Region Archives: US West

MONTANA — A federal judge has directed the Fish and Wildlife Service to do a better assessment of how roads affect grizzly bears in Montana’s Flathead National Forest. In a significant — but incomplete — victory for environmentalists, U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen on Friday concluded that the Forest Service’s approval of a management plan had relied upon a “flawed” FWS biological opinion prepared as part of its Endangered Species Act responsibilities. Christensen specifically faulted the federal agency consideration of forest roads’ impacts on the bears’ behavior “FWS acknowledges that road avoidance behavior has negative consequences for grizzly bear populations because displacement from important habitats results in lowered survival rates during the non-denning season,” Christensen wrote, adding that the agency nonetheless “fails to explain” some of the implication in how it calculates the extent of forest roads. [to access the full story a Politico subscription is required]

WASHINGTON — A swath of timberlands in King County has traded hands, according to public property records. The land was sold by an entity affiliated with the Weyerhaeuser Company for $25.6 million. Industry reports show that the deal appears to have included more than 600 acres of land. The buyer was an entity affiliated with Oregon-based Green Canyon Timberlands LLC, which is affiliated with Chinook Forest Partners… a capital investment management group focused on forestland. The company manages working forestland in the Pacific Northwest. …In 2021, Weyerhaeuser sold 145,000 acres of timberland for $266 million to Hampton Lumber, according to previous reporting from The Registry. The land in that deal consisted of “high-quality” forestlands spread out across Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King, Chelan and Kittitas counties.

QUINCY, California – Nearly three dozen federal law enforcement officers have been assigned to monitor the Rainbow Family Gathering. This unauthorized gathering could bring thousands to Plumas National Forest in the days leading up to the 4th of July. …This large unauthorized gathering is happening about 5 miles north of Antelope Lake in Plumas County, just west of Janesville. The Plumas National Forest held a virtual meeting Tuesday night sharing photos of this gathering and past gatherings. The Rainbow Family Gathering is a counter-culture group that began in the 1970s and sets up camp in a different national forest each year.  There are currently more than 516 people participating. Between now and July 4th that number could grow to 10,000. Forest Service officials said there are 177 vehicles on site and they expect the impacted area and roads to cover 900 acres. Residents are concerned about the impact on the environment and the fire danger in the forest. 

Additional coverage in SFist, by Jay Barmann: Rainbow Family Gathering Ordered Out of National Forest For First Time, Threatened With Fines

…Advocates say there’s currently no national policy to protect mature and old-growth forests on public lands, but a new proposed nationwide forest plan amendment from the U.S. Forest Service would change that. A draft environmental impact statement (EIS) was issued on the proposal last week. A recent federal inventory determined that the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service together manage some 32 million acres of old-growth forest, with another 80 million acres of mature forests. …Some say the current approach to old-growth protection is piecemeal, or “forest by forest.” So a number of environmental groups called the Forest Service’s proposal “a step in the right direction.” …The timber industry has also raised issues with the proposal, with the American Forest Resource Council calling it a “politically driven process.” The group said the proposal does little to address the principal threats to old-growth, like wildfires, insect infestations and disease.

It starts with the cones. They’re usually gathered in the wild, from whitebark pine trees several thousand feet above sea level somewhere in the West. The cones get shipped to the U.S. Forest Service’s Coeur d’Alene Nursery, where they’ll sit on drying racks for a few months. …That’s how some 300,000 whitebark pine seedlings came to be in two greenhouses at the Coeur d’Alene Nursery. …The vast collection of whitebark seedlings is just a fraction of the output of this nursery. …That makes this sprawling government farm on the western edge of Coeur d’Alene a key player in conserving the trees. Of all the Forest Service’s nurseries, it produces the most whitebark seedlings. It’s also been involved in scientific efforts aimed at identifying the best trees to propagate and developing the next generation of whitebark pine seeds. In other words, the road to recovery runs through Coeur d’Alene. [to access the full story, a Billings Gazette subscription is required]

OREGON — In a landmark decision, a Ninth Circuit panel Wednesday upheld a lower court’s ruling that prevents Scott Timber, a private logging company, from clearcutting old growth trees within Oregon’s Elliott State Forest. The ruling protects the marbled murrelet, a seabird species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Margaret McKeown ruled that the proposed logging of the 355-acre Benson Ridge parcel would violate federal protections for the marbled murrelet because it would destroy the forests where they live and nest. Logging in the area would also injure the murrelets, because it would disrupt their breeding, McKeown added. “The district court correctly applied this standard to the facts before it,’’ McKeown wrote. …The panels’ decision marks the first time a private timber company has been held accountable in Oregon for potential violations of the Endangered Species Act.

