Our National Forests are far more valuable for their natural heritage of
clear lakes and streams, habitat for fish and wildlife, and great natural
beauty than they are for use by private industry as commercial wood lots.
Commercial timber production is not the best use of National Forest land,
especially when over 95% of our country's original ancient forests have been
logged already -- and what remains is almost entirely found on federal
lands.

We simply don't need to log National Forests for our timber supply. Timber
from National Forests provide only 3.9% of the United States' annual wood
consumption. We can more than make that up by increasing recycling, using
alternative materials, and by stopping the export of raw logs and wood chips
from the U.S.

Emphasize the money-losing nature of the timber sales program on federal
public lands. The timber industry has no adequate defense for this. Almost
every--if not every--National Forest in the nation is now operating at a net
loss to taxpayers.

Point out that ending the timber sale program will allow Congress to
re-direct some of the current annual timber subsidy into ecological
restoration of our nation's forest ecosystems which have been damaged by
commercial logging. It will also allow Congress to fund worker retraining.

Emphasize public opinion. Ending timber sales on federal public lands
represents the will of a majority of Americans. Even the Forest Service's
own poll shows that a majority of Americans oppose the use of our public
lands to produce commodities. The American people want their National
Forests protected, and special interest handouts eliminated.

Take the offensive stance. There is simply no justification, ecologically or
economically for continuing the timber sales program on federal public
lands. The burden of proof is not on those who want to end logging on public
lands; it is on those who suggest it should continue.

FACTS ABOUT LOGGING ON OUR NATIONAL FORESTS

The National Forest timber sales program operated at a net loss to taxpayers
of at least $791 million in fiscal year 1996, and returned $0 (no receipts)
to taxpayers (this fact was validated by the Congressional Research
Service).

Logging on National Forests INCREASES the risk of forest fires more than any
other human activity, according to the government’s own study.

If we ended the timber sales program on National Forests and redirected the
logging subsidy, we could provide over $25,000 for each public lands timber
worker for retraining or ecological restoration work--and still have over
$200 million left over to reduce the federal deficit in the first year
alone.

The Forest Service's own nationwide poll found that most Americans oppose
commodity production, including commercial logging, on National Forests.