Washington Logging Laws Challenged by Environmental Groups
11/7/98
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Title: Washington Logging Laws Challenged by Environmental Groups
Source: The Spokesman-Review
Status: Copyrighted, contact source to reprint
Date: 11/7/98
Byline: Ken Olsen
Lax state logging laws are hurting water quality, wildlife, recreation
and fish -- and violating Washington state's water pollution laws, charges
a lawsuit filed by a bevy of environmental groups this week.
``Under Washington state-approved forest practices rules, you'd have to
undergo a more extensive environmental review to put up a roadside ice
cream stand than to clearcut 240 acres adjacent to a salmon-bearing
stream,'' said Mitch Friedman, executive director of Northwest Ecosystem
Alliance, one of a dozen groups to sue the Washington Department of
Natural Resources.
The environmentalists want a state Superior Court judge to order an
immediate overhaul of the Washington Forest Practices Act, which affects
logging on 2 million acres of state land and 10 million acres of private
timber land. Lumber mills in northeast Washington and North Idaho rely on
those lands for logs.
The logging laws, administered by the Washington Department of Natural
Resources, need some change, industry and state officials say. But they
are disappointed that environmentalists quit negotiating those changes and
went to court on Thursday.
Environmentalists initially sued over the state logging laws in 1992. They
withdrew the suit after Jennifer Belcher was elected state Lands
Commissioner and encouraged discourse over litigation.
After much frustration, environmentalists had no choice but to walk away
from the table, said Tim Coleman of the Kettle Range Conservation Group in
Republic.
``Industry simply would not put a credible proposal on the table -- even
the smallest concession on riparian area logging,'' Coleman said. ``We are
looking for modification of the state logging rules that protect fish,
wildlife, recreation and also support a sustainable timber industry.''
Belcher says some of the environmentalist's concerns about water quality
and salmon protection are legitimate.
``I would be the first one to tell you I think the rules are not as strong
as they should be,'' Belcher said. She also agrees it takes too long to
negotiate new rules to protect salmon and other species that already are
listed as threatened and endangered.
Still, ``I would prefer they worked through the rules process than the
courts,'' Belcher said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Natural Resources will step up enforcement of
current logging laws, Belcher said, and the Forest Practices Board will
work to adopt tougher rules.
Tim Boyd of the Washington Forest Protection Association says the lawsuit
is ``an effort to make the allegation that the Forest Practices Act is not
adequate to protect public resources.''
That's not true. Washington's state logging laws are among the toughest in
the world, Boyd said.
The industry recognizes there were some shortcomings and readily agreed to
come to the negotiating table. His group intends to keep working and hopes
environmentalists will come back to the table.
Ken Olsen can be reached at (208)765-7130 or by e-mail at
keno@spokesman.com.
The particulars
A lawsuit filed by environmentalists claims Washington's Forest Practices
Act:
Allows logging, logging road construction, and thinning that leads to
serious erosion and landslides.
Doesn't require the Department of Natural Resources to keep track of
logging roads, meaning it can't adequately gauge the affects of allowing
new roads.
Has no mechanism to make sure logging isn't occurring next to streams
already rated as polluted by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Often requires changes in logging and road building only after landslides
or other irreparable damage has occurred.
Doesn't protect fish, wildlife, recreation or help maintain the timber
industry over the long term.
Fails to require unstable areas be replanted within two years after
logging.
Ignores scientific evidence for the need for better rules.