Wash. Post: Forests' Recreational Value Is Scaled Back (by *s USFS)

[Up2Late]

(I heard this on PRI's Marketplace today. it's the latest gift to *'s Logging and Mining buddies.)

Forests' Recreational Value Is Scaled Back

U.S. Lowers Estimate of GDP Contribution

By Juliet Eilperin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 15, 2005; Page A03

Forest Service officials have scaled back their assessment of how much recreation on national forest land contributes to the American economy, concluding that these activities generate just a tenth of what the Clinton administration estimated.

Under President Clinton, the Forest Service projected that by 2000, recreation in U.S. forests would contribute nearly $111 billion to the nation's annual gross domestic product, or GDP. Bush administration officials, by contrast, have determined that in 2002 these activities generated about $11 billion.

Joel Holtrop, deputy chief of the National Forest System, said the revised numbers may spur the administration to shift some of its recreation dollars within the system but will not prompt it to downgrade activities such as hunting, fishing and wildlife-watching. "It's just as valuable to us today as it was 10 years ago; we just have a better way of calculating it," Holtrop said in an interview. "We recognize recreation activity is an important program to the American people."

But critics of the administration said they fear that the new numbers, which were obtained from the nonprofit Natural Resources News Service, will be used to justify more logging and mining on national forests. Under the old estimates, recreation accounted for 85 percent of the system's contribution to the GDP, compared with extraction's 11 percent; under the new formula, recreation represents 59 percent.

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/14/AR2005081401103.html>
(more at link above)

[Carolab]

1. Last month on vacation in Colorado, visited Mesa Verde and

talked to a ranger there about the deplorable condition of the roads leading in. He launched into a TIRADE about * and how this administration has cut funding for national parks. Took us aside and went into full attack mode about ANWR and how it wasn't about the oil there but about its symbolic value and establishing a precedent for this sadministration to do "whatever they want with the park land"...

[nosmokes]

2. yumping yehosaphat!

the new numbers, which were obtained from the nonprofit Natural Resources News Service and who is this non profit you might say, and who appoints it's noble leaders you may ask? corporate hacks and our dearly beloved bushole is the quick answer, with a couple or three *real, live actual environmental scientists*, thrown in just so it can pass the smell test without everyone laughing it out of court. but seriously, the disparity between the current numbers and past numbers are astounding. of course, considering that in bushworld we have a bOOming economy and jobs are being created (are any jobs being created where you live? cause here in oregon we're losing jobs like iraq's losing police) so with whatever magical numbers the bushco accountants use who knows, cedar could be going for more a board foot than 18 karat gold per troy oz. and i wouldn't put something like past the mofos. of course, that would only be the price for this little evaluation. it would drop to less than the price of a gal of ethyl per hundred board ft when it comes time to sell those trees to his pals at georgia pacific or wayerhauser. market fluctuations doncha know.

[Up2Late]

4. Yup, this "Natural Resources News Service" has the Stink of KKKarl...

...all over it.

They do this kind of thing all the time, Start an organization of some sort with a very similar name to an actual legit organization, and then confuse the Hell out of the Pod People and the Non-thinkers on the RW. :banghead::mad:

[n2doc]

3. self fufilling profitcy

When they have logged and mined all of the forests, no one will go, so...once again, Mission accomplished.:mad: