Number: 1990-18
WHEREAS, change is threatening traditional land uses in the northern forest lands of New England and New York, and traditional state-based jurisdictions cannot alone adequately protect and conserve these precious resources; and
WHEREAS, some 25,000,000 acres of forest land in public and private ownership in the States of Vermont, Maine, New York and New Hampshire were designated in 1988 as the Northern Forest Lands Study Area; and
WHEREAS, the Governors of Vermont, Maine, New York and New Hampshire appointed a special Task Force to assess the situation and recommend action to their respective Governors; and
WHEREAS, Congressional funds were appropriated to the U.S. Forest Service to conduct a major study, under the Direction of the Governor’s Task Force; and
WHEREAS, the Draft Report of the Northern Forest Lands Study was completed in October 1989; and
WHEREAS, public hearings are now in progress to gather citizen input; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 15-18, 1990, in Denver, Colorado, calls upon Congress to provide funding to continue the Northern Forest Lands Study; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls upon Congress to set aside emergency funds for public acquisition of critical parcels of northern forest lands that willing sellers may place on the market; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls upon the state governments of Vermont, Maine, New York and New Hampshire each to set aside emergency funds for public acquisition of critical parcels of northern forest lands that willing sellers may place on the market.