Forest Service Agrees to Prepare Environmental Assessment for Logging Projects

In response to concerns voiced by ForestWatch, the Forest Service has agreed to prepare detailed Environmental Assessments before allowing logging in six areas of the Los Padres National Forest.

The logging projects cover 7,350 acres of forestland in popular recreation areas like Frazier Mountain in Ventura County, Figueroa Mountain in Santa Barbara County, and Mount Piños and Cerro Noroeste in Ventura and Kern counties.

Normally, the Forest Service is required to prepare an EA for most activities on the forest. However, for these six logging projects, the Forest Service tried to exploit a loophole called a “categorical exclusion,” which would allow the agency to begin logging without first preparing an EA. This was illegal, because under the Forest Service’s own regulations, most of the logging projects are so big that they don’t even qualify for a categorical exclusion in the first place.

A forest on Frazier Mountain after aggressive “thinning.” The agency wants to expand logging in this area as part of its Frazier Mountain Project.

The agency accepted public comments on its logging proposals earlier this year. At that time, ForestWatch pointed out that these logging projects did not qualify for a categorical exclusion, and that the agency needed to prepare an EA before logging could begin. ForestWatch members also discussed the projects with agency officials during two field trips.

However, officials continued to propose new projects under the “categorical exclusion” loophole. When all else failed, and it appeared that the agency would not address our concerns, ForestWatch submitted a Notice of Violation to the Forest Service and each district ranger. This notice outlined our main concerns with all projects, and gave the agency one last chance to follow long-standing legal requirements.

In response to our notice, the agency agreed in early October to prepare full EAs for all six projects. The six projects include:

Unlike traditional commercial logging operations, these six logging projects are not clear cuts and are not being done for commercial purposes. Instead, the agency is proposing to cut down some trees and removing some vegetation while allowing others to remain.

The purpose of these projects, according to the agency, is to reduce fire intensity and to protect communities from wildfire. With less vegetation to burn, the forests are more likely to survive a wildfire because the fire will remain closer to the ground and not travel up the entire tree or into populated areas.

ForestWatch believes that the agency should spend its scarce funds where it’s most effective – along the wildland urban interface. We support efforts to reduce vegetation directly alongside these communities. Removing trees and vegetation several miles from communities will do little to protect faraway homes from the threat of wildfire.

Concern: Protection of Large Old-Growth Trees

We became particularly concerned with these projects after learning that the agency planned to cut down trees as large as 30 inches in diameter or larger. Some parts of the Figueroa Mountain Project would even allow logging trees “of all ages and sizes.”

The overwhelming amount of scientific evidence suggests that cutting trees larger than 12 to 16 inches in diameter actually increases, rather than decreases, fire risk. This is because larger, older trees have strong fire resistance, and if they are cut down, highly flammable brushy vegetation grows in its place.

In the EA, the agency must present sound scientific evidence to justify the cutting of large trees. We hope the agency acknowledges the large body of scientific evidence and restricts logging to small-diameter trees in very limited areas.

Concern: Wildlife & Native American Heritage Sites

ForestWatch also asked the agency to provide adequate protections for rare plants and animals that could be found in the logging areas, including the Northern goshawk, California spotted owl, Mt. Pinos blue grouse, and the Mt. Pinos lodgepole chipmunk.

The EA will show whether these animals will be harmed by logging. ForestWatch will review the final decision to make sure these rare animals are afforded the highest protection.

ForestWatch was also alarmed that logging would be allowed to take place on Native American sacred sites. For example, the Frazier Mountain Project stated that, “Twenty heritage sites and isolates are located within the project,” but only required that “three of these sites would need to be totally avoided during project activities.”

Concern: New Road Construction

For each logging project, the Forest Service repeatedly emphasied that “no new roads would be built.” However, tucked inside the agency’s proposal was a provision that would allow the construction of “temporary travelways.”

ForestWatch believes that no new roads, temporary or otherwise, should be constructed as part of these projects. All vehicles should remain on existing roads that pass through the logging areas. New roads are unnecessary, will encourage trespass by off-highway vehicles, and will contribute to the spread of invasive weeds and send sediment into nearby streams.

Next Steps

The agency will spend the next few months preparing the EA. When finished, it must release the EA for public comment before issuing its decision.

Officials expect to issue a decision on the Figueroa Mountain Project in January 2006. The other logging projects will be completed in May 2006.

ForestWatch will continue to monitor these projects, and will work with the agency to ensure that the final decision makes sense from a wildlife, fire prevention, and recreation standpoint.