A senior White House official, according to the AP, said the money in many cases would be tied to promises of state matching funds. Some of the funds would be used to promote public-private partnerships, including voluntary efforts by companies to improve energy efficiency. The Administration said it would market the program to the Congress by pitching the idea that the programs address urban smog and other air pollution in addition to countering climate change. The petition was organized by the Association of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics. The groups contend logging in national forests is economically harmful and therefore violates the Services's mandate.
Deforested areas dry quickly, changing the ecology of plant life in the area.
The Religious Campaign for Forest Conservation announced that more than 40 religious groups visited Capitol Hill last week to urge the end of logging in national forests. The groups voiced support for HR 2789, a bill to end logging in national forests, and called for immediate protection of roadless areas. Oakland Acts Against Dioxin Despite heavy lobbying by the Chlorine Chemistry Council, the city council of Oakland, California, has adopted a resolution to take immediate steps to protect public health from emissions of dioxin, one of the most toxic chemicals known to science. The resolution designates ending dioxin pollution as a high priority for immediate action to restore water, air, soil, and food quality and protect public health. According to the organization Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, even trace amounts of dioxin can cause serious health effects such as cancer, endometriosis, learning disabilities, immune problems, birth defects, and reproductive illnesses.