Last Chance old-growth timber sale outside of Wolf Creek, OR
ACTION ALERT
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ACTION ALERT 🚨
you can File an administrative appeal today:
It probably doesn't come as much of a surprise that the BLM ignored your comments, ignored the climate crisis, ignored the consensus that old-growth forests should be retained and decided to plow ahead with a massive timber sale that would remove 3,400-acres of old-growth forests and build a whopping 28 miles of new logging roads.
But here's the good news.
We're taking the BLM to court, and we're going to defend these forests with all that we've got. Also, because you took action and emailed the BLM comments regarding the Last Chance project, you have legal standing to file an administrative appeal if you choose to. The BLM makes filing an appeal as difficult as possible, but we're here to help you. Public lands are for all. Let's make sure the BLM hears us loud and clear!
If you'd like a timber sale appeal template and a helping hand, please email Sydney, our Conservation Attorney, at sydney@kswild.org.
November 2024 Update: We have filed litigation against the Last Chance timber sale. Read the press release here.
Local BLM timber planners like to contend that they don't log old-growth anymore. Unfortunately that claim is simply false. While some old-growth trees are designated for retention in some BLM logging units, it is common practice for the BLM to fell old-growth trees to facilitate logging road construction, landing establishment and yarding corridors. Additionally, while the BLM retains some old-growth trees in some logging units, the agency nevertheless often removes the forest canopy and structure that defines an old-growth forest. These logging prescriptions involve the "downgrading" or "removal" of so much old-growth forest canopy that the logging units no longer support the habitat needs of spotted owls and other wildlife species that depend on ancient forest habitat.
Check out the Medford BLM's latest old-growth timber sale called "Last Chance" here, and read KS Wild's "scoping" comments.
See the BLM’s revised Environmental Assessment here.
Read our comments about the BLM’s Environmental Assessment here.
Last Chance timber sale fast facts:
1,297 acres of riparian reserve logging- including trees in the "secondary shade zone"
2,590 acres of cable yarding
5,080 acres of ground based yarding
570 acre of helicopter yarding
Page 48 of the EA: "The 787 acres of variable retention harvest would convert the mature structure to early successional stand establishment, delaying promotion of large fire-resilient trees”
Page 48 of the EA: the 4-acre "gaps" (clearcuts) throughout the logging units will not improve fire behavior and will increase wind speeds
252 acre of logging in Late Successional Reserves
Building a logging road through coho critical habitat in Bull Run Creek
Includes waivers to allow for logging road construction through botanical buffer sites
29 miles of new logging road construction
3,420 acres of NSO Nesting, Roosting and Foraging habitat removal
