"We appreciate that conveying federal land out of public ownership is a sensitive issue,"

California ready to fight plan to sell forest lands
Cardoza: Using hard assets to fund schools 'ridiculous'







By MICHAEL DOYLE
BEE WASHINGTON BUREAU

Last Updated: February 11, 2006, 05:17:00 AM PST

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration on Friday proposed selling as many as 85,465 acres of national forest in California, prompting harsh reactions from lawmakers across the political spectrum.

The California land that could be sold includes isolated chunks of the Tahoe, Stanislaus and Sequoia national forests. They are part of a much larger administration package designed to raise $800 million for rural schools.

"We appreciate that conveying federal land out of public ownership is a sensitive issue," Undersecretary of Agriculture Mark Rey told reporters Friday.

That's an understatement.save a tree impeach a bush