From a press release issued by the AMA:

AMA URGES SUPPORT FOR HEALTHY FOREST MEASURE

PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association asks motorcyclists, ATV riders and others involved in recreation to urge their federal lawmakers to support legislation to protect the forests.

U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis (R-Colo.) has introduced legislation to carry out President Bush’s “Healthy Forests Initiative” to help protect the forests from devastating fires.

Bush unveiled the initiative during his State-of-the-Union address to Congress on Jan. 28. In his address, he told lawmakers that “I have sent you a Healthy Forests Initiative, to help prevent the catastrophic fires that devastate communities, kill wildlife, and burn away millions of acres of treasured forest.

“Even more,” the president said, “I ask you to take a crucial step, and protect our environment in ways that generations before us could not have imagined. In this century, the greatest environmental process will come about, not through endless lawsuits or command and control regulations, but through technology and innovation.”

The Healthy Forests Initiative streamlines procedures to allow critical forest-restoration and fire-prevention projects to proceed quickly in forest areas that could easily be devastated by fire. The measure provides an alternative to the current appeals process, and directs the courts to take into consideration the long-term harm of inaction against the alleged short-term harms of forest restoration projects.

“This legislation is vital to help ensure that our forests are protected from catastrophic fires so the forests can be enjoyed by current and future generations,” said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations. “If Congress doesn’t act now, we could see more devastating fires like we did last summer. And those fires ruin forest recreational opportunities for all.”

Motorcyclists, ATV riders and others are urged to go to the AMA Rapid Response Center at the AMA website at www.AMADirectlink.com to send a message to their federal lawmakers asking them to support the Healthy Forests Initiative.