Environmentalist
and Alaska Resident Timothy Miles to Present
Program
Highlighting The Tongass Rainforest
Program
Highlights the Natural and Political History as well as the current
environmental threats and challenges of the Tongass Rainforest
Juneau,
Alaska –
Environmentalist Timothy Miles is
on a mission to save the Tongass National Forest, one of our nation’s only
rainforests and the world’s largest national forest, from continued attempts
by the timber industry to clear-cut millions of acres of old growth forest.
Miles, a resident of Juneau, Alaska, will share stories and a slide show
during the program.
Miles,
a graduate of Prescott College in Wildlife Studies, has seen the effects of
clear-cutting in the Tongass first hand. Miles has spent years studying
grizzly bears, black bears, wolves and otters, and has worked for the
Alaska Department of Fish and Games, Commercial Fish Division monitoring the
Taku Gill Net Fishery.
Miles,
who has also worked in Africa for the School for Field Studies Wildlife
Ecology and Management program, says that the Tongass Rainforest is unique for
its ecological diversity. Unfortunately, recent Bush Administration actions
threaten to undermine the health of species such as grizzly bears, black
bears, whales, rare sitka deer, mountain goats, wolves, and bald eagles.
On
the day before Christmas Eve, the Bush Administration announced that it was
eliminating protections for 9.6 million acres of the Tongass. This was a
reversal of the Roadless Rules, enacted by the Clinton Administration, which
limited industrial road building in our national forests. The Roadless Rule
was the most popular environmental protection in U.S. history, receiving 2.5
million public comments, mostly in favor of limiting the access of the Timber
Industry to our national forests.
“I
hope to bring a message from the Alaskan Wilderness for President Bush: Enough
is enough. We must protect the crown jewel of America’s national forest
system” Miles said.
WHO:
Tim Miles, Environmentalist
WHERE:
Dean’s Dining Room in the Lare’s Union Building of
Penn State Abington Campus
WHEN:
Thursday,
March 11, 2004, at 7:30 p.m.
COST:
FREE