Panels Ordered to Include Environmentalist

A federal judge in Seattle ordered the U.S. trade representative to name at least one environmentalist to two committees that advise the U.S. government on timber trade policies. The ruling, made Tuesday, was issued in a lawsuit filed by environmental groups charging that the trade committees violated the Federal Advisory Council Act, which requires that panels include a “fair balance of viewpoints.” Trade critics, pushing for greater access to trade talks such as the WTO summit in Seattle, also hope to gain seats on other U.S. advisory groups, such as those representing the energy and chemical industries.