Deschutes National Forest

Page Contents

• Forest Plans -
• Sisters Ranger District -
• Bend / Fort Rock Ranger District -
• Crescent Ranger District

Forest Plans

Travel Management Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement

The Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland jointly released a Travel Management Project draft Environmental Impact Statement for public comment on October 9, 2009. This Travel Management Project will cover major portions of Deschutes, Jefferson, Crook, Klamath, Lake, Grant and Wheeler Counties in Oregon. The Travel Management Plan implements the 2005 Travel Management Rule reverses the previous rule that allowed off road travel anywhere, unless specifically prohibited, to prohibit off road travel everywhere, unless specifically allowed. Clearly, the content of the travel management Plan will have significant meaning to the forests, deserts, and grasslands of Central Oregon and to its citizens. The Forest Service has posted extensively information on this Travel Management Plan and the draft Environmental Impact Statement on its web site at Planning and Environmental Analysis- Travel Management Project. You are urged to carefully read the Forest Service and Grasslands proposals and provide your comments to Asante Riverwind. The Forest Service is holding a series of Open Houses around the region from October 20th through November 5th to explain the Travel Management Plan from their perspective. The locations and times for these hearing are posted on the Forest Service web site linked above, and are also posted on our Community Events page. (10-16-09)

Invasive Plant Treatments Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement

In June 2009 the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland jointly released a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) for Invasive Plant Treatments. This DSEIS supplemented the Region 6 Invasive Plant Program Final Environmental Impact Statement issued in 2005. The DSEIS addresses how the Forest Service will address the problems posed by invasive plants through new treatment strategies. The full text of the DSEIS can be read on the Forest Service web site at Deschutes-Ochoco NF Invasive Plant Draft Supplemental Environment Impact Statement.

The Sierra Club reviewed the DSEIS and recommended that it withdrawn and significantly revised. The comments submitted requested that the following issues be addressed:

• Withdraw the use of known and suspected toxic herbicides, and new as yet unproven chemical and bio-control formulations
• Prioritize natural, manual, and where appropriate (already significantly disturbed areas such as roadsides) mechanical removal and control of invasive exotic plants.
• Proactively address root causes of invasive plant introduction and spread. Paramount among these are livestock grazing, roads, logging, riparian degradation, and off road vehicles. Soil disturbance, soil and vegetative community degradation; altered hydrological patterns, riparian and water system degradation; and excessive road densities, use, access, and ecosystem fragmentation.
• Address root causes of the introduction and spread of invasive plants, such as: authorizing additional logging thinning, ORV systems, new roads construction.
• Analyze the proposed Invasive Plant Treatments and the cumulative and synergistic effects of past, recent, current, known, and likely future federal and adjacent non-federal timber sales, livestock grazing, road use and management, recreation, mining, ORV systems and use patterns (authorized and unauthorized), and other non-federal weed control projects in the region that utilize herbicides and bio-controls (state, county, municipal, agriculture, railway, and private).

The full text of the Sierra Club comments can be read at Deschutes/Ochoco/Crooked River National Grasslands Invasives DEIS Comments, August 7, 2009. (8-10-09)

