Washington Forest Law Center
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Logging and Landslides
Forest Practices Board Members visiting the site of the Stillman Creek Landslide, photo by Karl F. Forsgaard
Last December, a storm triggered more than 700 landslides in the Upper Chehalis basin. While the storm produced very heavy rain, landslides were clearly exacerbated by rampant clearcutting in locations that most neutral scientists believe pose a high risk of landsliding. These landslides are a stark example of the inadequacy of Washington State’s forest practices rules to protect the public from clearcutting on steep and unstable slopes that can slide into rivers, harming our natural resources and causing downstream flooding that threatens public safety. The landslides also demonstrate that the Washington Department of Natural Resources is failing to enforce these logging rules. These inadequacies and failures take their toll in lost homes, business, highways, bridges, and wildlife habitat.
Read the in-depth Seattle Times Special Report investigating the December landslides and their connection to irresponsible logging.
Click here to learn more about our efforts to protect the public and our natural resources from steep slope logging.
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The U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Settlement: How the Bush Administration Diverted $1 Billion to Timber Industry Trade Associations and Industry-Dominated Nonprofit Organizations
In October of 2006, the United States settled the most recent phase of the U.S.-Canada softwood lumber trade dispute by agreeing to refund $5.4 billion in tariffs to Canada. Canada, in turn, agreed to “donate” $1 billion to Bush Administration-determined entities in the U.S. Nearly all of the $1 billion went to politically powerful timber industry dominated associations and organizations that do not have any meaningful environmental representatives. The recipients of these funds have the authority and resources to advance timber industry agendas that are environmentally-destructive.
Click here to learn more about the Washington Forest Law Center’s efforts to get to the bottom of this extraordinary deal.
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OUR WORK TO PROTECT THE NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL
August 1, 2007 - US District Court Stops Weyerhaeuser From Logging Endangered Spotted Owl Habitat in Western Washington
Read the August 5, 2007, New York Times Editorial, "The Owl and the Forest"
Read the August 2, 2007, Seattle Times Article "Owl ruling halts logging on 56,000 acres of private land"
Read the August 1, 2007, Seattle Times Article "Court Blocks Weyerhaeuser in Washington"
Read the August 1, 2007, Seattle P-I Article "Weyerhaeuser ordered not to log owl habitat"
Read the Preliminary Injunction Hearing Decision here
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June, 2007 - WFLC Lawyers Request Federal Court To Require State and Weyerhaeuser Company To Protect Critical Northern Spotted Owl Habitat
Between June 18 and 21, WFLC lawyers and co-counsel John Arum conducted a four day hearing in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Audubon presented the testimony of four expert scientists on the habitat needs of northern spotted owls and introduced extensive scientific evidence that the State was approving logging permits that were destroying critical occupied spotted owl habitat.
Click here to read more about the preliminary injunction hearing.
Click here to read more about this case and read the legal documents.
Read the June 27, 2007, Seattle P-I editorial, "Bush Administration: Too cozy by half "
Read the June 23, 2007, Seattle P-I article, "Weyerhaeuser got to edit U.S. letter on logging, owls"
Read the November 14, 2006, Seattle P-I article, "Group wants logging ban to protect owl"
Read here about how the industrial timber companies have been actively logging occupied spotted owl habitat
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SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY
March 7, 2007 - State seeks "green" certification for some logging practices.
Washington's state-owned forestlands could for the first time earn an environmental stamp of approval for logging practices.
Read the March 7, 2007, Seattle Times article, "State will seek "green" OK for logging on some forests"
Read the March 7, 2007, Seattle P-I article, "DNR seeks green star for logging"
December 19, 2006 – WFLC Challenges Deceptive Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Certified Forestry Practices
In a precedent-setting consumer protection action, the Washington Forest Law Center, on behalf of the Seattle chapter of the National Audubon Society, has filed a complaint against the Weyerhaeuser Company under the complaint procedure prescribed by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).
Read more about the complaint here
Read the February, 2007, Environmental Building News article, "Groups Challenge Timber Companies Under SFI Rules"
Read the January 12, 2007, The NewStandard article, "Green-stamping’ of Timber Companies Comes Under Scrutiny"
Read the December 31, 2006, Boston Globe article, "Groups oppose forest certification of Weyerhaeuser and Plum Creek"
Read the December 24, 2006, Washington Post article, "Two Timber Firms Pretending To Be 'Green,' Groups Allege"
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PRESERVING SCENIC FORESTS
October 10, 2006 - Court Rejects Challenge to Logging Rules Decision rules logging permits do not have to consider cumulative impacts of previous logging on 9.3 million acres of privately owned forests in Washington.
WFLC Issues Press Release Announcing Its Disappointment in Cumulative Effects Decision.
Read it here
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PRESERVING CLEAN WATER
June 19, 2006 – Conservationists Act to Stop the State of Oregon and Timber Companies from Polluting Critical Rivers and Streams
Read more about the case here
Read the June 22, 2006, Oregonian article, “Suit to attack logging roads' dirty water"
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Our Current Priorities
- Ensuring that Washington’s forest practices rules protect and recover the northern spotted owl, including Sustainable Forestry.
- Promoting real salmon recovery by ensuring that the Washington State Forest Practices Habitat Conservation Plan is based on best available science.
- Ensuring clean water in the Pacific Northwest.
- Addressing the cumulative impact of multiple forest practices on Washington's natural resources.
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