[Grampa Dave]

No, this has nothing to do with Americans being fat. I did not change the title/headline. That is how the story was headlined by AP.

President Bush is visiting Medford, Oregon, this Thursday in what could be a very important turn around re the Green Weenies, terrible forestry agendas.

Governors from Idaho, Arizona and Montana also have been invited to join the president in Medford.

[Grampa Dave]

Lets let President Bush's upcoming visit to Medford, his discussions on the fires burning all over Oregon and his fly over of the Biscuit Fire be our link for today.

Oregon is still burning. President Bush is for thinning, and we know what that means! The enviral Green Jihadists are against any thinning or even removal of dead trees. So there is a real collision coming up.

Please post what you know about the President's upcoming visit and of course any new data on the fires.

[Grampa Dave]

The upcoming visit of President Bush to Medford is directly related to the sorry story of Oregon burning the past month as per the burning agenda of the Rural Cleansers of America, the Watermelon Green Jihadists.

This will be our daily thread re Oregon is still burning.

[Grampa Dave]

Good morning John.

President Bush will be visiting Medford, Oregon tomorrow to start the process of making our forests safer for the rest of America.

We would appreciate your magic pinger on this important and upcoming visit by President Bush.

[fuzzthatwuz]

"Governors from Idaho, Arizona and Montana also have been invited to join the president in Medford."

Washington State Governor Gary Lock being snubbed?

[Enterprise]

"Environmental groups, ... said the president is simply using Western wildfires to justify increased logging."

So what's wrong with increased logging?

[Grampa Dave]

President Bush will be making a very important visit to Medford, Oregon, tomorrow.

He will address the terrible situation of the uncontrolled fires in Oregon the past month.

Fires that are a direct result of the agendas of the Watermelon Green Jihadists who control the forests of our nation and in Oregon.

Would appreciate your help and support re getting the word out about President Bush's very important visit to Medford, Oregon.

[AAABEST]

Mornin' Gramps.

This is certainly a step in the right direction.

If GWB becomes a force in pushing back the envirocreeps, maybe I can start overlooking some of the stupid things him and his brother have done.

[Grampa Dave]

I wish that we could get a copy of your great book to our president while in Oregon.

Maybe you can post what your book is about and more data on it!

[sam_paine]

Governors from Idaho, Arizona and Montana also have been invited to join the president in Medford.

The president will also have politics on my mind.

"This is very significant for us," state Republican Party Chairman Perry Atkinson said. "We know that Oregon is one of the targeted states in the next election cycle."

HUH??? Freudian slip?? Reporter thinking they are the prez?

[putupon]

Bush to push for thinning

Yeah, maybe for a week or two, then forget about it just like he did drilling for oil in ANWR.

[justshe]

Took me a while to track this down, but here is the information re: thinning for fire protection in east side forests. It is NOT just in Oregon. AND........this only impacts those states covered under the NW Forest Plan (OR,WA,ID).

Where I live on the Umpqua Nat'l Forest (Apple fire), the 'old growth' designation of 120 years essentially takes the majority of this forest off the 'thinning' map....even IF west-side forests were included.

SUMMARY OF THE FOREST RESTORATION AND PROTECTION ACT OF 2002

ON THE WESTSIDE during the first 90 days following enactment:

The FS establishes, with the BLM, F&W, NMFS and the Department of Justice, the Northwest Forest Plan Legal Settlement Team (Team) to negotiate a Universal Settlement on all existing Northwest Forest Plan area lawsuits: Concurrently: the Team immediately negotiates a moratorium on any new timber sales while the Universal Settlement is being negotiated and while the Surveys (below) are being completed AND negotiates a settlement on the Rothstein decisions (PCFFA II and III) that protects fish habitat and releases timber for harvesting.

The FS and BLM complete an Old Growth Survey to identify the 120 year plus old growth stands for protection;

The FS and BLM complete an Active Management Survey to identify where ecologically sound active management can occur immediately in the Late Successional Reserves (up to 80 years) and in the Matrix (up to 120 years).

IF the Team can resolve the Rothstein decisions, then during the next 120 days they continue negotiations on the Universal Settlement, informed by the Surveys. The Universal Settlement must include the following commitments: (1) no old growth stands (120 plus) will be harvested; (2) priority timber harvest projects are given to LSR thinning and Matrix areas to promote development of diverse age stands; (3) the plaintiffs must agree NOT to the sue on the priority timber harvest projects; (4) Survey and Manage and other Northwest Forest Plan procedures are replaced by whatever the negotiations determine are the new procedures necessary to meet ESA requirements; (5) in the case of the loss of old growth due to natural occurrences, the area affected shall be managed only to promote the redevelopment of old growth.