Sisters Ranger District

1. Glaze Meadow Restoration, photo by Marilyn Miller Glaze Meadows Restoration - Sierra Club volunteers have helped monitor and influence better old growth and mature forest protections during the development of this Oregon Wild sponsored Forest Service restoration project. As the project is implemented we will continue working to ensure that the Forest Service adheres to ecological objectives and conservation-science, protecting wildlife species, riparian meadows and water systems, old growth forests, and wildlife. Volunteer help is needed in continuing efforts monitoring this project through implementation. (4-23-09)
2. GW Fire Timber Sale - This post-fire forest area was logged during 2008 despite strong conservation-science recommendations that burned forests are better left to natural recovery processes. Due to the lack of a court injunction, the area was logged before judicial review was completed on our lawsuit of the GW timber sale. The GW fire area is located west of Sisters near the Mt. Washington Wilderness. During 2008 volunteers helped conduct surveys and photo documentation of widespread ecological harms caused by the GW logging. Ongoing volunteer efforts are needed in 2009 helping further assess and document impacts, and restoration needed in the aftermath of harmful logging, and in ongoing community education on post-fire forest recovery and protection. (3-09-09)
3. Sisters Area Fuels Reduction Project Timber Sale - Volunteer help will be needed during 2009-10 monitoring and photo documenting the implementation and impacts of this logging-thinning "fire-risk reduction" project in forests to the west and south of Sisters. The Forest Service modified the project significantly to incorporate many, but not all, of our conservation-science based concerns. Old growth and almost all mature ponderosa pine trees are supposed to be protected from logging, along with additional protection provisions for wildlife and waterways. Impacts from the project's planned commercial logging-thinning to soils, native plants, birds, wildlife, and forest ecological integrity are still of considerable concern. (3-09-09)
4. Three Creeks - A proposed fuels reduction project located adjacent to the Sisters SAFR project above, in forests near the Three Creeks Lake recreation area, which will need volunteer monitoring in 2009-2010. (3-09-09)
5. Black Crater Fire Smoke Plume
   photo by Asante Riverwind Black Crater Fire - Our 2007 allied lawsuit resulted in a negotiated court approved settlement that successfully protected seven of the sale's eight units, including all six of the best old growth spotted owl forest habitat units, halting almost all of this postfire timber sale located in designated Late Successional Reserves. SC volunteers helped survey, photo document, do community outreach, and file legal declarations during the course of this successful effort. Volunteers are needed to help document ongoing wildlife use and natural forest recovery in the seven dropped units protected from logging, and to photo document long-term recovery from logging harms in the 22 acre Unit 8. The project area is located east of Black Crater, south of Hwy 242, west of Sisters. (3-09-09)
6. Whychus Creek Wild & Scenic River - Volunteer involvement is needed representing conservation concerns and objectives, and hiking/photo surveying the area, as the agency assesses management direction options for this ecologically treasured area, with spectacular waterfalls, salmonid fish, wildlife, and old growth forests. A Juniper Group field trip in planned for this summer (see the Field Trips page for details when available) to assess needed restoration and protection actions for this treasured wild-waterway and surrounding forests. (3-09-09)

Bend / Fort Rock Ranger District

1. Lava Rock OHV Ridge Trails,
   photo by Larry Pennington Lava Rock OHV Dust Bowl,
   photo by Larry Pennington Lava Rock OHV Campsites,
   photo by Larry Pennington Lava Rock Vertical OHV Trail,
   photo by Larry Pennington Lava Rock OHV Trails Project - The Forest Service has proposed creating an OHV trail system in the area east of US 97 essentially surrounding the Newberry National Monument on the west and south sides. The project area encompasses 140,650 acres and is roughly bounded by U.S. Highway 97 to the west; Newberry National Volcanic Monument to the east, Forest Roads 9701-900 and 1801- 400 to the north, and Forest Road 22 to the south.
   
   As stated in the Forest Service Notice of Intent, the project "would designate OHV trails to provide loop and point-to-point trail experiences with a variety of challenge levels for Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 OHVs. Approximately 80 miles of dual-use Class 1 and 3 trails, 45 miles of Class 2 trails and 76 miles of Class 3 only trails are proposed for designation on existing system roads, user created trails, and newly constructed trails. Up to three new staging areas and two existing staging areas are proposed for designation to facilitate use and connectivity between the proposed Lava Rock OHV system and the existing East Fort Rock OHV system. The proposed action would close and obliterate user created trails and non-system roads not designated by the Lava Rock OHV system. It is estimated that more than 50 miles of these trails are present and available for closure. Additionally, system roads that are in excess of administrative or public access needs would be closed or decommissioned in order to reduce road densities in the project area." The Forest Service documents related to this project, including the Scoping Letters and a detailed map, can be found at the Lava Rock OHV Trails Project web page.
   
