People of all political persuasions breathed a sigh of relief when Bush’s top political advisor and neo-con lightning rod Karl Rove recently announced his resignation from the White House.

For lovers of forests, that celebration may have come too soon!

Rove’s replacement, DC-insider Ed Gillespie, has made millions of dollars as a logging industry lobbyist for the past seven years.  In fact, one of the first well-heeled clients of Quinn Gillespie (his lobbying firm) was a logging industry group from British Columbia, Canada!

I’m guessing Mr. Gillespie isn’t a big fan of efforts to protect the Great Bear Rainforest.  And, he’s probably not super supportive of protecting the Boreal Forest either!

Now, only a fool would expect the Bush administration to suddenly embrace science-based, forward-thinking forest policies after Rove's departure.  After all, putting ideology before the public interest has become this administration’s trademark.  In some ways, Gillespie’s pick is just more business as usual from Bush and company.

Still, the revolving door between anti-conservation lobbyists and the Bush administration is spinning so fast, it's starting to make me dizzy.  I’m feeling queezy...is it 2008 yet?

-Rolf