Black Crater Fire timber sale appealed

Four conservation organizations filed two separate appeals seeking the withdrawal of the Black Crater Fire Timber Sale Project by the Forest Service.

Appeals were filed by the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club, Cascadia Wildlands Project, Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project and Oregon Wild, giving the agency 45 days from April 9 to respond or face litigation.

The Forest Service cites recovery of the "economic value of the burned trees" as their primary reason for logging in a small portion of the 9,000 acres that were covered by the fire. In arriving at its decision, the agency also stated that due to the nature of the fire it may need to plant trees in the area's "high severity" burned units.

The appeals cited failures to abide by scientific research and public legal process and the need to prevent harmful impacts to wildlife , including Endangered Species Act listed spotted owls, sensitive woodpeckers and fish.

According to the appellants, the entirety of the 190-acre timber sale is located in the Northwest Forest Plan designated Late Successional Reserves (LSR) for the recovery of the northern spotted owl and an overlapping U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated Critical Habitat Unit for spotted owls. Three scientific reports confirm that spotted owls continue to use even severely burned LSR habitat, and agency surveys disclose the sale area is within a spotted owl home range.

The appeals are currently being researched by the Forest Service.

"I have not personally looked at the appeals, but I have staff members who are researching the situation to identify the areas of concern," said Bill Anthony, Sisters District Ranger.

The appellants also contend that the timber sale project is contrary to federal environmental policy laws that require agency projects be based upon expert science. They maintain that there are several science reports recommending against logging burned forests, including the Beschta report, a research paper chaired by Dr. Robert Beschta of Oregon State University.

The Forest Service has been in contact with the appellants and is attempting to find a resolution.

"We are in the process of setting up meetings with the appellants to get a better understanding of what their concerns are as well as any kind of remedies that they would like us to consider," said Anthony.