
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 31, 1992                   TAG: 9203310374
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: HARRISONBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

FOREST MEASURE OPPOSED

Environmentalists are opposing a U.S. Forest Service plan to eliminate timber sale appeals, which have been costly at the George Washington National Forest.

"I expect a firestorm of grass-roots opposition," said James Loesel of Roanoke, secretary of the Citizens Task Force on National Forest Management. "I don't think [the Forest Service] is going to get away with this."

The proposed rule change was formally announced Friday, the beginning of a 30-day public comment period, and is subject to approval by the secretary of agriculture. There is no legislation that requires an appeals process for national forest decisions, but laws provide for public participation in land management.

George Washington National Forest would save at least $54,000 a year by eliminating appeals, some of which are frivolous, spokesman W. Terry Smith said.

"Right now anybody with a stamp and an envelope can shut down anything that goes on in the forest," Smith said. "It's taking a lot of time and a lot of money. We want to get people out in the woods instead of pushing paper handling these appeals."

But Ken Gersten of the Sierra Club said, "If some people are abusing the process, dumping the process is not going to solve the problem. The appeals are a check on decisions that the Forest Service makes."

The appeals process allows groups or individuals to appeal Forest Service decisions to the forest supervisor and the regional forester. The Forest Service chief in Washington can review appeals. Appeals take five to eight months to handle.

The George Washington has been a lightning rod for appeals with an average of 20 filed each year for the last three years. Most of the appeals focus on problems with timber cuts, the most controversial operation conducted in the national forests.

Virginia's other national forest, the Jefferson, has received eight appeals so far this year, six in 1991 and five in 1990.

"We've had relatively few appeals," said David Olson, a spokesman for the Jefferson National Forest. "I don't think we're in a position right now to be either pro or con on this."

by CNB