The Smokey Wire : National Forest News and Views
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I’m giving a presentation about this blog at the Society of American Foresters Convention in Spokane, Washington in a couple of weeks. Here’s what I wrote for the program, as a tickler or possibly provocation .. The “New Century of Forest Planning” blog was established to support discussion and learning about the Forest Service planning … Read more
Indian Valley, part of the Amador Ranger District, Eldorado National Forest, is being restored as a high elevation meadow, after decades of misuse. Grazing has ceased but, its impacts still linger. In the past, willows were removed and water was channeled away, causing increased erosion of these shallow and fragile soils. The water table has … Read more
Long but complete article from the Oregonian. Here’s a link. Below is an excerpt. “Had you told me 10 years ago that I would be trying to keep a mill open in eastern Oregon, I would have said you’re crazy, but things change,” said Susan Jane Brown, Portland-based staff attorney for the Western Environmental Law … Read more
One of the things I like about the internet is the ability to trace information flows.. This is a link on a blog called “the Wrong Kind of Green” to a piece we discussed here on this blog. Reposting it this week was interesting because of the changed conditions since March. Just this week, The … Read more
A reader sent in this link to an EESI report.Here’s a link, and below is an excerpt. In a similar story in its June 27 edition, the Los Angeles Times reported on an interview with forestry expert Peter Fule of Northern Arizona University. “Firefighting technology has meant fewer fires. Fuel to feed massive blazes has … Read more
I thought it was interesting that High Country News published this piece, by Charles Wilkinson, a law professor at University of Colorado. Here’s a link to his bio. Historical note: yes, the same person who was on the Committee of “Scientists” for the 2000 Planning Rule, so he’s been following these issues for some time. … Read more
Guest post by Megan Birzell, The Wilderness Society. A little more than a month after a leading opponent of the Colt-Summit forest restoration project on the Seeley Lake Ranger District publicly compared Forest Service employees and mill workers to Nazis – and the diverse group of Montanans working to promote forest restoration and much-needed jobs … Read more
According to the Missoulian, a federal judge has ruled that the US Forest Service failed to adequately study how the Colt Summit timber sale might affect endangered lynx habitat. As readers may recall, The Wilderness Society, Montana Wilderness Association and National Wildlife Federation – as well as their ‘timber partners’ at Montana Wood Productions Association … Read more
I received permission to reproduce this in its entirety so here it is. Here’s the link POCATELLO, ID (June 13)–The BlueRibbon Coalition (BRC) today strongly criticized a U.S. Forest Service proposal to exempt major ground disturbing activities from environmental analysis and public comment. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) today began accepting public comment on a … Read more
Progress on forests comes through cooperation http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/columnists/progress-on-forests-comes-through-cooperation/article_5631042e-b3cd-11e1-b45e-0019bb2963f4.html 36 minutes ago • Guest column by BRIAN SYBERT In the Missoulian, on May 30, Michael Garrity of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies compared several local timber companies to Nazis and compared Montanans who partner with them to Nazi collaborators. As extreme as his views may be, … Read more