FILE - The view of the Applegate Valley from the Sterling Mine Ditch Trail, January 17, 2021.
Courtesy of Kyle Sullivan via Medford BLM
A federal judge has denied a request by environmental groups to stop a Bureau of Land Management logging project near Ashland while their lawsuit moves forward.
The Applegate Siskiyou Alliance and Klamath Forest Alliance sued over the Ashland SOS project, arguing the agency failed to adequately consider its environmental impacts. But a federal judge ruled the BLM had sufficiently analyzed the project and that reducing wildfire risk outweighs delaying the work while the case proceeds.
The BLM is removing dead and dying fir trees through timber sales to reduce the risk of severe wildfire. This is being done through timber sales, which also include logging live trees.
Applegate Siskiyou Alliance Executive Director Luke Ruediger said agency is removing far more fire-resistant hardwood trees than it originally said it would.
“Despite the BLM claims that they would be promoting or enhancing hardwood habitat,” said Ruediger. “We’re finding over 80% of the hardwood trees are removed.”
The BLM did not respond to a request for comment.
U.S. District Court Judge Michael McShane wrote in his ruling that the BLM adequately considered the project’s environmental impacts, and the need to reduce wildfire risk means the project should continue as planned.
“The public has an interest in not experiencing a heightened risk of severe, uncontrolled wildfires,” McShane wrote. “And BLM has an interest in effectively carrying out its forest management plan for the long-term health of the Project area.”
The lawsuit will continue, but the ruling allows the project to move forward while the case is litigated. Ruediger said his group is considering its options.
Roman Battaglia is a reporter with Jefferson Public Radio. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
