Post by Queen of the Damned on Jan 29, 2009 10:27:21 GMT -5
Scouts' dishonor
Despite a proclaimed love of the environment, the Boy Scouts of America is clear-cutting and logging to raise cash
By LEWIS KAMB, Hearst Newspapers
First published in print: Thursday, January 29, 2009
For nearly a century, the Boy Scouts of America have proudly described themselves as conservationists, good stewards of the land.
"The Boy Scouts were green before it was cool to be green," said Deron Smith, the organization's national spokesman.
But for decades, local Boy Scouts of America administrations across the country have clear-cut or otherwise conducted high-impact logging on tens of thousands of acres of forestland, often for the love of a different kind of green: Cash.
A Hearst Newspapers investigation has found dozens of cases over the last 20 years of local Boy Scout councils logging or selling prime woodlands to big timber interests, developers or others, turning quick money and often doing so instead of seeking ways to preserve such lands.
"In public, they say they want to teach kids about saving the environment," said Jane Childers, a longtime Scouting volunteer in Washington who has fought against Scouts' logging. "But in reality, it's all about the money."
Scouting councils nationwide have carried out clear-cuts, salvage harvests and other commercial logging in and around sensitive forests, streams and ecosystems that provide habitat for a host of protected species, including salmon, timber wolves, bald eagles and spotted owls.
Boy Scout councils have logged and sold for development properties bequeathed to them by donors who gave the lands with intentions they be used for camping and other outdoor recreation.
In some cases, councils have sought to use revenues from logging or land sales to make up for funding lost because of the organization's controversial bans on gays and atheists from membership and employment rolls.
"The Boy Scouts had to suffer the consequences for sticking by their moral values," said Eugene Grant, president of the Portland, Ore.-based Cascade Pacific Council's board of directors.
"There's no question they lost membership and funding because of it. I think every council has looked at ways to generate funds and logging is one of them."
The investigation a nationwide review by five Hearst newspapers of more than 400 timber harvests, court papers, property records, tax filings and other documents since 1990 also found:
-Scouting councils have logged across at least 34,000 acres a figure that vastly undercounts the actual number of harvests conducted and acreage cut, as forestry records nationwide are incomplete or nonexistent.
-More than 100 scouting councils have conducted timber harvests one-third of all Boy Scout councils nationwide.
-At least 26 councils have logged in areas with or near protected wildlife habitat at least 53 times, a number also underrepresented.
-Councils have conducted at least 60 clear-cuts and 35 salvage harvests logging that some scholars and ecologists say can hurt the environment and primarily aims to make money.
-Several councils submitted logging plans with inaccurate and incomplete information, and in some cases, disregarded rules or conditions established to protect wildlife, streams or other resources. ..[click on the link to read the rest of the story.]"
timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=764729
I wasn't posting the whole ten pages.
IDK where to stand on this one...
Despite a proclaimed love of the environment, the Boy Scouts of America is clear-cutting and logging to raise cash
By LEWIS KAMB, Hearst Newspapers
First published in print: Thursday, January 29, 2009
For nearly a century, the Boy Scouts of America have proudly described themselves as conservationists, good stewards of the land.
"The Boy Scouts were green before it was cool to be green," said Deron Smith, the organization's national spokesman.
But for decades, local Boy Scouts of America administrations across the country have clear-cut or otherwise conducted high-impact logging on tens of thousands of acres of forestland, often for the love of a different kind of green: Cash.
A Hearst Newspapers investigation has found dozens of cases over the last 20 years of local Boy Scout councils logging or selling prime woodlands to big timber interests, developers or others, turning quick money and often doing so instead of seeking ways to preserve such lands.
"In public, they say they want to teach kids about saving the environment," said Jane Childers, a longtime Scouting volunteer in Washington who has fought against Scouts' logging. "But in reality, it's all about the money."
Scouting councils nationwide have carried out clear-cuts, salvage harvests and other commercial logging in and around sensitive forests, streams and ecosystems that provide habitat for a host of protected species, including salmon, timber wolves, bald eagles and spotted owls.
Boy Scout councils have logged and sold for development properties bequeathed to them by donors who gave the lands with intentions they be used for camping and other outdoor recreation.
In some cases, councils have sought to use revenues from logging or land sales to make up for funding lost because of the organization's controversial bans on gays and atheists from membership and employment rolls.
"The Boy Scouts had to suffer the consequences for sticking by their moral values," said Eugene Grant, president of the Portland, Ore.-based Cascade Pacific Council's board of directors.
"There's no question they lost membership and funding because of it. I think every council has looked at ways to generate funds and logging is one of them."
The investigation a nationwide review by five Hearst newspapers of more than 400 timber harvests, court papers, property records, tax filings and other documents since 1990 also found:
-Scouting councils have logged across at least 34,000 acres a figure that vastly undercounts the actual number of harvests conducted and acreage cut, as forestry records nationwide are incomplete or nonexistent.
-More than 100 scouting councils have conducted timber harvests one-third of all Boy Scout councils nationwide.
-At least 26 councils have logged in areas with or near protected wildlife habitat at least 53 times, a number also underrepresented.
-Councils have conducted at least 60 clear-cuts and 35 salvage harvests logging that some scholars and ecologists say can hurt the environment and primarily aims to make money.
-Several councils submitted logging plans with inaccurate and incomplete information, and in some cases, disregarded rules or conditions established to protect wildlife, streams or other resources. ..[click on the link to read the rest of the story.]"
timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=764729
I wasn't posting the whole ten pages.
IDK where to stand on this one...
