Support the Act to Save America's Forests.

The Act to Save America's Forests is one of the largest, most comprehensive pieces of forest protection and restoration legislation ever considered by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The bill has been supported by many prominent scientists, including Jane Goodall, E.O. Wilson, Dr. Peter Raven, and others. http://www.saveamericasforests.org/resources/Scientists.htm

The Act to Save America's Forests (2009):
Protects national forests and other federal lands by -
(1.) prohibiting logging in roadless areas, in 100 other "Special Areas" in national forests throughout the country, and in northwest Ancient Forests;
(2.) mandates that the Forest Service protect and restore all the native biodiversity throughout the entire national forest system;
(3.) limits any logging to very small amounts only in areas that have been logged before;
(4.) bans clearcutting and other forms of even-age management on federal lands;
(5.) gives all citizens standing and much stronger rights to enforce the above provisions; and
(6.) requires the National Park Service to use the EPA Level III Ecoregion map of the US and identifiy ecoregions in the US which do not have a large national park or wilderness area (approximately 50% do not), and then recommend potential new national parks for all those regions.


In the current bill, seven of the "special areas" to be protected under provision (1.) above include Virginia Mountain Treasure areas like Dismal Creek, Bear Creek, Stone Coal Creek, Terrapin Mountain, Wilson Mountain, Whitetop Mountain, and Feathercamp areas in the Jefferson National Forest. See http://virginia.sierraclub.org/newriver/mountaintreasures/WildernessSocietyReport/WildReport.html and http://virginia.sierraclub.org/newriver/mountaintreasures/AreaMap/AreaMap.html


Also, in Virginia, ecoregions that would receive national park studies under provision (6.) include the Central Appalachians [i.e. Cumberland Mtns], Ridge and Valley, Northern Piedmont, Piedmont, and Southeastern Plains [i.e., upper Tidewater] ecoregions. See http://www.saveamericasforests.org/congress/ASAF/Parks/EPA-Ecoregion-Map.pdf and http://www.saveamericasforests.org/congress/ASAF/Parks/Ecoregion-NoNatParks-Wildnss-List.pdf


To learn more about the bill, go to http://www.saveamericasforests.org/ and http://www.saveamericasforests.org/congress/congress.htm