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takes a turn south - July 20, 2000 wysiwyg ://4/httpJ/www . cnn . com/2000/NATURE/07/20/soutr Obi JVV111V VVLII.LL. y . .111 1LiVL, LlVVllIiJV <J1 YY 411.V1 l� Utillt.,' VV11VV111 J , I.L1V .7L " L%o % J1 LV11J0 V1.111 placed a 2 -year moratorium on storm water permits for chip mills . " Despite evidence of overcutting in the South , the timber industry continues to expand without safeguards , conservation groups warn . They want a moratorium similar to that in the Pacific Northwest imposed in the South . In the Pacific Northwest, where environmentalists crusaded for the spotted owl and other endangered wildlife, federal regulations became abundant. But in the South, where most logging occurs on private land , the industry has gone unchecked . The nature of the logging has also changed . Of great concern among environmentalists is the proliferation of chip mills throughout the South. Over the last decade, timber companies have been clear- cutting Southern forests to feed chip mills , �� Conservation groups point to a recent � ; �'' t �, proposal by Willamette Industries to " � , 24 c more than double production at its chip M mill in Kingsport, Tennessee . o Willamette plans to cut 50 , 0000 acres a year from six states to supply the mill . L K ` Since 1985 , more than 100 chip mills r TI . 4,1 44 r have been constructed in the region . As lam. 4 a result, conservation groups say , Hardwood logs await the production mill at v massive in clear-cutting Cadron Creek , Arkansas has accelerated across the landscape . An estimated 1 . 2 million acres of forests are cleared every year to feed the 1.40 chip mills currently operating in the region While most of the timber industry claims to follow voluntary best-management practices , conservation groups want better enforcement through state laws . " The timber industry wrote (the rules ) , " Fitzgibbon said . " They 're not enforceable and there are no checks and balances . " Conservation groups say loggers should be certified to guarantee that they adhere to basic standards . "If you are a logger in the South, you don' t have to ' tell a sole , " said Cielo Sand of Dogwood Alliance . " There are thousands of cuts across 13 states that nobody knows about . " " You need a license to become a barber, and you should need a license to become a logger, " Fitzgibbon added. Copyright 2000, Environmental News Network, All Rights Reserved RELATED STORIES , LoQQina battle may end with executive order . ii iiv a Pnnn