, DC 20510

     Another round of thanks goes out to 18 Moderate Republicans led by
     Nancy Johnson (R-CT) who sent a letter to the Budget conferees
     yesterday urging them to strike the Senate-inserted language regarding
     the Arctic.  The House-passed Budget Resolution contained no such
     language.  We still stand a shot to eliminate the Arctic drilling
     revenue assumptions in conference committee because of their efforts.
     These Republican heroes are:  Johnson (CT), Shays (CT), Campbell (CA),
     Chris Smith (NJ), Leach (IA), Morella (MD), Porter (IL), Greenwood
     (PA), Boehlert (NY), Ramstad (MN), Lobiondo (NJ), Gilman (NY), Sanford
     (SC), Freylinghusen (NJ), Bob Franks (NJ), Roukema (NJ), and Kelly
     (NY) and Bass (NH).


     2. San Francisco Chronicle Backs Sequoia Protection

     The following Editorial Appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle

     Clinton Should Act To Save the Sequoias

     Wednesday, April 12, 2000
             SF Chronicle


     FOR THOUSANDS of years, towering stands of sequoias dotted the high
     country of the West, from California to Utah. Considered the largest
     and oldest living things on the planet, the trees are now found in
     some 70 groves, nearly all in the southern Sierra Nevada above Fresno.

     Logging, which decimated the majestic stands
     earlier this century, thankfully has been curtailed. About half of the
     groves lie within the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks. But the job
     of protecting this natural heritage isn't complete.

     The rest of the giants, some taller than the Statue of Liberty and
     over 3,000 years old, remain threatened by changes in their landscape,
     ranging from water levels in  the soil to combustible thickets of
undergrowth.

     Logging, even kept at a distance, carries the potential to injure the
     towering trees, marked by cinnamon- colored bark and diameters up to
     30 feet. From the air, some sequoia groves run up against clear-cut
     patches. Protection is needed to emphasize the importance of these
     national treasures.

     For eight years, environmentalists have pushed Congress for a vast
     no-cut zone on the federal land containing the remaining groves. The
     cause stalled in the face of a Republican majority concerned about
     further controls and harm to logging interests.

     But Congress isn't the only path to preservation. Since 1906, the
     Antiquities Act has allowed presidents to safeguard islands off Maine,
     the Grand Canyon and Muir Woods from harm. On Saturday, President
     Clinton is expected to declare some 355,000 acres of sequoia habitat
     as a national monument.

     This move will push commercial logging well back from the sequoia
     groves, enroll science in managing the monument land, and accommodate
     public uses that don't disrupt the ancient groves. With Clinton's
     action, the enormous trees will remain as symbols of primeval nature
     and this country's inheritance.

     But talk of the president's move churned up protests that dominated
     two angry meetings last month in Fresno and Visalia. Ranch ers feared
     the loss of grazing rights. Summer camps and lease-holders
     with vacation homes worried about losing their properties. Outdoors
     groups, ranging from horseback riders to off-road vehicle clubs,
     wanted assurances their members would not be barred from favorite
     trails.

     Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, whose department oversees the
     Forest Service land containing the sequoias, moved to mollify these
     worries last week in recommending the monument's creation. The
     president needs to emphasize that
     longtime uses that don't harm the trees can continue.

     The toughest issue is the likely job loss from the timber-cutting ban.
     The monument area represents about a third of the Sequoia National
     Forest where logging can continue. But 100 jobs may end and the
     region's only saw mill could close.

     To soften this blow, timber cutting will be allowed for 2 1/2 years.
     Retraining should be considered, and new jobs that may be produced
     through the monument designation should go these forest workers.

     Though on the verge of a huge victory, environmentalists are concerned
     about future management of the sequoias. For decades, natural
     wildfires were suppressed, yet these blazes triggered sequoia seeding
     and cleared out competing species.

     It will be a challenge restoring the health of mature groves. Fire
     could be used if it can be safely contained. Tree cutting may also be
     an option, but one that raises conservationist hackles as a possible
     cover for lumber sales. These issues need specific guidelines in the
     presidential decree, lest the Forest Service fall back on timber cuts
     as a management tool.

     Republicans claim that Clinton is acting for maximum political gain,
     building his environmental legacy while buffing his party's appeal for
     would-be successor Al Gore. That may well be.

     But nearly every president this century has used his powers of office
     to preserve essential parts of the nation's natural heritage. Clinton
     should be guided by this tradition in saving the giant sequoias for
     future generations.

