Amador County – An environmental watchdog group is suing in seven Northern California counties to stop a plan by Sierra Pacific Industries to clear-cut 5,000 acres of forest. The Center for Biological Diversity is accusing the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection of illegally approving 15 timber harvest plans without properly analyzing the impact of their carbon emissions. The lawsuit only deals with the areas of the proposed projects that involve clear-cutting. “Properly analyzing, and ultimately reducing, the carbon emissions from forestry are essential if California’s efforts at addressing greenhouse emissions are going to be effective,” said Brian Nowicki, California climate policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a release. “By continuing to rubberstamp Sierra Pacific Industries’ clear cutting plans, the Department of Forestry is chopping a gigantic hole in the credibility of California’s climate policy,” he said. Center officials are hoping to repeat the success of a lawsuit brought forth last August that successfully derailed a Sierra Pacific plan to log more than 1,600 acres. But the release said several dozen similar plans are awaiting approval. Officials at the California Department of Forestry have denied the allegations of the lawsuits. Department of Forestry spokesman Daniel Bertant said officials met all state requirements. Another official said all the requirements of the Forest Practice Act and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) were met by CalFire and the landowners involved. The Department of Forestry is responsible for approving all logging plans on private land in California and must ensure that each proposed plan complies with CEQA. The Center maintains that clear-cutting, which is also damaging to wildlife and water quality, generates the most greenhouse gases of any logging method. The lawsuits were filed last week in the superior courts of Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Modoc, Shasta, Tehama and Trinity counties. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Monday, 01 February 2010 17:00
Lawsuit Seeks to Stop Sierra Pacific Clear-Cutting Plan
Written by Tom-
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Amador County – An environmental watchdog group is suing in seven Northern California counties to stop a plan by Sierra Pacific Industries to clear-cut 5,000 acres of forest. The Center for Biological Diversity is accusing the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection of illegally approving 15 timber harvest plans without properly analyzing the impact of their carbon emissions. The lawsuit only deals with the areas of the proposed projects that involve clear-cutting. “Properly analyzing, and ultimately reducing, the carbon emissions from forestry are essential if California’s efforts at addressing greenhouse emissions are going to be effective,” said Brian Nowicki, California climate policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a release. “By continuing to rubberstamp Sierra Pacific Industries’ clear cutting plans, the Department of Forestry is chopping a gigantic hole in the credibility of California’s climate policy,” he said. Center officials are hoping to repeat the success of a lawsuit brought forth last August that successfully derailed a Sierra Pacific plan to log more than 1,600 acres. But the release said several dozen similar plans are awaiting approval. Officials at the California Department of Forestry have denied the allegations of the lawsuits. Department of Forestry spokesman Daniel Bertant said officials met all state requirements. Another official said all the requirements of the Forest Practice Act and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) were met by CalFire and the landowners involved. The Department of Forestry is responsible for approving all logging plans on private land in California and must ensure that each proposed plan complies with CEQA. The Center maintains that clear-cutting, which is also damaging to wildlife and water quality, generates the most greenhouse gases of any logging method. The lawsuits were filed last week in the superior courts of Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Modoc, Shasta, Tehama and Trinity counties. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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