 Religious Campaign for Forest Conservation The
Resolution of the Sierra-Pacific Synod
of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church
“On
Ancient Forests”
Whereas,
ancient redwood groves are an irreplaceable local, state, national and
international tresure of unparalleled biological and spiritual value that is
part of California’s and this Sierra Pacific Synod’s heritage, and
an American legacy which we have the duty to preserve for future generations, and
Whereas,
the Headwaters Forest comprises the largest privately owned and unprotected
groves of ancient redwoods in the world, and its owner, the Pacific Lumber
Company, has historically been committed to a policy of sustainable logging,
has undergone a transition to new ownership in 1985 which brought about a
change in policy toward that of accelerated and unsustainable timber
harvesting, and
Whereas,
the Headwaters Forest and its watershed is one of the last remaining habitats
for a number of endangered species, and current discussions of plans for
habitat preservation threaten to leave these species vulnerable to extinction
and would exempt all other Pacific Lumber land from existing federal and state
environmental regulations, and
Whereas,
we, as Christians, answer to the call of God to steward our planet. We
recognize this stewardship to include the protections of God’s creation
and sustainable use of our planet’s resources for the benefit of
God’s people and God’s good pleasure. We further recognize an
imbalance in the stewardship of the ancient forest which threatens the
sustainability of this diminishing ecosystem, in particular the Headwaters
Forest and its watershed;
Therefore,
be it
Resolved,
that the Sierra Pacific Synod express its concern to the MAXXAM Corporation and
to the U.S. Deputy Interior Secretary that any Headwaters deal include both
specific monetary measures to show care for Pacific Lumber employees and
specific forestry measures to preserve the Headwaters Forest ecosystem and its
watershed, and it be it further
Resolved,
that the Sierra Pacific Symod, in Assembly, encourages congregations to ask
their members to communicate with President Clinton, Interior Secretary Bruce
Babbitt, the Deputy Interior Secretary, Senator Diane Feinstein, their members
of Congress, and their legislators, to support all efforts to obtain public
ownership of all six ancient redwood groves of the Headwaters Forest and its
watershed, and be it further
Resolved,
that the Sierra Pacific Synod Environmental Ministries Task Force distribute
this resolution to all our ecumenical and interfaith colleagues with
encouragement that their respective faith communities consider similar action,
and be it further
Resolved,
that the ELCA Church Council be requested to adopt this resolution and
distribute it to all Synods, ... encouraging similar support throughout the
wider religious community for endangered old growth forest habitat, and be it
further
Resolved,
that we convey, through our Office of Public Policy, ... our full support of
... protective standards of the Habitat Conservation Plan, before any State
funding is released for the purchase of the Headwaters Forest.
Resolution
of the Sierra Pacific Synod,
in
Assembly
Adopted Sunday,
May 17, 1998
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