Published in 1971, Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” is an almost precognitive ecological warning that we’ve had longer than three decades to heed. Who is the Lorax?

He is the short, gravel-voiced protagonist in Seuss’ book, and for those not familiar, “He speaks for the trees.”

Unable to convince the Once-ler — an enterprising villain — of his misdeeds, the Lorax takes leave of his home and the environmental destruction the Once-ler has wrought.

Written in rhyme and intended for children, this 30-year-old story is still an applicable metaphor for the controversial environmental issues of today.

The time for the Lorax to return and renew his plight is now.

On November 27, the Bush Administration treated us with a Thanksgiving gift that has effectively erased over 20 years of vital safeguards and scientific counsel that have been put in place to preserve and enrich the future of our 155 national forests — a reckless rewrite of the forest policy that has governed since the passage of the National Forest Management Act in 1976.

For the last 20 years, the NFMA has been the watchdog for the national forests and has ensured their protection through a number of checks and balances. Previous revisions to these same regulations, which have taken place from 1997 to 2000, included the extensive involvement of the public and scientific community through dozens of meetings across the nation.

This particular revision was completed by the Bush administration’s political appointees and did not involve any public or scientific input.

Adding insult to injury, the proposed new NFMA regulations are suspiciously identical to at least eight major recommendations made by the American Forest and Paper Association.

This coincidence shouldn’t come as too big a surprise given that Mark Rey, the undersecretary for natural resources and the environment in the Agriculture Department, is largely responsible for the rewrite. Rey is an 18-year lobbyist veteran to many of Big Timber’s various industry groups, including the AFPA.

Amid special-interest requests and partisan policymakers, these proposed regulations will cripple the effectiveness of and render powerless the original spirit of a plan intended to preserve our national forests and all the natural resources and treasures within.

So maybe this holiday season, possibly for Christmas or the new year, a copy of “The Lorax” should make its way to the White House where it “can speak for the trees” before the money-hungry loggers destroy the home of creatures like the Lorax.

Editorial Board:Cavan Reagan, Amber Billings, Ayrel Clark, Charlie Weaver, Rachel Faber Machacha.