New Logging Plan Threatens Rare Forest Mammals
On Kuiu and Admiralty Islands in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, there is a kind of animal that exists nowhere else in the world. And these bushy-tailed forest dwellers -- a unique type of coastal marten -- need plenty of undisturbed habitat to survive.
Unfortunately, the Bush/Cheney Administration is working to lock in place a plan that would allow timber companies to destroy important parts of the old-growth forest habitat for these coastal martens with clearcuts and new logging roads.
The Bush plan sets the stage for logging 5 times the timber currently cut on the Tongass -- including habitat for martens and many of the undisturbed old-growth stands that form the heart of the Tongass’s still trackless expanses.
Logging deals a severe blow to martens, which cannot live in fragmented forests or cleared areas. Marten experts believe that these special forest mammals cannot live in areas without at least 50-60% canopy cover -- a far cry from what would be left after a clearcut.
But these unique coastal martens aren’t the only species threatened by the Bush plan for the Tongass. Giant grizzly bears, thriving salmon runs, bald eagles, Queen Charlotte goshawks, and the elusive Alexander Archipelago wolf would all lose important habitat under the plan.
Speak out for wildlife in the Tongass. Send your message to the Forest Service now.
Defenders and its environmental partners have filed appeals asking the Forest Service to reconsider the Tongass plan, include protections for old-growth forests and roadless areas and acknowledge the impacts of climate change. The public comment period for demanding these protections ends on Tuesday, July 15th. That means we have just four days to oppose the Bush/Cheney Administration’s awful logging plans for the Tongass National Forest and protect the forest home of martens and other wildlife, so please take action today!
Thanks for taking the time to help martens and other forest wildlife…
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Save Forest Wildlife
The Bush/Cheney Administration is pushing to increase logging by as much as 5 times on the Tongass National Forest -- a move that could wreck crucial habitat for marten caurinas similar to the American marten pictured above.
Fast Fact: Like cats, martens have semi-retractable claws that help them climb trees.