The Smokey Wire : National Forest News and Views
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Another on the Big Thorne Timber Sale by E&E News… This seems to me a “clearcut” case of the Forest Service following the law, based on what the judge says. I agree with Senator Murkowski that protracted litigation and appeals are a suboptimal approach to forest policy. At the end of the day, many times, … Read more
From E&E News A federal judge in Alaska last Friday upheld the Forest Service’s controversial plan to allow more than 6,000 acres of old-growth trees to be logged in the Tongass National Forest, marking a major win for a local timber mill. The decision by U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline clears the way for the … Read more
The following commentary is from David Beebe, a regular commenter on this blog, who also happens to be a resident and commercial fisherman in southeast Alaska for the past 30 years. These timber sales, specifically the Big Thorne timber sale, have been discussed on this blog numerous times in the past. “If a tree falls … Read more
In a 2-1 decision, which allowed the Big Thorne timber project to proceed on the Tongass National Forest, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court opinion that the Forest Service had complied with NFMA when it adopted forest plan direction related to managing old growth forest for deer to support viability of … Read more
Thanks to longtime blog commenter and contributor, David Beebe, for posting information about this release from PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) in this comment at a previous post. – mk Washington, DC — Recent timber sales from Alaska’s vast Tongass National Forest have been financial as well as ecological debacles, according to internal reports … Read more
Attached are the Weekly itself, and the court order related to the below: Big Thorne │Forest Management │ Region 10 Circuit Court Denies Appellants’ Motion for Emergency Injunction of the Big Thorne Project on the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska Conservation Council et al. v. U.S. Forest Service et al. On April 16, 2015, … Read more
A reader asked these questions and I did not know the answers.. 1. when the FS loses a case, it pays EAJA fees sometimes why and not other times? Where can a record of these be found? 2. When the plaintiffs lose must they pay legal costs to the Forest Service? How does the FS … Read more
I am willing to upload the court documents cited here if someone wants them.. I would be willing to upload them all anyway, if someone would help me work through my issues with Google docs. Better yet, if the FS would just post them themselves :)…Maybe a reader with a good relationship with their Congressional … Read more
Earlier in September, a press release from the Greater Southeast Alaska Conservation Community (GSACC) was shared with this blog. It opened with: On August 16, GSACC and four other organizations filed an administrative appeal of the Tongass Forest Supervisor’s decision to proceed with the Big Thorne timber project. The appeal went to to the next … Read more
The following was sent to me by the Greater Southeast Alaska Conservation Community (GSACC). If you have any questions about the release and the info contained within it, please contact the GSACC directly. Thanks. – mk On August 16, GSACC and four other organizations filed an administrative appeal of the Tongass Forest Supervisor’s decision to … Read more