   The Sierra Club has submitted comments to the Forest Service jointly with the Blue Mountain Biodiversity Project and the American Hiking Society, strongly opposing this project as currently proposed. The proposal to conduct an EIS for this project concurrently with the EIS for the broader Deschutes-Ochoco Travel Management Plan EIS is in violation of the nation's environmental policy laws. The scoping notice also misrepresents the recommendations of the Travel Management Working Group Consensus Recommendations as providing community support for the project as proposed. There is a lack of alternatives evaluated as required by NEPA, and the purpose and need statements for the project are unsupported. There is a lack of regard for the non-motorized public use needs in this area, and the impacts to wildlife and existing un-roaded areas are not adequately evaluated. The full text of the comments can be read at Lava Rock OHV EIS Scoping Comments II. Volunteers are needed to monitor and document OHV use and damage to this project area in support our opposition to the project as currently proposed. (5-07-09)
2. Sparky Danger Tree Removal Project - The Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District is proposing to remove danger trees from approximately 1,520 acres along the Cascade Lakes Highway from just east of the Meissner Sno-park west to Elk and Hosmer Lakes. Falling of identified danger trees would occur using chain saws or mechanized harvesters. Where removal is appropriate and feasible, felled trees would be removed using mechanized equipment, pickup or flatbed truck, off-highway vehicles (OHVs), or by hand or non-motorized equipment such as wheelbarrows. Residual slash materials would be utilized, lopped and scattered, or piled and some or all of the piles burned. More information on this proposed project, including the Scoping Letter, maps, and the Environmental Analysis can be found on the Forest Service web site Sparky Danger Tree Removal Project. The Sierra Club has submitted two sets of comments on this project: Sparky Danger Tree Comments 3-20-09, and Sparky Danger Tree Final Comments 7-27-09. The Sierra Club has chosen not to appeal this project. (7-27-09)
3. West Tumbull Field Trip, Photo by Larry Pennington West Tumbull "Fuels Reduction" timber sale - A 4,500 acre "fuels reduction" timber sale located 10 miles west of Bend proposed by the Forest Service. The area includes recreationally popular Tumalo Falls and the Tumalo/Skyliner Recreation Area. There is considerable interest in this project by local residents. More information, including the Scoping Letter and Environmental Assessment (EA) can be found at the Forest Service web page West Tumbull Hazard Fuels Reduction Project. The Sierra Club commented on this project in June 2008 (see West Tumbull HFRA Scoping Comments). Considerable citizen input from local residents was also made. However, many significant comments from both sources were not incorporated in the final EA. Consequently, the Sierra Club filed an Objection (see West Tumbull HFRA Objection) to the EA with the Deschutes NF Supervisor on August 7, 2009. A meeting with the Bend-Fort Rock District Ranger on August 28th resulted in modifications to the project that bring it much closer to the current science for fuels reduction projects. In light of a consensus that there is an urgent need to take fuels reduction actions in the West Tumbull project area, the modifications are deemed sufficient to allow the project to proceed.  The text of the agreement, including the specific modifications to the EA, can be read at West Tumbull Objection withdrawal Letter. (9-10-09)
4. Little Lava Lake, Snow Fuels
   Photo by Asante Riverwind
   Snow Fuels Reduction Project - Located alongside the Cascades lakes Scenic Highway from Elk Lake at the north to Crane Prairie at the south, bordering the Three Sisters Wilderness, this projects contains roadless areas and spotted owl late successional reserve forests. Efforts to resolve comments on this project were initially unsuccessful, and the project was appealed in September 2008 (see Snow Fuels Project Appeal). Subsequent negotiations succeeded in bringing significant changes to this project. The Deschutes Forest Supervisor agreed to retain trees with old characteristics regardless of size in all units, and agreed to an upper diameter cutting limit of 16" for ponderosa pine and Douglas fir, protecting old forest habitat and the ecological integrity of the area. As a result, the appeal was withdrawn (see Snow Fuels Appeal Resolution, October 2008). Continued monitoring and photo documentation of implementation is needed to insure the actual logging follows the agreed upon guidelines. (3-09-09)
5. Dead Log Project Fire Suppressed Ponderosa
   Photo by Asante Riverwind
   Deadlog Vegetation Management Project - The Sierra Club is participating in this Fire Learning Network collaborative process, intended to address restoration objectives and conservation concerns in this planned "fire risk reduction/restoration" project in 900 acres of remotely located old growth ponderosa pine forest. (For more information on this process, visit Northwest Fire Learning Network.) More information on this project, including the Draft Environmental Impact Statement issued July 2009, Scoping Letter, maps, and the Brothers Wildland Fire Use Plan, is available on the Forest Service web site at Deadlog Vegetation Management Project.
   
   This old growth area is both ecologically important and rare, as extensive logging impacts from old past clear cuts have left thousands of acres of surrounding forests as younger black-bark stands (35 to 65 years old). The Nature Conservancy in partnership with the USFS is sponsoring this logging project, which as currently proposed would commercially log in the old growth area, resulting in severe harms to wildlife and forest ecological integrity. In particular, The 21” diameter logging limit of the proposed action alternatives fails to be based upon actual stand surveys revealing that trees above 16" dbh are deficient in the old forest area. The DEIS fails to disclose the results of these surveys, provided to the agency’s planners during FLN meetings, and fails to disclose that trees above 16" dbh in the old forest area are important to forest ecological structure, wildlife habitat, ecosystem functioning, and future old growth and snag recruitment. The proposed alternatives also fail address and incorporate significant cumulative logging and management impacts across the project area, and the habitat needs and recovery objectives for species of concern in the project area. The presented alternatives fail NEPA’s scientific and site-specific requirements, and the arbitrarily contrived logging diameter limit of 21" dbh is excessive to that needed to accomplish project goals.
   
   Consequently, the Sierra Club Deadlog Vegetation Management Draft EIS Comments of September 14, 2009, request significant modifications to the project before it proceeds. Your volunteer efforts are needed to effectively influence the project to better protect this rare old growth forest and its essential wildlife habitat, and restore surrounding forests. (9-16-09)
6. Anne's Butte OHVs - Major congratulations to Friends of Anne's Butte members on one of the first volunteer ecological victories of the year - the closure of Anne's Butte by the Deschutes Forest Service to OHVs. Friends of Anne's Butte members photo-documented ongoing OHV harms and related trash dumping and shooting, met with Forest Service officials, conducted community outreach and held volunteer field trips. Efforts to close the area to OHVs culminated in an early December field trip with the Deschutes Forest Service District Ranger and staff, helping the agency to experience first hand the rampant OHV abuse existent in the area. Many thanks to all who've participated in this successful ecologically proactive effort! Ongoing efforts during 2009 include ensuring the closure is extended and enforced to effectively protect area forests and the neighboring community. (3-09-09)
7. Wake Butte OHV plans - Early warning of agency plans to designate OHV trails on recreationally scenic Wake Butte and adjacent forests. Volunteers are needed to help protect this ecologically important, geologically unique, forest wildlife area from the harmful noisy intrusions and impacts of widespread OHV use and abuse. (3-09-09)
8. Oz Research Project - A "scientific research" thinning-logging project located in primarily second growth forests near Sunriver on both sides of Hwy 97. Volunteer involvement in field trips and meetings during 2008 resulted in agreements by the agency and the project’s OSU scientist to incorporate conservation concerns into the project design and implementation. Among these were a spring '08 pre-project bird survey, documenting species and rough numbers of birds actively using the Oz area; and public field trips during project implementation and completion in 2009 to assess impacts and goal attainment. The project design was reportedly modified to better ensure retention of existing old snags, large logs, large diameter trees, and protection of focal wildlife areas. Continued volunteer involvement is needed in monitoring this project and assessing its impacts. (3-09-09)
9. Lava Cast Logging, Photo by Asante Riverwind Lava Cast Slash Pile, Photo by Larry Pennington Lava Cast - This "Timber Stand Improvement Project" was initiated in 2005. While volunteer efforts succeeded in significantly changing this "fuels reduction" project, its implementation still resulted in widespread logging harms. Despite the agency agreeing to implement variable 16" and 18" diameter limits, retain wildlife cover areas in each unit, and dropping units of particular wildlife and old growth concerns, logging decimated forest habitat and cover, in some areas leaving near clear cuts with extensive areas of ravaged soils and logging slash debris Continued volunteer involvement is needed to document the significant harmful impacts from this project, and conduct agency and public education to help prevent similar pretentious "fire-risk reduction/forest health" logging project harms elsewhere in our irreplaceable natural forest wildlands. The Lava Cast Scoping Letter on the Forest Service web site provides a overall description of the project and maps of the project area. (3-09-09)
