Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
SAN FRANCISCO — Environmental groups are seeking legal remedies to prevent potentially harmful logging projects on federal public lands in California.
Three environmental groups filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California seeking to stop post-fire commercial logging projects proposed by the United States Forest Service on 13,000 acres within Giant Sequoia National Monument that burned in the 2020 Castle Fire and the 2021 Windy Fire, which killed significant numbers of giant sequoia trees.
If the projects are allowed to proceed, the heavy machinery involved would inflict substantial environmental damage on a protected federal landscape, including critical habitat for endangered and threatened species. The Pacific fisher, California spotted owls, and a recently discovered wolf pack rely on these landscapes, and disrupting these ecosystems through substantial logging would threaten their ability to survive. It would also allow timber companies to profit off logging in a region where commercial logging is meant to be prohibited.
Attorney René Voss of Natural Resources Law is representing three clients in this litigation: Sierra Club, John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute, and Sequoia ForestKeeper.
In response, Alex Craven, Sierra Club forest campaign manager, released the following statement:
"Giant sequoias are some of the most iconic trees in the United States, and they should be preserved for generations to come. Simply put, these projects as proposed won’t help us achieve that. Moreover, they threaten the vulnerable and endangered species who call these landscapes home.
"From their scale to their methods to the process used to approve them, these projects are dubious at best and at worst could ultimately harm the very sequoia trees the Forest Service has a responsibility to protect. There are clear legal requirements for managing our national forests, and it’s vital that the Forest Service follow those processes."
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.