For Immediate Release
September 15, 2005

Contact Information

Denver, CO—Responding to citizen challenges and conservation concerns, the U.S. Forest Service has in the last two months withdrawn three illegal industrial logging projects to safeguard watersheds and wildlife in the Bearlodge Ranger District of the Black Hills National Forest.

The offending projects include the Cement timber sale, which was proposed for the northwestern Black Hills near the Sand Creek Roadless Area, and the Planting and Dean timber sales, both proposed within the Bear Lodge Mountains in northeastern Wyoming. Collectively, the logging projects would have affected over 40,000 acres of public forest. They threatened to cut down over 30,000,000 board feet of timber, enough to fill over 60,000 logging trucks, and build dozens of miles of roads through streams and across highly erosive soils. The projects were withdrawn only after Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting the Black Hills, challenged the legality and logic of their authorization.

“This is a huge victory for the Black Hills National Forest and really underscores the need for citizen oversight and involvement in management of public lands,” said Jeremy Nichols, Conservation Director for Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. “By exercising our rights as citizens, we exposed illegal decisions and held the Forest Service accountable to safeguarding healthy forests.”

On July 28, 2005, the Black Hills National Forest Supervisor located in Custer, South Dakota overturned the Planting timber sale decision. Responding to an administrative appeal filed by Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, the Supervisor ruled that Bearlodge District Ranger Steve Kozel had failed to safeguard watersheds and soils and failed protect old growth forest habitat. The timber sale would have cut over 8,000,000 board feet of trees and included over 30 miles of road building.

On August 5, 2005, the Black Hills National Forest Supervisor withdrew the Cement timber sale decision in response to a court decision issued last December. In response to a lawsuit filed by Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, Judge John Kane of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado ruled, “Defendants [U.S. Forest Service] do not appear to have adequately addressed or paid attention to the concerns of citizens.” The timber sale would have cut over 10,300,000 board feet of trees and included over 80 miles of road building.

On September 1, 2005, the Deputy Regional Forester located in Denver, Colorado overturned the Dean timber sale decision. Also responding to an administrative appeal filed by Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, the Deputy Regional Forester ruled that the Black Hills National Forest Supervisor had Forest had violated soil and watershed protection standards in the long-range management plan for the Black Hills National Forest, finding, “the analysis was not sufficient to support the conclusions that were made [regarding Forest Plan compliance].” The timber sale would have cut over 16,000,000 board feet of trees and included over 70 miles of road building.

The Black Hills National Forest is one of the most heavily logged National Forests in the country. Virtually the entire forest has been logged at least once in the last century, with most areas logged three or more times. Most recent estimates from the Forest Service show that only 0.22% of the entire Black Hills National Forest is old growth. Old growth is defined as relatively undisturbed areas of old (150 years or older), dense, large diameter “yellowbark” pines. Old growth forest provides vital habitat for many plants and animals.

Scarce old growth has been implicated in the declines and rarity of forest wildlife, including the northern goshawk, a large forest raptor that depends on dense stands of yellowbark pines for nesting and foraging, and the pine marten, a carnivorous forest mammal that depends on dense old growth forest for denning and foraging. Both animals are considered “sensitive” by the Forest Service. Sensitive species are designated because their long-term survival is in question.

Logging and road building have also contributed to declines in clean water in the Black Hills. According to the Forest Service, several roads in the Cement, Planting, and Dean timber sale areas are dumping sediment into streams and causing soil erosion. Additionally, off-road vehicles and domestic livestock grazing have been identified by the Forest Service as contributing to soil erosion in these areas. In combination with off-road vehicle use and livestock grazing, logging and road building can exacerbate sediment pollution, leading to “cumulative” environmental impacts. In ruling on the Dean timber sale appeal, the Deputy Regional Forester specifically found that the Black Hills Forest Supervisor had failed to address the “cumulative” effects of soil erosion caused by off-road vehicle use and domestic livestock grazing.

“You don’t safeguard healthy forests by violating the law and certainly not by implementing massive industrial logging projects,” said Nichols. “The Forest Service has a responsibility to protect forest health and it’s a shame the agency has seen fit to shirk this basic duty.”

According to the Forest Service, the Planting, Cement, and Dean timber sales are, for the time being, on hold. If new decisions are issued regarding these timber sales, the Forest Service will be required to provide additional opportunities for public involvement, conduct more thorough environmental analysis, and ensure that any new decision complies with the law.

“Asking the Forest Service to act responsibly is not too much to ask,” said Nichols.

For more information and copies of Planting and Dean appeal decisions, contact Biodiversity Conservation Alliance.

Jeremy Nichols, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance (303) 454-3370