FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   ENR
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1994                                  (202) 616-0189
                                                         TDD (202) 514-1888

                              MEDIA ADVISORY
                         (Press Release Attached)

       FEDERAL COURT STAYS INJUNCTION AND PERMITS SOME COMMERCIAL
               ACTIVITIES IN IDAHO FORESTS UNTIL MARCH 15 
                                    
     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A Federal District Court in Idaho today
agreed to permit certain commercial activities to go forward in
six Idaho national forests.
The court's action stays an injunction obtained by plaintiffs who
allege that the U.S. Forest Service, following the listing of
several species of salmon as endangered or threatened, should
have consulted with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
regarding six approved forest management plans.  Today's order
came at the request of all of the parties.

     The order, which will expire March 15, was agreed to and
announced in a joint release (attached) issued by the Justice
Department, the Pacific Rivers Council, and The Wilderness
Society.  The Council and the Society sued the Forest Service in
1994. 

     By permitting commercial activities like timber sales,
grazing, and mining to continue for now, the court's order will
prevent the short-term economic disruption of communities in the
affected area.  Since relatively few of these activities occur
during the winter months, their continuation is not expected to
harm the endangered salmon.

     At the request of the plaintiffs, the court issued an
injunction on January 12
prohibiting virtually all mining, logging, and grazing in the
affected forests.  On January 20, the court stayed its own
injunction for eight days.  Today's order in the case of Pacific
Rivers Council v. Thomas continues this stay for 47 more days.

     The extra time will enable the National Marine Fisheries
Service and the Forest Service to complete their ongoing
consultations on the forest plan in an orderly fashion. 

     The Forest Service has nearly completed its comprehensive
review of the 
ongoing commercial activities, which are being submitted to the
NMFS.  The service is examining the potential impact of these
activities on salmon in 38 watershed areas, and has finished
analysis of 32 of these areas. 

     Under the stay, businesses and individuals are permitted
during the next 47 days to engage in commercial activities that
have already been determined by the United States Forest Service
to be "not likely to adversely affect" the listed salmon.

     The Pacific Rivers case, docket number Civ. No. 94-0159-S-
HLR/DAE, is being heard by Judge David A. Ezra, who is sitting in
the federal District Court of Idaho.  

     The joint press release and the order are attached.

                                    ###

95-045
         
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    
     JOINT PRESS RELEASE RELEASED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, THE
            PACIFIC RIVERS COUNCIL AND THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY

                             JANUARY 25, 1995 

     Today, the District Court of Idaho, through Judge David Alan
Ezra, stayed the implementation of its injunction in Pacific
Rivers Council v. Thomas, Civ. No. 94-0159-S-HLR/DAE, through
March 15, 1995, pursuant to a stipulation of the parties.   
     
     Judge Ezra issued the stay based on the representation by
the government that it will, during this stay, work expeditiously
to complete, in a thorough and responsible manner, the ongoing
consultations on the Forest Plans for the six affected Idaho
forests.  Judge Ezra also granted the stay based on plaintiffs'
representation that the endangered Snake River chinook salmon are
not likely to be adversely affected by the continuation, during
this period, of ongoing activities (approximately 50) that the
Forest Service has determined to be "not likely to adversely
affect" the listed salmon.  In light of the lack of adverse
impacts, the Judge Ezra stayed the injunction to lessen the
impact of the injunction on local communities in the vicinity of
these six forests and to preserve the status quo.

     
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