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Dear Carolin,
There are only a few Ponderosa Pines left in the world, but the U.S. Forest Service is planning to cut them down in a huge timber sale.
Demand that the U.S. Forest Service halt plans to cut down these rare trees. Ponderosa Pines live along the Grand Canyon's North Rim. They are so old that their bark has yellowed with age -- their nickname is "yellow-bellies."
The Forest Service claims that this "Wild Buck" timber sale is necessary to prevent forest fires in the region, but cutting down these rare trees won't help. Yellow-bellies have thick, fire-resistant bark and their branches are too high for most fire to reach.
The Forest Service is also misleading the public about which trees it will cut down. It says that a tiny percentage of the timber will come from trees larger than 16 inches in diameter -- but in truth, more than 1,000 trees older than 200 years old will be cut down.
If loggers cut down these rare trees, it will harm more than just the plant life. Dozens of animals that live on the North Rim will lose their homes, including mule deer, goshawks and porcupines.
Some of these trees have been around since before the Europeans landed in America. They are a part of our natural heritage, and they deserve our respect. Urge the Kaibab National Forest supervisor to stop the proposed "Wild Buck" timber sale and save the pines.
Thank you for taking action,
Kathleen
Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team