10. South Bend and Sunriver "fuels reduction" timber sales - Working with local residents and volunteers opposed to this project's excessive "fire risk reduction" logging, we successfully changed the project and resolved many of our objections. The Deschutes Forest Supervisor and District Ranger agreed to drop an ecologically and publicly significant area from commercial thinning, to change logging plans to protect all trees with old characteristics regardless of diameter, to remove slash from near area residences within two seasons or less, to retain more forest structure and trees for wildlife cover, and to thin in natural clumpy-patchy forest patterns (instead of even spacing), to add additional seasonal restrictions protecting nesting birds, and to add additional protection provisions limiting or eliminating thinning near ecologically significant habitat features including lava rock outcrops and pressure ridges. The agency also agreed to sample mark two areas for public preview before beginning the project. Consequently the Sierra Club and twelve area residents withdrew our legal objections based upon these agreed upon changes (see South Bend HFRA Objection Agreement and Withdrawal). Volunteer help is needed during 2009-11 monitoring project implementation, documenting impacts and ensuring the project adheres to legal settlement provisions. Volunteers can also help form the "Friends of Deschutes River Woods" and/or "Friends of Deschutes Forests" to best protect area forests from logging and other management harms. (3-09-09)
11. Kapka Butte Snowmobile Park and Trail - Sierra Club volunteers are needed who are interested in ensuring natural recreation, forest ecology, and wildlife habitat are protected as the Forest Service continues to develop its proposal to build a new sno-park near Kapka Butte "to provide more high elevation parking for winter recreationists along an established snowplowing route." The proposed facility would significantly increase parking, snowmobile use, and motorized winter recreation noise and impacts. The proposed parking facility would include approximately 70 slots for trailers (snowmobiles), and 40 slots for non-trailer vehicles. Trail links to existing snowmobile and Nordic trails are also part of the developing plans. For more information on this controversial proposal, visit the Bend BackCountry Alliance. For the details on project as proposed by the Forest Service, visit the Forest Service Kapka Butte Web Page. This page has links to the a Notice of Intent, a Scoping Letter, and a map. The Notice of Intent has instructions for the public to provide input to this project. (3-09-09)
12. EXF Snow Road, Photo by Larry Pennington EXF Cinder Cone, Photo by Larry Pennington EXF Shimmering Fir, Photo by Larry Pennington EXF/Pringle Falls Vegetation Management Project - This project is located within the Lookout Mountain unit of the Pringle Falls Experimental Forest (PFEF). From the Forest Service description: "The PFEF is located about 30 miles southwest of Bend, Oregon, and was established in May 1931 as a center for silviculture, forest management, and insect and disease research in ponderosa pine forests east of the Oregon Cascade Range ... . The 3,535-acre Lookout Mountain Unit of the Experimental Forest is proposed for silvicultural and fuel treatments because the forest and scientific studies being conducted there are threatened by wildfire and forest health problems. It also presents an opportunity to combine research and management."  The complete Forest Service description of this project is available at EXF Vegetation Management Project, including the Draft Environmental Impact Statement issued September 18, 2009. The Sierra Club has reviewed the Draft EIS and concluded that the project as proposed will harm the environment in a number of significant ways. It appears to significantly diverge from scientifically supportable and ecologically appropriate methods to reduce forest fuels, fire risks, and naturally inherent insect mortality in forest ecosystems. The full text of the Sierra Club comments can be read at EXF Project Draft EIS Comments, submitted October 30, 2009. More information on Experimental Forests and the Pacific Northwest Research Station can be found at Pacific Northwest Research Station - Experimental Forests. (11-04-09)
13. Met Fuels Reduction Project - The project is located between Bend and Sunriver along Highway 41 to the west and the Deschutes River to the east. The area was clear-cut harvested in the 1920s and the lands subsequently purchased by the federal government for inclusion in the Deschutes National Forest. Because of the minimal legal, scientific, and environmentally information contained in the seven page notice for this proposed project, we have strong conservation and legal objections to the proposed project actions and the legally non-compliant proposed CE decision. Our comments strongly request the agency withdraw this notice and comply with federal environmental policy laws by conducting the requisite NEPA analysis process for this project.  The full text of our comments can be read at Met Fuels Reduction Project. The preliminary Decision Memo and a project map can be found on the Forest Service web site at Met Fuels Reduction Project. (8-07-09)
14. Flank Vegetation and Fuels Management Project - This project is located about 17 miles southeast of Bend, two miles south of Horse Ridge and just south of China Hat Road. The project is located in the Lower Dry River and Upper Dry River 5th field watersheds and the following 6th field watersheds Hunter, Horse Ridge, and Teepee Draw. The Forest Service stated purpose of this project is: improve resiliency to large-scale disturbance events such as insect, disease, and wildlife by reducing forest vegetation density; move watersheds toward historic conditions by addressing tree species composition and reducing stocking levels in dense stands dominated by ponderosa pine; and contribute forest products, including commercial and small tree material, to meet Deschutes National Forest long term sustainable harvest levels and provide job opportunities that contribute to local and regional economies. More information, including the Scoping Letter can be found on the Forest Service web site at Flank Vegetation and Fuels Management Project. The Sierra Club comments on this project dated August 31, 2009 can be read at Flank Vegetation and Fuels Management EA Comments. (9-03-09)

