Urgent: Lawsuit Filed to Halt Timber Sales in Idaho

UPDATE: A conservation group has launched a critical lawsuit aiming to halt controversial timber sales in north central Idaho that threaten vital wildlife habitats. The Moscow-based Friends of the Clearwater filed the lawsuit in Idaho District Court on October 3, 2023, asserting that ongoing and proposed timber projects on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest significantly endanger grizzly bear habitats and ancient forests.

The group argues that these projects violate several federal laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Forest Management Act. The lawsuit seeks to stop six new and two ongoing timber initiatives, claiming they infringe on protections for endangered species, wildlife habitats, and ecosystems.

Jeff Juel, policy director for Friends of the Clearwater, expressed grave concerns, stating,

“Logging proponents and the Trump administration believe private profits are more important than the public interest in wildlife habitat and enjoyment of naturally resilient wild forests.”

The affected timber projects include Clear Creek, Green Horse, Red Siegel, Limber Elk, Twentymile, Dixie-Comastock, Hungry Ridge, and End of the World, with several clearcuts exceeding 40 acres each, and the largest reaching nearly 800 acres. The lawsuit highlights that new roads totaling 80 miles will be constructed, further fragmenting the habitat crucial for the survival of threatened grizzly bears.

The conservation group warns that these logging activities, described as industrial in scale, will disrupt and degrade crucial wildlife habitats, particularly old-growth forests that take centuries to regenerate. “Together, these projects will disrupt and degrade wildlife habitat, including old growth forests that will not return for at least a century,” lawyers for the group emphasized in their complaint.

The logging initiative spans a vast area of federal land, stretching from the forested breaks of the Salmon River south of Elk City to the Clear Creek drainage near Kooskia. If permitted, the logging is expected to result in up to 25 square miles of cumulative clearcuts, with existing projects like End of the World and Hungry Ridge aimed at thinning overgrown forests, reducing wildfire risks, and supplying millions of board feet of logs to local mills.

Recent reports indicate that the End of the World project near Grangeville could yield an estimated 144 million board feet of timber, while the adjacent Hungry Ridge project is projected to produce 177 million board feet. Past studies cited by agency officials suggest that 30 jobs are sustained or created for every 1 million board feet of timber harvested.

The U.S. Forest Service has declined to comment on the ongoing litigation, with a press official stating,

“It is our practice not to comment on issues in litigation.”

As this lawsuit unfolds, the implications for local ecosystems and communities are profound. The outcome will not only affect wildlife but also the economic interests tied to timber production in the region.

Stay tuned for further updates as this urgent environmental battle develops.