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 The Audubon Advisory
 Audubon's Twice-Monthly Legislative Update
 AUGUST 23, 2002 
 (Vol. 2002, Issue 17)

 TWO WEEKS UNTIL CONGRESS RECONVENES

    The annual August recess is coming to a close, so our federal lawmakers 
will be back in action on Capitol Hill in just two short weeks.  When they 
return, look for them to take action on a number of important conservation 
issues, particularly those covered in this issue of the Audubon Advisory.  
Remember that there is plenty of time to weigh in on these and other critical 
conservation issues now while your lawmakers are at home, and, of course, 
upon their return to Washington in September.  So read on, click onto the 
information links and take action!

 ADMINISTRATION RELEASES NEW FOREST PLAN 
 THAT'S BIG ON LOGGING, SHORT ON CONSERVATION

    On Thursday, August 22, the Bush Administration released its plan to 
lessen risk of the wildfires by encouraging thinning of small trees, easing 
regulation of forest management and relying on private companies to carry out 
more of the work. Initial review of the plan, misleadingly titled the 
"Healthy Forests: An Initiative for Wildfire Prevention and Stronger 
Communities," shows a much bigger focus on logging than protecting 
communities close to our national forests that are at unnecessary risk from 
fire.  

 While Audubon and our partners in conservation coordinate a thorough review 
of the plan, it appears the Administration's proposal guts environmental 
protections under the guise of fighting fires. The plans seeks to alleviate 
wildfires by eliminating what the White House considers to be 
counterproductive appeals, court injunctions and environmental requirements 
that slow clearing and other fire-retardation efforts on federal land.  And 
it ignores the fact that western governors have been working hand-in-hand 
with conservation groups to finalize a new 10-year strategy to prevent 
wildfires and reduce the threat they pose to people and property near the 
edge of forests. 

  As the U.S. Congress will have to approve many of the provisions included 
in the Administration's plan, we look for this issue to become a high 
priority, and will likely see action in early September.  And we'll be 
calling on you to weigh-in with your lawmakers to ensure any new wildfire 
initiative protects communities as well as our national forests!  Stay tuned 
- much more to follow!

 CONFERENCE COMMITTEE TO DECIDE ON 
 DOD EXEMPTION IN EARLY SEPTEMBER

 Congressional insiders are reporting that the House-Senate Conference 
Committee working on the Defense Authorization bill will convene in early 
September to consider whether to grant the Department of Defense exemptions 
from key environmental laws.  You'll recall this bill includes the 
House-passed "Readiness & Range Preservation Initiative," a provision that 
gives DOD blanket exemptions from portions of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 
the ESA, and also undermines protections for a wilderness area in Utah. As 
the President of the United States already has the power to grant government 
agencies - including DOD - relief from our nations laws and regulations when 
national security is at risk, there is simply no reason to grant any 
government agency special, blanket exemptions.  Audubon and our partners in 
conservation believe that when national security is not at stake, no 
government agency should be above the law - including the laws that sustain 
America's birds and wildlife.  Even though Congress is out of sess
 ion, we're still working hard to see that the Conference Committee members 
reject this proposal, and keep the exemption process as is.  You can help!  
Please contact your lawmakers and urge them to reject the House-passed 
Readiness and Range Preservation Initiative by keeping it out of the final 
Defense Authorization bill.  Click onto this link to instantly send your fax 
or e-mail now: 
http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/contact/default.asp?subject=51

 ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT AT RISK

 When the U.S. Congress returns to action in September, the U.S. House of 
Representatives will be voting on a measure that would make it significantly 
harder to list species on the Endangered Species list.  The bill up for 
debate, H.R.4840, uses misleading "buzzwords" like "sound science" and "peer 
review" to disguise a full attack on the ESA listing process  The bill makes 
a mockery of the Endangered Species Act by establishing impossible scientific 
standards, giving the Secretary of the Interior wide and inappropriate 
discretion with regards to listing species, and creating burdensome new 
obstacles to citizen efforts to file petitions for species listings - the 
primary way species have been added to the list since the enactment of the 
Endangered Species Act in 1973.

 For the sake of birds and other wildlife on the brink of extinction, please 
contact your Representative and urge your lawmaker to keep the Endangered 
Species Act in tact by opposing H.R.4840.   For more information on this 
bill, and to send your message to your lawmaker on this issue, please click 
onto this link now: 
http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/contact/default.asp?subject=57

 COMMENT PERIOD ON TONGASS CLOSES

    On August 17th, the  U.S. Forest Service (USFS) officially closed its 
comment period on opening new areas of the Tongass National Forest to 
roadbuilding.  And according to the Alaska Coalition, of which Audubon is an 
active member, more than 150,000 comments were sent to the USFS, calling for 
strong protection of the Tongass National Forest. The USFS must now evaluate 
submitted comments before issuing a final decision.  When that decision will 
come is up in the air, as the amount of public interest in the proposal 
overwhelmed the USFS!   The USFS set up one fax machine to receive comments 
from across the nation. They received so many; the machine failed one week 
before the close of comment period, forcing last minute regular mail 
deliveries to the Missoula-based Content Analysis Team.  Interestingly 
enough, despite the fact that e-mail has become an increasingly popular means 
of public participation in the policy-making process, the USFS declined to 
set-up an e-mail address!  Many thanks to those who submitt
 ed comments - and stay tuned for the official results!

 A LOOK AT OTHER ISSUES

 Click onto the links provided for more information on other issues Congress 
will take a look at when they return to action in September.

 BIRDS & WILDLIFE

 NEO-TROPICAL MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION ACT: 
http://www.capitolconnectcom/audubon/contact/default.asp?subject=48

 NATURAL HABITATS:

 ROADLESS FOREST AREA PROTECTION: 
http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/contact/default.asp?subject=50

 OCEAN & OCEANS SPECIES: 
http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/contact/default.asp?subject=39 .

 RESTORING THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER: 
http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/contact/default.asp?subject=42.

 KEEPING OUR WATERS CLEAN: 
http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/contact/default.asp?subject=52

 ENCOURAGING THE ARMY CORPS TO MANAGE OUR ECOSYSTEMS IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY 
SUSTAINABLE MANNER: 
http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/contact/default.asp?subject=55

 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

 ADMINISTRATION LOOKS TO MOVE EPA'S OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION TO 
ANOTHER AGENCY:
 http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/contact/default.asp?subject=47

 POPULATION & ITS AFFECT ON THE ENVIRONMENT

 BILL TO SECURE FUNDING FOR UNFPA INTRODUCEDIN THE HOUSE:
 http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/contact/default.asp?subject=59

 ENCOURAGE CONGRESS TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR INTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING: 
http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/contact/default.asp?subject=37

 Audubon Advisory
 Audubon Public Policy Division
 1901 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., Suite 1100
 Washington, D.C.  20006
 1-800-659-2622

Virginia Murphy
Belleville, Illinois
Gmurphy6@AOL.com