Category: RT Newswire

***For Immediate Release***

Contact: Emily Posner, Native Forest Network, Organizer–207-930-5232

All Charges Dropped Against Activists Harassed by Plum Creek

On Monday, February 4th, Emily Posner, Alex Lundberg and John Waters
all received notice from the Piscataquis County Prosecutors Office
that their pending criminal trespassing charges were dropped.

The three are volunteers from Native Forest Network–Gulf of Maine
(NFN), a grass-roots statewide coalition of concerned citizens working
to conserve and restore Maine’s forest spaces-and 1 of them, an atmospheric scientist,  is also with Rising Tide North America. NFN is registered with
LURC as an intervenor in the Plum Creek rezoning proposal, and has
been participating in official hearings regarding the Seattle-based
company’s Concept Plan for the Moosehead Region. NFN supports a
stance of “No Compromise” in regards to Plum Creek’s proposed
development, claiming, “this type of project contributes to global
climate change, threatens the ecological integrity of the largest
undeveloped region east of the Mississippi River, and undermines the
rural heritage of the region.”

Continue reading

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2008
10:04 AM
CONTACT: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
Carol Goldberg (202) 265-7337

Leaked E-Mails May Sink Arctic Offshore Lease Sales

Officials Scramble to Suppress Scientific Dissent over Bush Arctic Oil
Initiative

WASHINGTON, DC – February 4 – The Interior Department is scrambling to
stanch the flow of internal e-mails from its own scientists that undermine
the legality of its aggressive offshore oil and gas lease sales in federal
Arctic waters, according to correspondence released today by Public
Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The e-mails belie Bush
administration claims that environmental risks were adequately considered
prior to offering tracts in the Chukchi, Beaufort and Bering Seas for
drilling.

During the past three weeks, PEER has released a series of internal e-mails
from current and former Interior scientists raising troubling questions
about how badly environmental assessments of Arctic offshore oil development
were skewed. These e-mails have fueled two new lawsuits in the past week
that threaten to stymie new lease sales and lend further support to ongoing
litigation against earlier lease sales.

Continue reading

Take to the street March 18-19There will be a lot of protest activity and organizing in DC in March, and our goal is to support and compliment other organizing strategies.

Iraq Veterans Against the War is organizing veterans to come to D.C. to give testimony on March 15-16 about the U.S. role in Iraq in an event called Winter Soldier. While many other organizations are discussing their plans and various coalition efforts are underway, a network of individuals and groups is emerging around a common vision of a massive intervention, using nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience on Capitol Hill and elsewhere, to intervene and interrupt the power holders in Washington, D.C. and Corporate America. Continue reading

http://www.ttjonline.com/story.asp?sectioncode=14&storycode=54063&c=3

Timber Trade Journal
4 February, 2008

Scotland’s Forestry Industry Needs to Adapt to Climate Change

Scotland’s forest industry will have to change
its practices in order to keep woodlands strong
and healthy in the face of climate change,
according to Forestry Commission Scotland.

A report from the commission recommends that the
forestry industry looks at the type and range of
species it cultivates, as well as operational
practices such as nursery work through to
harvesting.

Key points from the Impacts of Climate Change on
Forests and Forestry in Scotland report include
integrating more high-quality broadleaved trees
to forests, finding a replacement for Sitka
spruce as conditions change and dealing with the
increased amount of damage to timber by high
winds and wet soil.

“The commission’s proposals will help the people
who manage the country’s forests and woodlands to
consider what steps they can take now to ensure
that those forests remain strong, healthy and
accessible for generations to come,” said
Scottish environment minister Michael Russell.

“Making changes now could help the forestry
industry both to minimise the effects of climate
change in Scotland’s woodlands and to exploit
evolving conditions to best effect.”

Adequate training for staff to ensure they are
equipped with the right information to deal with
the changing nature of Scotland’s forests is also
important, said the report.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++