Bush Forest Initiative Masks Policy Attacks on Forestry Law
"The Bush administration keeps breaking the laws requiring environmentally and publicly acceptable management of our national forests. The good news is that the courts have generally stopped them cold," said Schlickeisen. "But the bad news is that they continue with a full court press within the bureaucracy to rewrite regulations against the public and the environment in favor of corporate interests."
Last July, Defenders released a detailed analysis of the administration's systematic assault on the National Forests; "Undercutting National Forest Protections: How the Bush Administration is Using the Judicial System to Weaken Environmental Laws". The report is the second in a series by the Defenders of Wildlife Judicial Accountability Project, prepared with the assistance of the Vermont Law School's Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic.
"Our report clearly demonstrates this administration's approach to environmental regulation – break the law, argue in court to have laws overturned, and then rewrite the rules when judgments don't go your way," said Schlickeisen.
As the report shows, courts have accused the administration of "extra legal effort[s] to circumvent the law" and "mystical legal prestidigitation" (Wilderness Society v. Rey), "bait-and-switch" (Friends of Clearwater v. McAllister), attempting to "eviscerate the public's role in land use decisions" (Native Ecosystems Council v. Reese), donning "blinders to the overall condition of a national forest," and "losing sight of the forest for the trees" (Neighbors of Cuddy Mountain v. Alexander).
"The bottom line is that behind closed doors and away from public view, the Bush Administration is allowing big corporations and industry insiders to determine government policies that will seriously weaken implementation of our environmental laws," Schlickeisen said.
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Defenders of Wildlife is a leading nonprofit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation’s most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 430,000 members and supporters, 90,000 in California alone, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues. To stay current on hot topics in wildlife conservation, subscribe to DENlines, Defenders of Wildlife’s electronic update and action alert network. To subscribe to DENlines or for more information on Defenders of Wildlife projects, please visit www.defenders.org.
Contact(s):
Brad DeVries, (202) 772-0237
