Daschle Admits Logging Projects Can Help Prevent Forest Fires, by Christopher Burger

BACKGROUND: The Sierra Club is vehemently against logging in our national forests, but has declined to condemn Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) for supporting logging projects in the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota. The most powerful Democrat in Congress recently introduced a proposal that would prevent lawsuits and appeals that stop logging projects in South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest. As reported by The Washington Times, Daschle’s spokesman Jay Carson said that instead of opposing the plan, the Sierra Club participated in and signed off on the agreement.

TEN SECOND RESPONSE: It is hypocritical for the Sierra Club to oppose logging projects, only to support them when the Democratic Senate Majority Leader is in favor of logging in his home state.

THIRTY SECOND RESPONSE: Senator Daschle was correct to recognize the benefits of thinning forests. He should endorse similar fire-protection plans nationwide. The Sierra Club works to prevent logging in national forests across the country, but did not criticize Daschle’s plan which calls for logging in the Black Hills National Forest.

DISCUSSION: Of the Sierra Club’s Senate endorsements, 13 went to Democrats while zero went to Republicans. Of 100 House endorsements, 97 were given to Democrats and three were for Republicans. The Sierra Club’s logging website encourages visitors to write their Representative and urge them to end commercial logging. Conveniently lacking, however, is a condemnation of Senator Daschle for supporting logging projects in the Black Hills National Forest.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Ten Second Response #72402: Daschle Admits Logging Projects Can Help Prevent Forest Fires by Chris Burger, found at https://nationalcenter.org/TSR72402.html; National Policy Analysis #418: Monster Wildfires are Preventable by Thomas M. Bonnicksen, Ph.D., found at https://nationalcenter.org/NPA418.html.

The Sierra Club’s logging website can be found at http://www.sierraclub.org/logging.



The National Center for Public Policy Research is a communications and research foundation supportive of a strong national defense and dedicated to providing free market solutions to today’s public policy problems. We believe that the principles of a free market, individual liberty and personal responsibility provide the greatest hope for meeting the challenges facing America in the 21st century.