Feds sued over logging project in Washington’s old-growth forests

The conservation groups claim the project will harm the imperiled bull trout and northern spotted owl.TWISP, Wash. (CN) — A trio of conservation groups sued the Trump administration Monday, asking a federal judge to halt a sweeping logging project set to clear-cut mature and old-growth forests in north-central Washington state.“This lawsuit challenges the false narrative that we have to choose between healthy forests or safe communities,” Kristine Akland, senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement.The Center for Biological Diversity, joined by Kettle Range Conservation Group and Methow Forest Forum, accuse the U.S. Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service of violating multiple federal environmental laws through the approval of the Midnight Restoration Project.Slated for the Methow Valley in the Eastern Cascades, the Midnight Project authorizes commercial and non-commercial timber harvest, as well as road use, in reserves the groups say were designated to serve as habitat and refuge.The conservation groups contend the project will disperse habitat for northern spotted owl and threaten critical habitat for bull trout — both protected under the Endangered Species Act. Further, the groups claim the project abandons the Northwest Forest Plan’s core conservation framework by authorizing the exact kind of habitat degradation the plan was designed to prevent.“Rather than protecting these reserves, the USFS approved a project that will substantially reduce canopy cover, remove large trees, degrade riparian function, and eliminate or downgrade critical nesting, roosting, foraging, and dispersal habitat for northern spotted owls, as well as vital aquatic and riparian habitat for decades,” the groups write in the lawsuit. “Much of this damage will persist for the foreseeable future and, in some areas, may not be fully restored.”The 53,000-acre project is around 10 miles north of Twisp — a popular hub for outdoor recreation — within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Approximately 25,000 acres are authorized for logging and another 27,000 for fuel reduction, in addition to 129 miles of fireline construction.The Forest Service contends the treatments will move the forest toward a “healthier, more resilient and ecologically appropriate future condition.”Timothy Coleman, executive director of Kettl Range Conservation Group, countered the Forest Service’s claim that the project will increase ecological sustainability, arguing the project is in fact about increasing timber volume. Plus, he warned the project will escalate threat levels.“Opening up a forest to the drying effects of wind, sun and drought impacts will increase wildfire risk,” Coleman said in a statement.Ric Bailey, president of the Methow Forest Forum, said the groups worked extensively with Forest Service leadership toward “legally sound, ecologically responsible fuels reduction that protects the natural assets of the Methow.”“Litigation is the last resort after collaboration was unproductive,” Bailey said in a statement.The groups are asking a federal judge to toss the Forest Service’s decision notice and set aside the Fish and Wildlife Service’s biological opinion, contending that both violate the Administrative Procedure Act and other federal policies.“People in the Methow Valley have lived through devastating wildfires and deserve meaningful protection, but clearcutting some of the region’s oldest and most important forests isn’t the answer,” Ackland said.The federal defendants did not respond to a request for comment before press time.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads