Bush II vs. the Giant Sequoias, subsidized by taxpayers

Bush II's war on the environment has been expanded to destroying the Giant Sequoias. It is quite fitting that the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for this had the "Forest Service choosing the most environmentally destructive of six alternative management plans, the one calling for the most intensive logging."

All of this is being done with the excuse of preventing wildfires, which is almost laughable (in a car crash sort of way) because the area is home to Giant Sequoias trees that are several thousand years old. FYI, there is a pretty tight link between the presents of logging roads and catastrophic fires, conversely roadless areas don't have the same rates of catastrophic fires. Also, if Bush II actually gave a damn about reducing catastrophic fires, he would just focus on thinning the forest near homes and businesses, and increasing the number of prescribed burns.

"In a final insult, the Forest Service plan will actually be subsidized by taxpayers, to the tune of $34 million. Much of that will go toward road building, even though there are already 900 miles of roads in the Monument. And nearly $14 million of taxpayer money will be spent for "mechanical thinning of conifer" -- otherwise known as logging."