Softwood Lumber Agreement
Up one level- · Seattle Times: "Conservation groups file suit in Seattle over timber-settlement funds"
- Three conservation groups are suing the federal government over a decision to give millions of dollars to forestry foundations, saying the money illegally bypassed the U.S. Treasury and Congress.
- · Seattle PI: "Environmentalists sue over Canadian timber agreement"
- Environmentalists are filing a lawsuit this week against the federal government for what they say was an illegal and unfair agreement with Canadian leaders to settle a dispute over timber sales.
- · Seattle PI: "Forestry groups queried on U.S. funds"
- P-I Reporter A controversial Bush administration deal that funneled hundreds of millions of dollars to groups friendly with the timber industry drew inquiries this week from two U.S. senators, who demanded to know what's being done with the money to help the environment.
- · Seattle PI: "The $1 Billion Timber Payday: Who Took A Cut?"
- Is it an illegal $1 billion slush fund for Bush administration friends in the timber industry, extorted from Canada and designed to evade congressional oversight? Or is it a fairly negotiated end to an expensive trade war that's "the best thing that has happened to private forest land conservation in the United States in 100 years?" It depends on your point of view. Now, a federal lawsuit filed in Seattle is bringing more scrutiny to the controversial deal. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., is spearheading a Senate effort to get more information about who got the money and what they're doing with it.
- · Seattle PI: "How $1 billion timber deal affected consumers"
- · NPR: "Suit Targets Payout from Canadian Lumber Deal”
- · Tyee: "Group sues to find out how recipients of softwood deal's $450 million were chosen"
- The Softwood Lumber Agreement earmarked $550 million for the Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports and the Bi-national Council, but it also said $450 million would be spent on "meritorious initiatives" to be identified later by the U.S. in consultation with Canada. How were the recipients of the meritorious initiatives chosen?
