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Citizens Losing Voice on the Future of Our Federal Lands

The Forest Service has released a draft set of changes to its rules for management decisions on National Forests.  Our 188 million acre forest system has traditionally given the public strong rights to participate in long-term forest planning and on local forest projects that range from recreation to timber sales.  This has included a clear path for average citizens to seek redress to the agency and ultimately the courts if necessary. 
Unfortunately, the new changes are designed to shut the public out from important decisions on the future of its forests.  In particular, the agency has greatly expanded its use of the “Categorical Exclusion” (CE), a provision that allows it to bypass public comment altogether.  Until recently, the public was allowed to weigh in on most of the agency’s proposals, during both the early stages of a project’s development and following the completion of its environmental analyses.  From there, the public could object to a decision and ultimately address the matter in courts as a last resort.  Under the new rule, timber projects of up to 7300 acres could go through with no public comment.  The public would also be shut out of addressing mining permits of up to a square mile in size.  Important protections for sensitive species would be greatly reduced, and in a serious threat to transparency and public accountability, the agency would not even have to inform the public that a CE’d project was even taking place- essentially eliminating a public record of many of its actions.
Citizens who care about government transparency and accountability should make their voice heard.  The 60-day public comment on this new rule ends August 12.  Let the agency and your congresspeople know that the public does not want its rights to transparency and good government be taken away.  

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A History of Citizen Rights on National Forests

 For half a century, conservationists have worked to ensure that common citizens had a voice .  A timeline shows how citizens rights and government accountability have declined greatly in recent years.
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The Case for a Public Voice in National Forests.

 Everyday people make a difference in protecting our public lands, engaging in important field science, and acting as a watchdog for better government and oversight of forest management.
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The New Proposed Rule and How to Take Action

A short summary of the rule, significant problems, and how to get involved. 
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