Related in Oregon Public Broadcasting: Timber companies can’t log former Elliott State Forest parcel

MONTANA — If a federal judge stops the timber sales that are part of the Pintler Face Project, the largest employer in Powell County, Sun Mountain Lumber, might not be able to keep its mill running, said a lawyer representing the company. Another company, Iron Pine Co., would have to lay off 12 people, said Julie Weis, of the Haglund Kelley Firm in Portland, Oregon. …But if the court allows the project to continue, it means 1.1 million acres of lynx habitat will be erased from a single national forest map, and without any opportunity for the public to comment, argued Rebecca Smith, a lawyer representing conservation groups who sued the U.S. government earlier this year. ..Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen heard arguments in a case over a timber project and mapped lynx habitat in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. 

PORTLAND, Oregon —The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced an investment of over $2.88 million to fund five Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) projects in the Pacific Northwest for fiscal year 2024. This funding is part of a larger $12 million national investment in GNA projects for the same period. These projects aim to enhance watersheds, restore forest health, and reduce wildfire risks in Washington and Oregon. The funding, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, allows the Forest Service to partner directly with state agencies to support watershed restoration, improve forest health, and reduce wildfire risks through state-implemented projects. …”These projects are important for forest health and resiliency,” said Jacque Buchanan, USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Regional Forester. “It’s also good forest management to leverage the capacity, resources, and expertise across federal, state, Tribal, and local agencies. Using the Good Neighbor Authority strengthens our collective efforts and also greatly benefits the local community.”

The U.S. Forest Service has set fire to more land than ever before in national forests across California. Preventative burning, or prescribed fires, have burned 63,878 acres of forest land, eclipsing the previous record set in 2018 when 63,711 acres were “treated” through the entire year …“We’re fully committed to increasing the scope and pace of our hazardous fuels treatment work in California, and it shows,” said Jaime Gamboa, Pacific Southwest Region fire director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Restoring natural fire to these ecosystems not only helps mitigate threats to communities but also increases forest health overall.” …“Reintroducing fire also minimizes the spread of pest insects and disease, recycles nutrients back to the soil, and improves natural conditions for native flora and fauna”. …For an interactive map that shows where these fires are taking place across the U.S., click here.

PORTLAND, Oregon – With wildfire season underway, Oregon lawmakers held a briefing with the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center for an outlook on the 2024 season — identifying one region in the state as a “hotbed” for potential fire risk. Attended by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley, and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici — Fire Weather Meteorologist Jon Bonk said the wildfire outlook is a mixed bag. According to Bonk, aside from Southern Oregon, temperatures on the whole have been cooler in the last three months. Additionally, officials said drought areas have diminished. However, they are seeing drought expansion across north-central and northwest Washington as of June 18. …Even though drought levels have improved in some areas, Bonk said Oregon’s rain levels are below average going into wildfire season. As part of a nationwide wildfire forecast, Southeast Oregon is expected to be a “hotbed” for wildfire potential in August and September.

SAN FRANCISCO, California — The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced $53 million in grants to protect and restore forests and watersheds in California using voluntary, targeted headwater resilience planning and monitoring. The grants leverage $31.4 million in matching contributions, for a total conservation impact of $84.4 million. The awards were made possible by a first-of-its-kind agreement between the USDA Forest Service and NFWF.  “Our partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation helps us mutually support communities throughout California. Combining our resources, we can use the best available science and monitoring to protect our vital watersheds,” said Jennifer Eberlien, regional forester for the Pacific Southwest Region. “These investments help ensure future generations have healthy, productive forests and help the region combat the effects of climate change.” …Visit the California Forests and Watersheds program webpage for a list of the 2024 grants.

Katie and Steve Kohl

In the night sky, Sirius is the brightest star. For 2024, Sirius Woods, Steve and Katie Kohl’s 42 acres near McDowell Creek Falls, will shine brightly. The Kohls have been named Linn County Small Woodlands Association (LCSWA) tree farmers of the year. They will host a gathering of fellow woodland owners on a September Saturday yet be determined. The couple has actively nurtured the property for 33 years, working with Oregon Department of Forestry staffers to create wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities and maintain old-growth timber. …The Kohls are both OSU Extension Service master woodlands managers. They have advised other forest owners on their projects for the past two decades. …The Kohls exemplify woodland owners who choose a variety of goals relating to their property, said Mike Barsotti, LCSWA president. The Kohls and other honorees will be spotlighted in the fall at a ceremony at the Oregon Gardens in Silverton.

