Forest Server Press Release
United States Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
Sequoia National Forest
900 West Grand Avenue
Porterville, CA 93257
(559) 784-1500
(559) 781-6650 TDD
March 3, 2000
Dear Friend:
The Sequoia National Forest is pleased to announce a public meeting for
The Future of Giant Sequoia on March 18, 2000. The purpose of the meeting
is twofold -- first, to provide a listening forum on the spectrum of views
for stewardship of the giant sequoia groves, and second to provide an
opportunity for the people of the United States to share their ideas for
the protection, preservation, and restoration of the giant sequoia groves
on the Sequoia National Forest.
The March 18, forum will replace the collaborative workshop titled
Giant Sequoia: Blueprint for Change, announced in the February 4, 2000
letter I sent to you. The new meeting forum will respond to a letter dated
February 14 from President Clinton asking the Secretary of Agriculture to
make a recommendation regarding the appropriate stewardship of the giant
sequoia groves under Forest Service management within the Sequoia National
Forest. The President asked the Secretary to send his recommendation
within 60 days.
At the March 18, forum, you will have the opportunity to hear from
several panels, representing a wide range of interests, who will be asked
to address the following three questions:
1. What land area is ecologically necessary for the proper care and
management of the giant sequoia and their ecosystems?
2. Are there other historic, prehistoric, or ecological values that
should be considered for inclusion in a national monument designation?
3. What sort of actions (management) are needed for the proper care
of giant sequoia and their ecosystems?
At the conclusion of the panel presentations the audience will have an
opportunity to provide both oral and written input.
A team from the Sequoia National Forest is identifying the location of
giant sequoia ecosystems, as well as the historic, prehistoric, and other
scientific values for the Secretary to consider for recommendation for
further protection. Over the past eight years, the late Congressman Brown
introduced bills that would have created a Giant Sequoia Preserve. The
land base identified by these bills provide the team with a starting point
for the analysis, along with mapped areas of giant sequoia on the forest.
The proposed national-monument, if created by the President, would fall
under the management of the Forest Service. The activities allowed within
the monument would be described in the President's Proclamation.
We ask for your participation in the great opportunity to provide input
to the President. Our web site will provide more in-depth information on
the meeting and linkages to important background information on giant
sequoias. I encourage you to visit this web site and take advantage of the
information provided. The web address is http://www.r5.fs.fed.us/sequoia.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Mary
Chislock-Bethke at (559) 784-1500 ext. 1112 or Denise Alonzo ext. 1256.
E-mail can be sent to mchisloek/r5_sequoia@fs.fed.us
or dalonzo/r5_sequoia@.fs.fed.us.
I look forward to your participation. Information regarding the location
and directions to the forum are enclosed.
Sincerely,
ARTHUR L. GAFFREY
Forest Supervisor
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