Senate Press Conference-Act to Save America's Forests (original) (raw)

Dr. Jane G oodall Warns of Dangers of Deforestation, Asks Congress
To End Clearcutting, Set Up Protected Zones in National Forests

Senator Jon Corzine Vows to Pass Legislation To Save Ancient Forests and Stop Clearcutting

Contrasts his legislation with Bush's efforts to increase logging
and gut environmental laws on National Forests

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 1, 2003- World famous primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall attended a press conference in the U.S. Senate today, and urged the Congress to pass the Act to Save America's Forests, in order protect the last Ancient Forests on federal lands, and to restore the native biodiversity and forest ecosystems on public lands. She compared the deforestation in the U.S. with the deforestation in Africa and around the world, and stated the importance of immediate action to protect the world's last wild forests.

Senator Jon Corzine hosted the press conference, at which he announced that he will be the new Senate sponsor of the The Act to Save America's Forests. He will introduce the Act soon. He made the announcement in the U.S. Senate, with other speakers including Dr. Jane Goodall, of the Jane Goodall Institute, Dennis Schvejda, Conservation of the New Jersey Sierra Club, Carl Ross, Director of Save America's Forests, and Dr. Brent Blackwelder, President of Friends of the Earth.

To Read More About the Act to Save America's Forests, click here.

This historic legislation will protect vital ecological areas, including the last remaining virgin forests and roadless areas, and end clearcutting throughout our national forest lands.

Following the press conference, Dr. Goodall made a presentation about her experience in African forests, the programs of the Jane Goodall Institute, and the importance of forest protection and restoration throughout the world, including in our national forest system.

Senator Corzine will introduce this legislation to end a century of destructive forest management practices on our federal lands. According to Corzine "The Administration continues to put the interests of the timber industry ahead of the public's interest in managing national forests," said Senator Corzine. "They are weakening protections for roadless areas and continuing to liquidate remaining ancient forests. Passing the 'Act to Save America's Forests' would ban logging in these speacial areas, while allowing sustainable logging to occur outside of them. It's a balanced, common sense approach." The legislation also requires the Forest Service and other agencies to protect and restore the native biodiversity on the national forests.

Senator Corzine says that this legislation is needed to protect the last wild areas and restore our national forests, in direct contrast to Bush Administration's administrative and legislative actions, which aim to reduce or remove environmental laws on the national forests in order to vastly increase logging.

This legislation has widespread support throughout the scientific community. Dr. Goodall signed a letter to Congress signed by over 600 other leading scientists, including Dr. E.O. Wilson of Harvard, Dr. Peter Raven, former Home Secretary of the National Academy of Sciences, and Dr. Stuart Pimm, Doris Duke Professor at Duke University, endorsing this legislation. The Union of Concerned Scientists also endorses this legislation. This action by the scientific community signals an unprecedented endorsement of a comprehensive, scientifically based forest protection bill for the entire National Forest System. According to Dr. Gary Meffe, one of the signers of the letter and editor of the prestigious journal Conservation Biology, this legislation incorporates the latest scientific principles of ecology and may be the last hope for saving our National Forests from permanent degradation.