Giant Sequoia National Monument was created by President Bill Clinton in 2000. Ever since this spectacular monument was set aside to protect some of the largest trees in the world, it has been threatened by logging interests and a Forest Service that seems more interested in logging than preservation.
The Monument is under threat again. The Forest Service has released a new management plan for the Monument for public review and comment. This new plan could lead to increased tree removal within the Monument -- and at levels higher than before the Monument was designated.
Dear [Decision Makers],
I am writing to urge you to use your power to finally bring real protection to the Giant Sequoia National Monument.
The Monument was established in 2000 by President Bill Clinton to forever protect the remaining 327,000 acres of the Giant Sequoia ecosystem. But once again, the Giant Sequoia ecosystem is at great risk, and the Forest Service is again failing to provide adequate protection.
The recently released Forest Service Management Plan for the Monument includes several options, including some which propose dramatic increases in logging and other incompatible uses. Some of the proposed alternatives by the Forest Service would actually include more logging than before the Monument was established.
This is the Forest Service's second attempt to write a plan consistent with the highest standards for sequoia management. This new draft plan does not meet the nation's expectations for these treasured groves. I believe that the National Monument should be managed just like the adjacent Sequoia National Park, where logging is not allowed. None of the current options provide the highest standards needed for protecting the Giant Sequoia ecosystem.
It will be a travesty if we allow the Forest Service and their friends in timber industry to log throughout the home of most of the remaining giant sequoias left in the world. Now is the time to bring real protection to a national treasure by crafting a management plan that protects these magnificent trees and their surrounding ecosystem permanently.
If the Forest Service is incapable of managing the Monument in a manner that ensures protection of the Giant Sequoia ecosystem, the Sierra Club will move to gain legislative support for moving Monument's management to Sequoia National Park with its proven record of successful sequoia management.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