For the future:(1) If there are new lawsuits on the Settlement sanctioned projects, then the FS and BLM carry an evidentiary presumption in their favor in court; (2) The Forest Service shall create in the Northwest Forest Plan area watershed and stream restoration programs which will be authorized at $20 million over five years.

ON THE EASTSIDE (OR,WA, ID) during the first 60 days after enactment:

The Forest Service shall identify projects on the Eastside as follows: NEPA-ready; ecologically beneficial hazardous fuels reduction; active management; thinning from below; Fire Risk Class III and II; using only temporary roads; blowdown or burns.

The Forest Service forms a Collaborative Review Board (15 members) to review the projects for expedited implementation. The CRB contains representatives from the environmental community, timber industry, community based forestry, Forest Service, and State foresters from each state.

During the next 15 business days (total 75 days after enactment) the CRB reviews projects for suitability for expedited implementation. To move forward on an expedited basis a project will have a 2/3 vote. During the next 15 business days (total 90 days after enactment) the public has an opportunity to review and comment on the projects expedited.

No later than 90 days after the bill is enacted, the FS shall implement the CRB approved hazardous fuels reduction projects. Anyone can challenge these projects in court, but not administratively, if they commented during the 15 day comment period; The plaintiff must prove, on the merits, that their plan for the forest is more ecologically sound than the project they are opposing. the FS carries a court presumption in their favor if the project has been reviewed by the CRB;

For the Future: The Forest Service may create Eastside Stakeholder Monitoring Groups (seven members) that discusses each project before it occurs to develop consensus on the condition the project shall leave the land and how the project shall be implemented. Projects that have an Eastside Stakeholder Monitoring Group will carry the same appeals processes as for the CRB projects.

_______________________________________________________________

My Comments: There are some significant changes between this bill and the 'Daschle Exemption Amendment' that was signed. One HUGE difference is that THESE fire thinning projects must be NEPA ready. Daschle exempted his forests from NEPA regulations. And then of course, as I read this, all other states are not addressed at all.

The Wyden/Craig bill I posted above is only conceptual at this point, I believe. So I think NOW is the time to make our views known to President Bush and to Senator Gordon Smith this week! And push YOUR Senators and Reps to negotiate a FAIR/SANE bill, ala the Daschle amendment. This hodgepodge bill, as I read it, requires a 'Mother-May-I' from the environmentalists to go forward.

[madfly]

ping

[BOBTHENAILER]

Governors from Idaho, Arizona and Montana also have been invited to join the president in Medford.

Mornin' Dave, always nice to wake up to good news. I told you this was coming and I hope this point is DRIVEN home with such force as to leave no DOUBT whose policies are responsible for.....what is it now 6million acres torched this year....so far?

[Granof8]

Biscuit fire is at 489,279 acres this morning.

[joyce11111]

This is such welcome news.

[SGCOS]

It will be interesting to see where dasshole comes down on this. Whether to fight the President with his eternal partisan politics, or to tell the enivornMENTALists to stick it where the sun don't shine. (In this case, that would be the forest floor.)

[My2Cents]

From the headline, I thought this was a new federal crusade against obesity.

[elcaudillo]

This is great news and exactly why I voted for this man for president. I knew he'd come through.

Meanwhile, what's the latest update on the War On Terrorism? As far as I know, we have lost more of our own troops due to accidents than fighting terrorists. Our nation is filled with terrorists who have been here for years. They're easy to find. Just break down the doors of all the mosques that dot North America and you'll find it full of terrorists. Better yet, check out the universities where not only are many students muslim-terrorists-in-waiting, but they're "taught" by sympathetic professors.

But meanwhile the War On Fatsos will be led by our svelte president.

[TADSLOS]

President Bush sets the example

[EBUCK]

Kitzhaber has led an effort by the Western Governors' Association to address wildfire threats across the West.

After how many years of screwing us on the issue? Appearantly not running for gubnor has cleared his mind. Or perhaps it's the spectre of looking for work in a private sector filled to the brim with out of work loggers that has changed his tune.

EBUCK