Sometimes even the US Forest Service inadvertently surpasses even the most articulate voices in making the case for zero commercial extraction on public lands. For example, the Forest Service tried to pass off the Badger timber sale in eastern Oregon as a "salvage" sale with "widespread mortality" from "epidemic levels of fir engraver and Douglas fir tussock moths." They called it an imminent, large-scale stand-replacement fire just waiting to happen.

On paper, the area sounded like a disaster scene of dead trees. The Forest Service promised not to log any live old growth outside of riparian areas (not that it makes any sense to log inside riparian areas, but forest plan amendments excuse logging of "encroaching conifers" that sneak up on aspen trees in riparian areas).

Ground-truthing the sale (taking the Forest Service inventory of the area and determining its inaccuracies) in 1996 revealed a vibrant, healthy forest, about 90- to 95-percent green, well within normal endemic levels of insect and disease activity. Somewhat shocked by the Forest Service's blatant misrepresentation, I called the district office and asked how much of the sale they thought was green. "At least 75 percent" was the answer. Well, that made things easy, as this was enough to bump Badger out of the Salvage Rider (the day before its auction) for not meeting the definition of an appropriate Rider sale. Victory #1! But trust the Forest Service to never give up on logging an area (especially in an isolated district unaccustomed to the scrutiny of environmentally minded citizens).

In the spring of 1997, the district re-offered Badger for sale. The Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project (BMBP) commented on it, as did other groups and dedicated individuals who had seen the sale area and fallen in love with it. No one who commented critically was sent the decision notice, lessening our chance to appeal the sale and potentially preventing us from having standing to file a lawsuit. When we found this out and confronted the district staff, they made vague comments about "office restructuring."

We checked the area again, as it was now marked for logging. We counted so many healthy ponderosa pines over 30 inches in diameter marked to be cut, we stopped counting. Many were over 40 inches, which is big and old for this arid, high desert forest transition zone (where previous high-grade logging has taken out the biggest trees). In one aspen area, we measured two live old-growth ponderosa pines 40 inches and 50 inches in diameter that were marked to cut.

Since some of our time had been stolen by the district's failure to send us a decision notice, we cried foul and asked the Forest Service for a full period in which to prepare our appeal. We sent our letters describing all the big old trees marked for cutting to the forest supervisor and regional office, and the decision notice was withdrawn. Victory #2! In a meeting between BMBP, the district staff, the district ranger, the forest supervisor and his staff, the district ranger did not even attempt to explain why old-growth trees outside the riparian areas were marked to cut. Instead, he just admitted that he'd found some of the trees, and yes, they would be remarked to save.

Never trust the Forest Service. We went out and rechecked a lot of the sale units after the district assured us that the old growth had been completely remarked. We found live old-growth pine still marked to be cut in every unit we checked. A very consistent pattern of "mistakes" was discovered. To this date, the trees have not been remarked.

Okay, to make a long story short, we went through psychological warfare with the Forest Service and industry representatives who attacked our opinions with no referee. Our concerns weren't resolved. We appealed the sale and have thrown the book at them in court. A lawsuit was filed in January of this year.

Badger is a magnificent area with stunning old-growth ponderosa pine groves surrounded by wastelands from prior logging. We can't let old-growth pine groves, as well as pileated and white-headed woodpeckers, elk, songbirds, the Malheur mottled sculpin (a fish listed as sensitive under the Endangered Species Act), the Sierra onion (another sensitive-listed plant), pine marten, wolverine and redband trout be ravaged by the Badger sale.

So, we're asking you to help us stop this travesty now. Please write and call the officials listed below. Demand the complete and permanent cancellation of the Badger sale and ask that the area's old-growth groves be afforded permanent protection from logging. This forest is far more valuable as a wildlife preserve, with all unnecessary roads and cattle removed, than as disposable products for a gluttonous consumer society. The continued clearcutting of forests east of the Cascades creates an unsustainable economic boom that will lead to an inevitable crash. Eventually the resource-extraction economy will have to come to terms with dwindling resources.

Please contact the following villains so we can achieve a lasting victory in stopping the Badger sale. Dan Glickman, Secretary of the USDA, 14th and Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250; (202) 720-3631; Bob Williams, Regional Forester, Region 6, POB 3623 Portland, OR 97208-3621; (503) 808-2200; Jim Lyons, USDA, OSEC NRE Rm. 217 E, Mailstop 0108, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250; (202) 720-7173.