     3.Senator Abraham Strikes Out on the Environment

     Daniel Farough, Michigan Environmental Voter Education Campaign
     Organizer reports a successful outreach event at Tiger Stadium
     (Comerica Park), where activists passed out scorecards highlighting
     Senator Spencer Abraham's poor record on the environment. Daniel
     writes...

     "Volunteer turnout was quite impressive, especially given that it was
     a weekday morning/afternoon and the weather was lousy.  All together
     we had 25 volunteers from four local groups - 3 as far afield as Grand
     Rapids - a three hour drive one way!  It is worth noting that our
     outreach to universities also produced another 4 volunteers - even
     during the crunch before finals.  All said, our people distributed
     6,000 Collectors edition Spence Abraham environmental baseball cards -
     leaving a scant 4,000 for similar events.  9 of our crew were first
     time volunteers with Sierra Club!

     Other organizations were present, but none dominated this opportunity
     for outreach like our Sierra Club volunteers - I am proud to say - who
     covered every major access point to the Stadium.  Other organizations
     that were present felt an impact from our effort to continue to raise
     the environment as an issue for our public officials.  These groups
     ranged from petition signers to Unions to political parties and
     candidates.  Needless to say, Abraham's people did not take at all
     kindly to our effort to make his environmental record a topic of
     conversation before the public.  Stabenow and the Dems here in
     Michigan were also present.  One got the impression that they - as all
     groups - were impressed by Sierra Club's ability to raise the
     environment as a major issue on the agenda of our public officials.

     Very special thanks from Alison and Dan and our EVEC Steering
     Committee to all our volunteers who traversed from around the state to
     help this important effort.  It speaks a lot of your dedication and is
     the foundation of the successes we have in the field.  Thank you very
     much.

     3. Sierra Club Battles Mega-Mall Proposal in Cincinnati

     FROM THE CINCINNATI INQUIRER
     April 12, 2000

     Groups mobilize to fight new mall
     Interstate 75 interchange also a target
     BY Michael D. Clark, Janet C. Wetzel and Cindi Andrews

     MONROE - Up and down the Interstate 75 corridor, from north of Dayton
     to Northern Kentucky, opposition to a proposed mall is picking up
     speed at a phenomenal rate.

     The possibility of what was initially dubbed a "mega-mall," and the
     related push for a new Kyles Station interchange on I-75, have
     galvanized groups and individuals worried that the Tristate's booming
     growth is getting out of control.

     Local development experts say not in recent memory has a single
     proposed commercial development attracted such broad-based opposition.

     "This is the linchpin site. We are at a critical decision point," said
     Glen Brand, director of the Cincinnati chapter of the Sierra Club. His
     organization has been among the most vocal of the more than two dozen
     groups that have publicly taken a stand against the proposed mall. He
     believes it's also crucial to head off the new interchange, which
     would, Mr. Brand says, only lead to more interchanges and sprawl.

     Paul Procee, a University of Cincinnati instructor in urban
     transportation and planning, said the mall issue indicates public
     opinion against unchecked growth is rising.

     "Sprawling development opposition is not just local anymore," said Mr.
     Procee, who is conducting a study on the long-term, economic impact of
     large shopping malls. "There is now a change of mind in this region
     ... a questioning of development."

     Monroe's mayor said that, despite the visible and vocal opposition to
     the mall, it has "a silent majority" in support, especially among
     those who would live near the project.

     "I think this mall is something very positive in this area," and "will
     help the tax base and benefit schools," said Elbert Tannreuther. "It
     will be an economic benefit for the whole area, Butler and Warren
     County."

     But where some area leaders see opportunities for creating a
     prosperous and connected "megalopolis" between Cincinnati and Dayton,
     critics see unneeded and harmful commercial over-development.
     Moreover, they object to the possibility that an estimated $11 million
     of taxpayer money might go to creating a new interchange they say is
     primarily designed to aid private developers.

     Publicly funded over-development, opponents claim, damages both
     Cincinnati and Dayton city neighborhoods by drawing away money that
     could go to revitalizing existing malls and urban shopping; and
     instead funnels it into the building of new shopping centers in still
     largely undeveloped, rural areas along the I-75 corridor.

     Supporters, however, counter that a mall would further fuel the
     growing prosperity of Monroe and other communities along I-75, adding
     jobs and expanding the tax base.

     Even though the mall exists only as a proposal, it has spurred public
     opposition that has included:

     A flood of more than 800 notes sent to the Ohio Transportation Review
     Advisory Council, whose officials will consider the request for $11
     million to cover about half the cost of a new interchange at Kyles
     Station Road.

     Saturday is the deadline for the public to forward opinions on public
     highway projects being considered by Ohio Department of Transportation
     TRAC officials in Columbus.

