** Topic: USFS to end Appeals Process **
** Written 9:10 pm Mar 24, 1992 by paw in cdp:ef.general **
US FOREST SERVICE TO DO AWAY WITH APPEALS PROCESS
In response to President Bush's oly-oly-oxen-free call on federal
regulations in his last state of the union address, Sec. of
Agriculture Edward Madigan has called for the elimination of the
Forest Service appeals process.
In a report entitled, " Information on the Forest Service Appeals
System", the United States General Accounting office reported,
"Consistent with our findings for earlier years, ...delays were
not due to the appeals process itself. Rather they were due to
underlying problems with Forest Service environmental analyses
that did not meet all requirements." (statement of John W.
Harman, Director, Food and Agriculture Issues, GAO). Of the 132
appeals studied by the GAO, 0% were found to be without merit, and
98% were due to Forest Service environmental analysis problems
(Table 3, GAO report).
Rather than begin tom follow the law, the Forest Service has opted
to do away with the process that has exposed their violations. n
Without the appeals process, there will be no public recourse
short of hiring a lawyer to address the violation of the National
Forest Management Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.
Senator Pat Lehey, head of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which
oversees the Forest Service opposes these changes, "Consistently,
the courts have found that the administration was not following
the National Forest Management Act and the National Environmental
Policy Act, which govern the management of public lands, " Leahy
said. "In the face of these court decisions -- that the
administration has refused to obey the law -- it is disturbing
that the administration is trying to limit citizen's rights to
appeal decisions rather than complying with the law."
Write to Leahey and thank him for his efforts. Tell him you don't
want citizen's rights to appeal National Forest decisions to be
taken away. Cite the GAO report, and ask that your comments be
entered into the federal register. You have 20 days to enter
comments.
PAT LEAHEY
US SENATE
WASHINGTON DC
20510
For All Things Wild,
Buck Young Preserve Appalachian Wilderness
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Response 1 of 1
** Written 9:57 am Mar 27, 1992 by paw in cdp:ef.general **
tosend comments diectly to federal register write -- Appeals Staff, Forest Servi
ce, USDA, PO Box 96-090, Wash. DC, 20090-6090.
** End of text from cdp:ef.general **
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