Mapping Project Tracks Logging for Biomass Energy | Biomass Monitor

Once completed, the McNeil Biomass Forest Mapping Project will map logging for both the McNeil station and the 25-megawatt Ryegate Biomass Incinerator (in Ryegate, Vermont) over a ten year period from 2002-2012 to depict the actual forest footprint of industrial scale biomass energy. The finished project will include dozens of photo galleries showing on-the-ground impacts of biomass energy logging projects.

Tavis Smiley, Cornel West on the 2012 Election and Why Calling Obama “Progressive” Ignores His Record , Amy Goodman, Democracy Now

As the most expensive presidential election in U.S. history comes to an end, broadcaster Tavis Smiley and professor, activist Dr. Cornel West join us to discuss President Obama’s re-election and their hopes for a national political agenda in and outside of the White House during Obama’s second term. At a time when one in six Americans is poor, the price tag for combined spending by federal candidates — along with their parties and outside groups like super PACs — totaled more than $6 billion. Together, West and Smiley have written the new book, “The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto.”

Feds reject calls to limit logging in Aspen project | SacBee

Follow the Money to Understand the corruption and stupidity of the Federal land management agencies, BLM, USFS, Minerals, BIA, all of them. All the extractive industry corporate interests, including the dishonest and destructive strip-mine logging industry (with the largest footprint), gives enough money to buy politicians and to own them.

Wuerthner: Why are Conservation Groups Advocating Logging Public Forests? | Counterpunch

It seems more and more there are fewer conservation organizations who speak for the forest, and more that speak for the timber industry. Witness several recent commentaries in Oregon papers that are by no means unique. I’ve seen similar themes from other conservation groups across the West in recent years.

Does forest fire prevent forest fire? Idaho

Forest fires are bumping up against older burns, where the fuels have been reduced, and petering out.

Debt standoff makes Forest Service fight all fires? | McClatchy

Most scientists and fire managers agree that fire is a healthy and necessary part of the forest, and that fighting these blazes serves only to build up fuels and boost the size and frequency of fires that do turn catastrophic. Federal agencies still put out 97 to 99 percent of all fires that start.

Hubbard’s memo, which became public only this month, raised fears among agency critics of a backward shift to a policy where federal agencies attack every wildfire, many deep in the woods, increasing the cost of suppression.

Spotted owls need more forest cover, not less. Roy Keene, Oregonian

We aren’t losing an indicator species like the spotted owl because the federal forests aren’t being logged enough. We are losing the owl — along with other vital publicly owned forest resources such as cold, clean water and salmon — because the vast intermingled corporate forest is being logged too much and too heavily.