     Packed public meetings in Monroe and, most recently, with Warren
     County commissioners. The Residents Association of West Central Warren
     County and other mall opponents last week prompted commissioners to
     write a letter to TRAC. That letter, signed Tuesday, clarifies that
     while commissioners want a new interchange, they "have no allegiance
     to any development either existing or planned" in that area.

     Commissioners individually are more pointed: "I don't want the mall,"
     Larry Crisenbery told opponents.

     More than two dozen Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky citizens and
     environmental, governmental and neighborhood groups that have publicly
     stated they are against a mall and a new interchange.

     Friday, the Cincinnati Planning Commission voted unanimously to
     forward a resolution against spending state funds for a new
     interchange in Monroe to the City Council. If approved by council, the
     resolution would go to ODOT officials.

     The planning commission joins other governmental bodies, including the
     City Council in Trotwood, just northwest of Dayton and home of the
     troubled Salem Mall; the Trotwood Chamber of Commerce; and New Lebanon
     village officials, west of Dayton, in coming out against the proposed
     interchange and mall. While chamber and village representatives voiced
     concern about sprawl and the use of tax dollars, they also
     acknowledged that a new mall could erode their customer and tax bases.

     In its history, TRAC officials said they have never seen such a flood
     of protests as they have received regarding the Kyles Station
     proposal.

     "There's never been this sort of public outpouring," said Michael
     Cull, spokesman for TRAC.

     TRAC officials must wait for an "interchange justification study"
     before making their decision on whether to use taxpayer money to fund
     some of the interchange construction. There are no meetings scheduled
     on the Kyles Station proposal, said Mr. Cull, but public hearings will
     be held locally on all proposed I-75 interchanges between Cincinnati
     and Dayton.

     Taubman & Co. is the Michigan developer that wants to invest $200
     million in a 1.7-million-square-foot enclosed mall, which company
     officials said would eventually add 10,500 jobs to the area.

     Joe Hart, development director for Taubman, declined to comment on the
     growing opposition but cautioned that any such sentiments are
     premature. He said his company is only considering building on the
     360-acre site in Monroe and has not formally announced any detailed
     plan for what he describes as a "regional shopping center."

     Mr. Hart said that, if his company proceeds with a new mall, it would
     likely resemble Taubman's Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills, Mich.,
     with more than 200 stores.

     Mr. Hart said that while an interchange would make a mall viable at
     the site, one is also necessary for helping improve the area for all
     resi dents.

     "Based on our preliminary analysis, we believe an interchange is
     important to that region," he said.

     Monroe's mayor agreed. Mr. Tannreuther added that Trotwood and New
     Lebanon are taking a selfish position to protect their own interests,
     without looking at the benefits to those in the fast-growing area of
     Monroe and nearby communities.

     Lisa Miller, who lives on Tylersville Road about a mile from the
     proposed site of the I-75 interchange, has a different viewpoint. She
     moved from Sharonville to the 11-acre horse farm in 1991 to revel in
     the joys of rural life. Now she sees the things she's come to treasure
     threatened.

     "We don't want all the sprawl that this mall would bring. We don't
     want all the development, the subdivisions. We want to keep our rural
     life," Ms. Miller said. "I think it's all about developers wanting to
     make money, not thinking about the impact on the environment.

     "I don't want to see it become like Tylersville Road, or Route 63 -
     with gas stations, fast-food restaurants, grocery stores, traffic.
     There's enough of that," she said.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sierra Club Legislative Hotline - 202-675-2394
Sierra Club National Headquarters - 415-977-5500
Sierra Club World Wide Web - http://www.sierraclub.org
Sierra Club Vote Watch Website - http://www.sierraclub.org/votewatch/

White House Comment Line - 202-456-1111
White House Fax Line - 202-456-2461
Clinton's e-mail - president@whitehouse.gov
Gore's e-mail - vice-president@whitehouse.gov
White House Address - 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC 20500

US Capitol Switchboard - 202-224-3121
To contact your senators - http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cf
To contact your representative - http://www.house.gov/writerep/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

from Sierra Club April 19, 2000

     SC-Action,  Vol. II, #196
     DEFENDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
     April 12, 2000

     **********************************************************************

      1.Featured Action: Thank Senators Who Voted to Protect the arctic
     2.San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Supports Sequoia Protection
     3.Sierra Club Releases Spencer Abraham's Environmental Record
     4. Club Activists Battle Cincinnati Mega-Mall Proposal

     **********************************************************************


     1.Senate, House Thank Yous on Arctic and "It ain't over'til it's over"

     Last week, the Senate voted 51-49 to table an amendment  by Senator
     Roth (R-DE) (which would have removed the Arctic Refuge drilling
     assumption from the FY 20001 Budget Resolution.  Because it was set
     aside, the $1.2 billion in anticipated revenues from Arctic Refuge
     drilling remains in the budget resolution. We are presently trying to
     pressure the House-Senate Conference Committee on the Budget to strike
     the provision from the bill (see details on latest House action
     below).  Of course, the Budget Resolution cannot, by itself, mandate
     drilling in the Arctic Refuge.  Drilling proponents must also pass
     authorizing language through the full Senate and House and then
     overcome a veto by President Clinton.

