Lawsuit Holds Up Logging in Lewis and Clark Forest

The U.S. Forest service is proposing to cut down a series of hazardous trees (most of which are beetle killed) that are too close to cabins, trails, radio towers, and other structures in The Lewis and Clark National Forest. However, two environmental groups have teamed up to sue the forest service over the proposal. Executive Director Michael Garrity of the Alliance for the Wild Rockies explains why his group is behind the lawsuit:

Garrity argues that the forest service is trying to avoid the traditional environmental analysis process by using a special exclusion that was only meant to give the Forest service freedom to do minor repairs such as “painting outhouses and mowing lawns.”