[justshe]

I think it is extremely important that we continue to pressure Senators, especially GOP Senators who have stated they plan to offer legislation similar to the Daschle amendment which exempted South Dakota forests from the Nat'l Forest Mangement Plan and the environmental restrictions.

It is critical that this legislation for at-risk-forests be enacted this year. If we don't get this in place, and START cleaning up our forests, we will be having this same discussion NEXT fire season. I urge all to contact their Senators..whether Dem or GOP and let them know if it's good enough for Daschle's state...it's good enough for ALL states. These are NATIONAL FORESTS....not just TOM'S Personal Preserve.

[WaterDragon]

I most emphatically agree!

[Grampa Dave]

I totally agree. If cutting trees and removal of trees is good for Da$$hole's state, it is good for the rest of America.

However, the Green Terrorists will call in their Green Terrorist Trial Lawyers to fight the removal of even a single dead tree.

They don't want these forests cleared of a single tree that is alive or dead. That makes the trees in the Corporate Forests, whose owners give massive amounts of money to the Green Terrorists worth even more.

Last but not least, these uncontrolled wildfires are the best rural cleansing tool the Greens have to rurally cleanse Americans from their Druid Cathedral areas, (we used to call them our forests).

[Carry_Okie]

After the fires of the year 2000, when 7 million acres burned, Babbit arranged for $2 Billion to be released for thinning projects.

Guess where the money went?

Lawyers. The RICOnuts sued nearly every project the USFS attempted. When the USFS settles they pay the RICOnuts for their costs. Now lest you think that the Forest Service bureaucracy wants it any other way, remember that 40% of the USFS budget is for legal expenses. More is spent satisfying consent decrees or documenting cases.

So, you want Congress to appropriate the money for forest thinning. Why should we fund the enemy? Do you really think that a Federal Judge won't toss Dasshole's exemption? I'd bet he expects it.