     It was a narrow defeat.  Eight Republicans voted to protect the Arctic
     Refuge while four Democrats voted against us.  Republicans voting
     pro-environment:  Roth (DE), Jeffords (VT), Chafee (RI), Bob Smith
     (NH), Snowe (ME), Collins (ME), Fitzgerald (IL), and Lugar (IN).

     Democrats voting anti-environment: Akaka (HI), Breaux (LA), Inouye
     (HI), and Moynihan (NY).

     Thanks to everyone who took the time to make phone calls, write
     letters, and roundup supporters these past weeks.  It was a tremendous
     showing.

     Take Action:  Please take the time to thank those Senators who voted
     to protect the Arctic Refuge and feel Thanks yous are greatly
     appreciated by Senate offices as they endured a tremendous amount of
     pressure to vote with the powerful Alaska delegation and the
     Republican leadership.

     The Capitol Switchboard phone number is (202)224-3121
     Or write your senator at US Senate, Washington, DC 20510

     Another round of thanks goes out to 18 Moderate Republicans led by
     Nancy Johnson (R-CT) who sent a letter to the Budget conferees
     yesterday urging them to strike the Senate-inserted language regarding
     the Arctic.  The House-passed Budget Resolution contained no such
     language.  We still stand a shot to eliminate the Arctic drilling
     revenue assumptions in conference committee because of their efforts.
     These Republican heroes are:  Johnson (CT), Shays (CT), Campbell (CA),
     Chris Smith (NJ), Leach (IA), Morella (MD), Porter (IL), Greenwood
     (PA), Boehlert (NY), Ramstad (MN), Lobiondo (NJ), Gilman (NY), Sanford
     (SC), Freylinghusen (NJ), Bob Franks (NJ), Roukema (NJ), and Kelly
     (NY) and Bass (NH).


     2. San Francisco Chronicle Backs Sequoia Protection

     The following Editorial Appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle

     Clinton Should Act To Save the Sequoias

     Wednesday, April 12, 2000
             SF Chronicle


     FOR THOUSANDS of years, towering stands of sequoias dotted the high
     country of the West, from California to Utah. Considered the largest
     and oldest living things on the planet, the trees are now found in
     some 70 groves, nearly all in the southern Sierra Nevada above Fresno.

     Logging, which decimated the majestic stands
     earlier this century, thankfully has been curtailed. About half of the
     groves lie within the Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks. But the job
     of protecting this natural heritage isn't complete.

     The rest of the giants, some taller than the Statue of Liberty and
     over 3,000 years old, remain threatened by changes in their landscape,
     ranging from water levels in  the soil to combustible thickets of
undergrowth.

     Logging, even kept at a distance, carries the potential to injure the
     towering trees, marked by cinnamon- colored bark and diameters up to
     30 feet. From the air, some sequoia groves run up against clear-cut
     patches. Protection is needed to emphasize the importance of these
     national treasures.

     For eight years, environmentalists have pushed Congress for a vast
     no-cut zone on the federal land containing the remaining groves. The
     cause stalled in the face of a Republican majority concerned about
     further controls and harm to logging interests.

     But Congress isn't the only path to preservation. Since 1906, the
     Antiquities Act has allowed presidents to safeguard islands off Maine,
     the Grand Canyon and Muir Woods from harm. On Saturday, President
     Clinton is expected to declare some 355,000 acres of sequoia habitat
     as a national monument.

     This move will push commercial logging well back from the sequoia
     groves, enroll science in managing the monument land, and accommodate
     public uses that don't disrupt the ancient groves. With Clinton's
     action, the enormous trees will remain as symbols of primeval nature
     and this country's inheritance.

     But talk of the president's move churned up protests that dominated
     two angry meetings last month in Fresno and Visalia. Ranch ers feared
     the loss of grazing rights. Summer camps and lease-holders
     with vacation homes worried about losing their properties. Outdoors
     groups, ranging from horseback riders to off-road vehicle clubs,
     wanted assurances their members would not be barred from favorite
     trails.

     Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, whose department oversees the
     Forest Service land containing the sequoias, moved to mollify these
     worries last week in recommending the monument's creation. The
     president needs to emphasize that
     longtime uses that don't harm the trees can continue.

     The toughest issue is the likely job loss from the timber-cutting ban.
     The monument area represents about a third of the Sequoia National
     Forest where logging can continue. But 100 jobs may end and the
     region's only saw mill could close.

     To soften this blow, timber cutting will be allowed for 2 1/2 years.
     Retraining should be considered, and new jobs that may be produced
     through the monument designation should go these forest workers.

     Though on the verge of a huge victory, environmentalists are concerned
     about future management of the sequoias. For decades, natural
     wildfires were suppressed, yet these blazes triggered sequoia seeding
     and cleared out competing species.

     It will be a challenge restoring the health of mature groves. Fire
     could be used if it can be safely contained. Tree cutting may also be
     an option, but one that raises conservationist hackles as a possible
     cover for lumber sales. These issues need specific guidelines in the
     presidential decree, lest the Forest Service fall back on timber cuts
     as a management tool.

     Republicans claim that Clinton is acting for maximum political gain,
     building his environmental legacy while buffing his party's appeal for
     would-be successor Al Gore. That may well be.

     But nearly every president this century has used his powers of office
     to preserve essential parts of the nation's natural heritage. Clinton
     should be guided by this tradition in saving the giant sequoias for
     future generations.

     3.Senator Abraham Strikes Out on the Environment

     Daniel Farough, Michigan Environmental Voter Education Campaign
     Organizer reports a successful outreach event at Tiger Stadium
     (Comerica Park), where activists passed out scorecards highlighting
     Senator Spencer Abraham's poor record on the environment. Daniel
     writes...

     "Volunteer turnout was quite impressive, especially given that it was
     a weekday morning/afternoon and the weather was lousy.  All together
     we had 25 volunteers from four local groups - 3 as far afield as Grand
     Rapids - a three hour drive one way!  It is worth noting that our
     outreach to universities also produced another 4 volunteers - even
     during the crunch before finals.  All said, our people distributed
     6,000 Collectors edition Spence Abraham environmental baseball cards -
     leaving a scant 4,000 for similar events.  9 of our crew were first
     time volunteers with Sierra Club!

     Other organizations were present, but none dominated this opportunity
     for outreach like our Sierra Club volunteers - I am proud to say - who
     covered every major access point to the Stadium.  Other organizations
     that were present felt an impact from our effort to continue to raise
     the environment as an issue for our public officials.  These groups
     ranged from petition signers to Unions to political parties and
     candidates.  Needless to say, Abraham's people did not take at all
     kindly to our effort to make his environmental record a topic of
     conversation before the public.  Stabenow and the Dems here in
     Michigan were also present.  One got the impression that they - as all
     groups - were impressed by Sierra Club's ability to raise the
     environment as a major issue on the agenda of our public officials.

     Very special thanks from Alison and Dan and our EVEC Steering
     Committee to all our volunteers who traversed from around the state to
     help this important effort.  It speaks a lot of your dedication and is
     the foundation of the successes we have in the field.  Thank you very
     much.

     3. Sierra Club Battles Mega-Mall Proposal in Cincinnati

     FROM THE CINCINNATI INQUIRER
     April 12, 2000

     Groups mobilize to fight new mall
     Interstate 75 interchange also a target
     BY Michael D. Clark, Janet C. Wetzel and Cindi Andrews

     MONROE - Up and down the Interstate 75 corridor, from north of Dayton
     to Northern Kentucky, opposition to a proposed mall is picking up
     speed at a phenomenal rate.

     The possibility of what was initially dubbed a "mega-mall," and the
     related push for a new Kyles Station interchange on I-75, have
     galvanized groups and individuals worried that the Tristate's booming
     growth is getting out of control.

     Local development experts say not in recent memory has a single
     proposed commercial development attracted such broad-based opposition.

     "This is the linchpin site. We are at a critical decision point," said
     Glen Brand, director of the Cincinnati chapter of the Sierra Club. His
     organization has been among the most vocal of the more than two dozen
     groups that have publicly taken a stand against the proposed mall. He
     believes it's also crucial to head off the new interchange, which
     would, Mr. Brand says, only lead to more interchanges and sprawl.

     Paul Procee, a University of Cincinnati instructor in urban
     transportation and planning, said the mall issue indicates public
     opinion against unchecked growth is rising.

     "Sprawling development opposition is not just local anymore," said Mr.
     Procee, who is conducting a study on the long-term, economic impact of
     large shopping malls. "There is now a change of mind in this region
     ... a questioning of development."