A federal judge in  Montana is holding a hearing next Tuesday on a motion for an injunction against the Pintler Face logging and burning project on Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. A coalition of conservationists and activists has sued to stop work altogether. The Pintler project, northwest of Wise River, Montana, calls for 11 miles of new logging roads to access to 3,400 acres of clear-cuts, prescribed burns and logging of more than 560 acres of aspen. It would also log another 5,800 acres in a commercial segment of the project. Mike Garrity, executive director of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, said the project will disrupt a continuous ecosystem that lynx and grizzly bears need to thrive. Critics of the lawsuit and supporters of the Pintler project said it would make strides to preventing wildfires and also backtrack on years of economic development the state has made in the region.

On Monday night, property owners attended an open house to learn about the new and improved Oregon wildfire hazard map, which will be available for public comment in July. It was one of six events planned for “high hazard” communities across the state. The initial map, released in June 2022, was quickly withdrawn after widespread public outcry. The revamped version includes several major changes. Two hazard categories have been eliminated; now, properties will be grouped in one of three hazard zones: low, moderate, or high. …A low hazard designation doesn’t mean that a fire can’t happen there; instead, the categories will help the state prioritize high-hazard neighborhoods and communities for mitigation.

MONTANA — A Legislative committee is backing the Gianforte administration in its opposition to a proposed U.S. Forest Service amendment that could make small changes to preserve old-growth forests. On Monday, the Legislative Environmental Quality Council approved sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture opposing an amendment that would affect all U.S. Forest Service forest plans to add a little more protection for patches of old-growth forest. Instead of protecting old-growth habitat, the EQC pushed for more active forest management. …The EQC wrote the letter in response to a two-year-old Biden administration effort to preserve old-growth forests in response to rapidly changing climate conditions. …In a report last spring, the agency estimated that there are nearly 25 million acres of old-growth forest on Forest Service land — or about 17% of the agency’s forested land — based on a complex set of definitions tailored to some 200 forest types.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Northern Region said Tuesday it is investing $1 million to expand work with the Idaho Department of Lands to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health through the Good Neighbor Authority. The investments will fund projects on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest while also providing funding for IDL staffing. The funds will support about 3,000 acres of fuels reduction work administered by IDL such as fuel breaks and vegetation treatments to improve forest health, a press release said. The funds will also expand road repairs to improve watershed conditions and provide access for wildfire management and implementation of project activities.

The last time the state Building Code Council crafted rules for protecting homes from the threat of wildfire, city officials criticized them as confusing, expensive and overreaching. Those rules are gone. As the state looks at drawing new wildfire risk maps and implementing new codes, local governments want more say in hopes of producing regulations that are understandable, affordable and help the communities most at risk. …Lawmakers on the state House Local Government committee heard from officials of state agencies and local governments, including Brad Medrud, planning manager at the City of Tumwater, about what must be done to implement new wildland urban interface, or WUI, building codes, and what a new law will mean for cities and counties. …Loren Torgerson of the Department of Natural Resources told lawmakers… the DNR is on track to finalize the map elements by Dec. 1.

…Tree thinning efforts in the Upper Rio De Flag Watershed are part of a larger restoration plan to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and post-fire flooding. The plan includes six project areas equalling over 12,000 acres, over half of the 21,500-acre watershed. While cutting trees may seem counterintuitive to maintaining a healthy forest, removing smaller trees and low-lying vegetation will prevent high-intensity wildfires and post-fire flooding that can destroy an entire ecosystem. …For decades, the U.S. fire policy was suppression… In more recent years, forest agencies have worked to restore fire as a management technique. …Thinning forests will allow fire to return to the landscape, both naturally through lightning strikes and prescribed burns. That leaves fewer fuels to supercharge the flames to reach the treetops. …Although thinning and burning a forest may seem damaging to the ecosystem, land managers hope residents will reap the benefits of their work.  

ARIZONA — Frustrated Arizona loggers aired a few complaints about the way the Forest Service handles thinning contracts in Arizona, especially when it relies on out-of-state contractors unfamiliar with the ecology of Arizona’s ponderosa pine forests. …The Forest Service is experimenting with a new, high-tech method of marking trees for cutting in restoration timber sales. That includes using computer tablets synced to aerial LiDAR surveys so loggers can determine which trees to cut without the Forest Service marking each tree by hand. …A century of logging, cattle grazing and fire suppression has increased tree densities on millions of acres from less than 100 per acre to more than 1,000 per acre. Now a high-intensity fire can climb up into the lower branches of the tallest trees. …The 4FRI aims to dramatically reduce tree densities across millions of acres in Northern Arizona, making it the most ambitious forest restoration project in the country.