No. 294, 3/22/2002 1091

MONTANA TIMBER SALE REDUCED BY 33,000 ACRES

On 2-7-02, the Center for Biological Diversity, The Wilderness Society, Pacific Rivers Council, The Ecology Center, Friends of the Bitterroots and other groups reached a legal settlement with the U.S. Forest Service reducing the Bitterroot Salvage timber sale by two-thirds. Under the settlement, 33,000 acres and 120 million board feet of timber were removed from the timber sale. The settlement targeted roadless areas and sensitive trout habitat, taking 89% of the roadless areas, 75% of the bull trout watersheds, and 70% of the westslope cutthroat trout watersheds out of the sale. Where logging is allowed in the wildland/urban interface, it is limited to trees under 22" in diameter.

The case was argued by the Western Environmental Law Center and Earthjustice.