     Monroe's mayor said that, despite the visible and vocal opposition to
     the mall, it has "a silent majority" in support, especially among
     those who would live near the project.

     "I think this mall is something very positive in this area," and "will
     help the tax base and benefit schools," said Elbert Tannreuther. "It
     will be an economic benefit for the whole area, Butler and Warren
     County."

     But where some area leaders see opportunities for creating a
     prosperous and connected "megalopolis" between Cincinnati and Dayton,
     critics see unneeded and harmful commercial over-development.
     Moreover, they object to the possibility that an estimated $11 million
     of taxpayer money might go to creating a new interchange they say is
     primarily designed to aid private developers.

     Publicly funded over-development, opponents claim, damages both
     Cincinnati and Dayton city neighborhoods by drawing away money that
     could go to revitalizing existing malls and urban shopping; and
     instead funnels it into the building of new shopping centers in still
     largely undeveloped, rural areas along the I-75 corridor.

     Supporters, however, counter that a mall would further fuel the
     growing prosperity of Monroe and other communities along I-75, adding
     jobs and expanding the tax base.

     Even though the mall exists only as a proposal, it has spurred public
     opposition that has included:

     A flood of more than 800 notes sent to the Ohio Transportation Review
     Advisory Council, whose officials will consider the request for $11
     million to cover about half the cost of a new interchange at Kyles
     Station Road.

     Saturday is the deadline for the public to forward opinions on public
     highway projects being considered by Ohio Department of Transportation
     TRAC officials in Columbus.

     Packed public meetings in Monroe and, most recently, with Warren
     County commissioners. The Residents Association of West Central Warren
     County and other mall opponents last week prompted commissioners to
     write a letter to TRAC. That letter, signed Tuesday, clarifies that
     while commissioners want a new interchange, they "have no allegiance
     to any development either existing or planned" in that area.

     Commissioners individually are more pointed: "I don't want the mall,"
     Larry Crisenbery told opponents.

     More than two dozen Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky citizens and
     environmental, governmental and neighborhood groups that have publicly
     stated they are against a mall and a new interchange.

     Friday, the Cincinnati Planning Commission voted unanimously to
     forward a resolution against spending state funds for a new
     interchange in Monroe to the City Council. If approved by council, the
     resolution would go to ODOT officials.

     The planning commission joins other governmental bodies, including the
     City Council in Trotwood, just northwest of Dayton and home of the
     troubled Salem Mall; the Trotwood Chamber of Commerce; and New Lebanon
     village officials, west of Dayton, in coming out against the proposed
     interchange and mall. While chamber and village representatives voiced
     concern about sprawl and the use of tax dollars, they also
     acknowledged that a new mall could erode their customer and tax bases.

     In its history, TRAC officials said they have never seen such a flood
     of protests as they have received regarding the Kyles Station
     proposal.

     "There's never been this sort of public outpouring," said Michael
     Cull, spokesman for TRAC.

     TRAC officials must wait for an "interchange justification study"
     before making their decision on whether to use taxpayer money to fund
     some of the interchange construction. There are no meetings scheduled
     on the Kyles Station proposal, said Mr. Cull, but public hearings will
     be held locally on all proposed I-75 interchanges between Cincinnati
     and Dayton.

     Taubman & Co. is the Michigan developer that wants to invest $200
     million in a 1.7-million-square-foot enclosed mall, which company
     officials said would eventually add 10,500 jobs to the area.

     Joe Hart, development director for Taubman, declined to comment on the
     growing opposition but cautioned that any such sentiments are
     premature. He said his company is only considering building on the
     360-acre site in Monroe and has not formally announced any detailed
     plan for what he describes as a "regional shopping center."

     Mr. Hart said that, if his company proceeds with a new mall, it would
     likely resemble Taubman's Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills, Mich.,
     with more than 200 stores.

     Mr. Hart said that while an interchange would make a mall viable at
     the site, one is also necessary for helping improve the area for all
     resi dents.

     "Based on our preliminary analysis, we believe an interchange is
     important to that region," he said.

     Monroe's mayor agreed. Mr. Tannreuther added that Trotwood and New
     Lebanon are taking a selfish position to protect their own interests,
     without looking at the benefits to those in the fast-growing area of
     Monroe and nearby communities.

     Lisa Miller, who lives on Tylersville Road about a mile from the
     proposed site of the I-75 interchange, has a different viewpoint. She
     moved from Sharonville to the 11-acre horse farm in 1991 to revel in
     the joys of rural life. Now she sees the things she's come to treasure
     threatened.

