JOBS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
A proposed
bill to protect the Northern Rockies ecosystem would create
thousands of new jobs, according to an economic study released by
an environmental group, Alliance for the Wild Rockies. The Northern
Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, recently introduced by New York
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, would designate 20 million acres of
wilderness across five states (HCN, 5/2/94). It would also require
the Forest Service to restore roughly 1 million acres of land
damaged by excessive roadbuilding and poor logging practices. The
study, by an economics doctoral student at the University of Utah,
estimates the restoration project would generate 2,120 jobs for
local laborers, heavy equipment operators and technicians in
Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Author Michael Garrity says that in the
27 national forests covered by the bill, the Forest Service lost
over $185 million on logging sales last year. For a copy of
Economic Impact of the Wildland Recovery System of the Northern
Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, contact the Alliance for the Wild
Rockies, P.O. Box 8731, Missoula, MT 59807
(406/721-5420).
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Jobs for the environment.
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