DUNCAN SPEAKING ON TUESDAY

Please support Duncan by attending his lecture at the NewSchool of Architecture on Tuesday, 24 April 2001.

City Building, Sprawl and Open Space
Lecture by Duncan McFetridge
24 April 2001, 5 p.m.
NewSchool of Architecture
corner of 13th & F
First Floor Auditorium

PREDATOR KILLING UPDATES

Good news: Idaho has dropped its proposal to fund a study involving the killing of bears and cougars because of the public outcry. Oregon also has second thoughts on submitting a funding proposal to US Fish & Wildlife Service for their cougar killing study because of the overwhelming number of public comments against such an outrageous proposal. Third piece of good news: the House Appropriations Committee of Colorado has killed the funding of a study of coyote killing to try to increase the deer population for hunters. All this news holds out hope that finally the West will recognize the role that our top predators play in a natural, balanced ecosystem.

SoCal NATIONAL FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATES

The Management Plans for the four SoCal National Forests - Cleveland, Angeles, San Bernardino, and Los Padres - are in the process of being updated as the result of the settlement of a lawsuit filed by our friends at the Center for Biological Diversity. The Forest Service is actively soliciting public comments for these updates. We encourage you to write to the Forest Service asking for additional protections for these last reserves of much of SoCal's biodiversity. Following are suggestions for the Forest Service:

1. Fully provide for survival and recovery of all state and federally listed species and Forest Sensitive species.

2. Increase new Research Natural Areas (RNAs).

3. Increase Special Botanical and Zoological Areas.

4. Protect critical habitat linkages and wildlife corridors.

5. Recommend to Congress additional Wilderness Areas and manage them for their Wilderness values.

6. Recommend to Congress Wild and Scenic Rivers and manage them for their Wild and Scenic values.

7. Protect all remaining roadless areas, including those less than 5,000 acres, from road building and other intrusions.

8. Conserve all rare and declining forest habitats such as montane meadows, oak woodlands, and old-growth forests.

9. Protect all riparian areas and streamside areas from cattle grazing.

10. Withdraw from mineral entry areas with special wildlife, vegetative, roadless
and other sensitive values.

11. Prioritize low-impact recreation and watershed protection over all other
permitted forest uses and activities.

12. Adopt a Fire Management Plan that incorporates a natural fire regime and
prescribed burns to establish a more natural fire regime.

13. Eradicate undesirable exotic species.

Public comments for the Notice of Intent to draft an Environmental Impact Statement are due May 5th, 2001. The address to send your comments is:

Southern California Forest Plan Update
10845 Rancho Bernardo Road, #200
San Diego, CA 92127-2107

Thanks for getting involved in protecting our National Forests!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!