     "We don't want all the sprawl that this mall would bring. We don't
     want all the development, the subdivisions. We want to keep our rural
     life," Ms. Miller said. "I think it's all about developers wanting to
     make money, not thinking about the impact on the environment.

     "I don't want to see it become like Tylersville Road, or Route 63 -
     with gas stations, fast-food restaurants, grocery stores, traffic.
     There's enough of that," she said.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sierra Club Legislative Hotline - 202-675-2394
Sierra Club National Headquarters - 415-977-5500
Sierra Club World Wide Web - http://www.sierraclub.org
Sierra Club Vote Watch Website - http://www.sierraclub.org/votewatch/

White House Comment Line - 202-456-1111
White House Fax Line - 202-456-2461
Clinton's e-mail - president@whitehouse.gov
Gore's e-mail - vice-president@whitehouse.gov
White House Address - 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC 20500

US Capitol Switchboard - 202-224-3121
To contact your senators - http://www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cf
To contact your representative - http://www.house.gov/writerep/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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from Sierra Club April 19, 2000

SC Action, Vol. II #197
     DEFENDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA
     April 14, 2000

     ----------------------------------------------------------------------
     "The trade unions never threaten a member of Congress, we never beg,
     and we never forget."

     -- Organized Labor advocate speaking on April 12 at a rally to oppose
     permanent normal trade relations With China which, if enacted, would
     open the door to lower international environmental safeguards. Sierra
     Club members were among the rally's 10,000 participants.
     ----------------------------------------------------------------------

     CONTENTS:

     1. TAKE ACTION: Get involved in the Wild Forest Protection Campaign
     2. TAKE ACTION: Help Stop the "Clearcuts for Kids" Bill
     3. TAKE ACTION: Urge Your Rep. to Support the Clean Car Letter
     4. Campaign to save the San Francisco Peaks gets national media
     attention

     1. WILD FOREST CAMPAIGN

     Our Wildlands campaign to protect 60 million of unspoiled wild forests
     is off and running!  We have lots of materials for your use, building
     up to the official Forest Service announcement about the plan in
     early-mid May.

     Here's how you can get involved: Collect official comments that the
     Forest Service will count as a vote to protect wild forests by getting
     postcards signed at every opportunity.  Show the "End of the Road"
     video to groups to get them excited and involved and encourage them to
     attend the upcoming Forest Service Hearings in your region mid-May
     through July.  Contact your regional conservation chair to arrange for
     travel to hearings. Contact julie.hudson@sierraclub.org for more
     postcards & videos.

     2) HELP STOP THE "CLEARCUTS FOR KIDS" BILL

     Almost a century ago, Congress passed a law requiring the U.S. Forest
     Service to turn over 25 percent of its logging revenues to rural
     counties to fund schools and roads. That outdated law creates a
     perverse incentive for affected communities to support high levels of
     logging.  Although education funding is the excuse for supporting this
     program, many counties spend 75% of their payment on roads, not
     schools.

     But Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Larry Craig (R-ID) are backing a
     bill known as S. 1608, the "Secure Rural Counties and Community
     self-determination Act," that would force the Forest Service to
     increase logging to make more money and give management decisions on
     National Forest lands to local interests.  This bill holds
     schoolchildren hostage to an unsustainable logging program.  This bill
     is moving fast and could be voted on soon!!

     The bill also ignores the contributions of National Forests to
     recreation, wildlife, fishing and water quality. Nationally,
     recreation generates nearly $40 to the economy for every dollar
     generated by logging, and creates more than 30 times as many jobs. And
     increased logging destroys recreation opportunities. In addition,
     rural communities rely on National Forests for clean drinking water
     and logging can clog streams with silt and run-off. Communities should
     not have to sacrifice clean drinking water, jobs and wildlife habitat
     to fund their children's education.

     **  TAKE ACTION  **  TAKE ACTION  **  TAKE ACTION  **  TAKE ACTION
     CALL YOUR SENATORS through the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202)
     224-3121 and urge them to vote against S.1608.  Tell them that
     schoolchildren should not be held hostage to an unsustainable logging
     program!

     3. TAKE ACTION ON EARTH DAY.  URGE YOUR REP. TO SUPPORT THE CLEAN CAR
     LETTER

     Earth Day 2000 is here and the focus is on global warming.  The
     biggest single step we can take to curb global warming and our
     dependence on foreign oil is to raise fuel economy standards for our
     cars and light trucks.  By making our cars go further on a gallon
     of gas, we can decrease the 40% of our oil and 20% of our CO2
     emissions that our cars and light trucks represent.  There is a direct
     connection between automobiles and global warming and no approach to
     curbing global warming will work unless we the pollution coming from
     our cars.

