California Subsidizes Logging Industry $18 Million a Year

In a time when California is threatening to close numerous state parks, logging industry subsidies are coming under hard scrutiny. The Sacramento Bee reports:

The key question before the Accountability and Administrative Review Committee was whether any of that subsidy is justified.

Owners of the state's 8.7 million acres of private forestland argue they provide public benefits including wildlife habitat, clean air and carbon sequestration - not to mention about 22,000 jobs.

Environmental groups counter that logging causes habitat loss and water pollution and that the industry should cover all of the state's cost to police those problems.

Image credit:   Some rights reserved by Velo Steve

Read More in: Politics | environment

Share this Article with others:

Related Articles:

• USFWS: "America's Coastal Wetlands are Vanishing at an Alarming Rate" - Oct 13, 2011
• 6 Months Later: Is Our Food Still Radioactive from Japan's Nuclear Fallout? - Sep 08, 2011
• Exxon "Whitewashes" Yellowstone River Oil Spill - Jul 14, 2011
• LeafSnap App Makes Tree Identification Easy - Jun 14, 2011
• Where is Away: Solving Plastic Pollution in 4 minutes (Featuring Jack Johnson) - May 24, 2011

Came straight to this page? Visit Really Natural for all the latest news.