Crescent Ranger District

1. Rim Paunina Vegetation Management Project - This new project is located in Klamath County in the Walker Mountain area, and is describe by the Forest Service as "a 45,000 acre watershed on the southern end of Crescent Ranger District whose goal is to utilize forestry techniques that disturb the forest at appropriate levels to create and maintain a diversity of habitats closer to what historically occurred". Additional information on this project can be read on the FS web site at Rim Paunina Vegetation Management and Wildlife Habitat Project. (10-20-09)
2. BLT timber Sale - In November 2003, the Forest Service proposed a 7,499 acre "thinning"- timber sale in forests near the junction of Hwy 97 and Hwy 58 and the Crescent Lake - Oregon Cascades Recreation Area. Forest Service plans included logging in dedicated old growth and Wild and Scenic River areas, and logging mature and old growth trees. See the Deschutes NF web page BLT Vegetation Management Project for the document record of this project. This sale was appealed (see BLT Appeal to Regional Forester) on March 10, 2009. On April 23rd a resolution of the appeal was reached with the District Ranger (see BLT Appeal Settlement Letter, April 23, 2009). This settlement changed the BLT Project to protect all old characteristic trees, set an 18" maximum diameter limit for logging, and sets a higher percentage of leave areas for wildlife habitat (15% to 25% instead of a maximum of 15% as originally planned pre-appeal). The resolution also resulted in the dropping of previously unlogged and steep slope unit areas from the project, and will initiate a new NEPA process to dedicate old growth areas for wildlife. (4-23-09)
3. Three Trails OHV Analysis Project - The proposed trail system would provide 100 to 130 miles of interlinking trails in three main areas attached to staging areas. This system would provide connections to communities and local businesses such as Crescent Lake Junction. The proposal also includes closure and rehabilitation of fifty miles of travel routes where redundant access exists or user-created trails are in sensitive riparian areas or critical wildlife habitat. As counterbalance to the proposed trail density, approximately sixty-five miles of roads would be closed. A complete description of the proposed project is available on the Forest Service web page Three Trails Off Highway Vehicle Analysis Area. The Sierra Club has provided two sets of comments to the analysis as proposed. Those are available on the Comments and Appeals page. As currently proposed, the analysis is not comprehensive since it does not look at the cumulative effects of other proposed trail systems. We will continue to monitor this project as it develops to prevent inundation of the area by OHV users. (3-29-09)
4. Five Buttes Logging Survey, Oct 07
   Photo by Marilyn Miller Five Buttes timber sale - Our initial September 2008 legal victory stopping this large old growth timber sale is being contested during 2009 by a USFS appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court, so we are again in court to protect this area from severe logging harms. Our legal victory has been essential in helping protect Deschutes National Forest spotted owl Late Successional Reserve (LSR) habitat. The timber sale is currently under court-injunction stopping the sale and logging of the remaining five timber sales. For more pictures of destruction caused by logging the first Bass Sale tract of this timber sale, see the Five Buttes Photos page. Visit the Forest Service Five Buttes Project page for the FS documents related to this project.
   
   Volunteer efforts achieving this legal victory have thus far protected old growth ponderosa pine as well as spotted owl mixed conifer old growth forests. Volunteer efforts in 2009 are needed to ensure our legal victory is not overturned and the area logged. Before our legal win, logging devastated one-sixth of the area forests, with the felling and removal of 200 to 400 year old ponderosa pine trees - that had survived centuries of recurrent fires - under the shameful pretense of "fire risk reduction". The case has set important precedents that help our ongoing efforts to prevent harmful logging in several other area timber sales also.
   
   Many many thanks to our wonderful team of attorneys, and to all the volunteers, staff, and allies who have helped achieve the initial victory - for the wildlife and natural forests. May we again prevail during this 2009 agency legal appeal! See the joint conservation organizations Five Buttes Press Release for a summary of this victory. The Court's Summary Judgment Opinion provides the details of the decision. The Five Buttes legal appeal is available on the Comments and Appeals page. (3-09-09)