     Congress is now having a district work period and Representatives will
     be at home in the district for Earth Day.  This provides a wonderful
     opportunity to contact your Representative and encourage him or her to
     endorse the Clean Energy Agenda and to reduce global warming by
     supporting increased fuel economy standards.

     PLEASE call or write your Representative and urge them to sign the
     Boehlert-Dicks Clean Car Letter in support of increased mile per
     gallon, or Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), standards. The
     Boehlert-Dicks letter urges President Clinton to "work with Congress
     to implement" the law setting automotive fuel economy standards.

     Thanks to all the members who have already been contacting your
     Congressmember.  Your calls are working!  Currently, over 75
     Congressmembers have signed on to the Clean Car Letter and many of our
     recent signers have indicated that they have been receiving lots of
     calls, even stating, "All those Sierra Club calls have convinced us
     we'd better sign this."  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

     Unfortunately, the auto industry to take action as well.  The auto
     makers have realized that their "just say no" efforts aren't working,
     so they've decided to say "yes" to something.  But what they've
     proposed is a wolf in sheep's clothing and will only further limit
     efforts to increase fuel economy standards.  Yesterday, April 13,
     friends of the auto industry introduced a bill that calls for a
     lengthy study which will delay any current action.  Tax incentives are
     also created which could erode CAFE standards.  This bill is not an
     approach to address environmental concerns, but is designed to get
     around fuel economy standards and delay action.  The auto makers have
     realized that their "just say no" efforts aren't working, so they've
     decided to say "yes" to something.  But what they've proposed is a
     wolf in sheep's clothing and will only futher limit efforts to
     increase fuel economy standards.

     Some quick facts about the issue:

     *Cars and light trucks alone guzzle 40% of the oil we use every day in
     the US -- about 8 million barrels every day!

     *The average fuel economy of new vehicles sold in 1999 was at its
     lowest point since 1980, largely due to gas guzzling SUV's and other
     light trucks.  The standard for automobiles is currently 27.5 mpg.

     *The CAFE standard for light trucks -- SUV's, minivans and pickups --
     has stagnated for 19 years.  It is a low 20.7 mpg.

     *The CAFE standard for cars has not changed in 14 years and was set in
     the original CAFE law in 1975.

     *OPEC has once again reminded us that we are dependent on foreign oil.
     55% of the oil we use is imported.  The oil industry and their
     friends in Congress are using high oil prices as an excuse to drill in
     the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- our last pristine wilderness
     area.  The Arctic is our Serengeti.  We should dill under Detroit NOT
     the Arctic.

     *Raising CAFE standards will save more oil than we import from the
     Persian Gulf, can expect to get from the Arctic and off-shore
     California COMBINED!

     Every year since 1995 friends of the auto industry have attached an
     anti-environmental rider to the bill that funds the Department of
     Transportation freezing CAFE standards.  This is a back door gag rule
     on the agency responsible for studying and setting new fuel economy
     standards for cars and light trucks.  With this rider in place, the
     Department of Transportation can't even study new fuel economy
     standards!

     It is time to stop the CAFE-freeze rider so we can stop guzzling
     gasoline and slash pollution!  Please urge your representative to sign
     the Boehlert/Dicks Clean Car letter.

     For more information contact jeffrey.bourne@sierraclub.org


     4. Sierra Club, others speak for peaks against pumice mine expansion
     STEVE DiMEGLIO

     04/10/2000
     Gannett News Service
     (Copyright 2000)
     WASHINGTON -- On the flank of the San Francisco Peaks, which rise to
     the highest point in Arizona, miners unearth frothy volcanic rock
     called pumice that is used to give a soft and faded feel to stone-
     washed jeans.
     The White Vulcan Mine -- nearly 100 feet deep and 100 acres in size --
     lies between the Sunset Crater National Monument and the Kachina Peaks
     Wilderness in the Coconino National Forest about 12 miles northeast of
     Flagstaff, Ariz.. The mine has produced nearly a million cubic yards
     of pumice - most which has gone to denim factories in Los Angeles and
     El Paso, Texas.
     Now owners of the mine -- Tufflite Inc. of Glendale, Ariz. -- want to
     expand. That doesn't wash with Navajo activist Sammy M. James, who
     wonders how a fashion trend justifies the carving away of dozens of
     acres on the flanks of mountains. The proposal to expand the mine by
     30 acres has been met with a round of critical resolutions by the
     Flagstaff City Council, Coconino County and Indian tribes throughout
     northern and central Arizona.