Judge Halts Logging in Spotted Owl Habitat (NM)

The Albuquerque Journal (subscription required) ^ | Friday, January 16, 2004 | Adam Rankin

[CedarDave]

Friday, January 16, 2004

Judge Halts Logging in Spotted Owl Habitat

By Adam Rankin

Journal Northern Bureau

    Environmentalists are declaring a legal victory, at least for now, in a battle to protect the habitat of federally protected Mexican spotted owls from a Jemez Mountain logging project aimed at salvaging about 950 acres of burned national forest.
    Late Wednesday, Albuquerque federal district Judge Christina Armijo ruled that part of the timber salvage project should be put on hold until a second hearing Jan. 30.
    The project, known as the Lakes and BMG timber salvage, was designed "to recover the timber value of fire-killed trees" and contribute to the regional economy of northern New Mexico, which has seen a downturn in the logging industry, according to U.S. Forest Service documents.
    About 4,600 acres burned in the Lakes and BMG areas in 2002.
    The temporary restraining order to cease logging applies only to one of 11 forest patches that are part of the salvage project, which does not target any live trees. The order also allows trees that have already been cut to be removed.
    Unit 6, the patch of forest in question, includes a 600-acre area designated as protected Mexican spotted owl habitat, off-limits to logging except when biologists determine it is no longer viable for owls, or when logging will improve the habitat.
    Santa Fe-based Forest Guardians and Santa Fe Forest Watch filed suit Jan. 8 against the Forest Service for allegedly violating the Endangered Species Act and several other federal environmental laws when it decided to allow the logging project to go forward.
    The groups first filed an appeal in September with the Forest Service, seeking to overturn the decision to log, but were overruled by the regional forester in November. In his decision, the forester stated owls no longer occupied the area, despite evidence to the contrary.
    "In their rush to cut big trees... (the Forest Service) ignored essential facts," said Sam Hitt, head of Wild Watershed, one of the groups that appealed the Forest Service decision. He called the decision an amazing victory.
    Officials with the Santa Fe National Forest, which is managing the timber project, said they can't comment on pending litigation.
    Court documents show that even after federal biologists documented owls in the area beginning May 13, the Forest Service issued its final decision and a "finding of no significant impact" for the timber salvage on Aug. 6.

Copyright 2004 Albuquerque Journal

[CedarDave]

Same old story: If there is an owl (or another convenient excuse) to stop logging, even of salvage lumber from a fire, the envirowhackos and their lawyers will rush to court to prevent man from assisting in forest recovery.

[CedarDave]

Please PING to environment/energy lists.

[ancient_geezer]

No prob, just givem K-Mart signs to nest in. Spotted owls do quite well there.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Wait a minute. Throughout the Reagan Administration, the enviro-nuts were claiming that the Spotted Owl (tastilus morsillus) could only inhabit old growth, undisturbed forests. Maybe the judge should recognize the enviro nut argument proves that the owls are actually resiliant and should be delisted.

[TheBattman]

MEXICAN spotted owls? Are these illegals that have been granted permanent amnesty?

Seriously, what efforts are the Mexican authorities taking to protect this "endangered" bird? If the name includes "Mexican" in it, does that not imply that this bird has it's main population in Mexico?

http://mso.fws.gov/Distribution.cfm

The above web site seems to indicate that the majority of the bird's range hasn't even been surveyed, so they don't really know if the bird is endangered. This is most true in Mexico....

Yet we will shut down an entire industry to protect this bird....

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

That is an illegal ruling!The federal government has already decided what is to be done on this,so the judge needs to do AS HE IS TOLD.

[Cobra64]

what's with all these NM posts?

[Tijeras_Slim]

Hey! We're a state too!

[CedarDave]

Circled the articles in the print edition over breakfast, got on line and posted them all at once! Found a couple of earlier ones to add to the mix.

[kittymyrib]

Maybe it's because Gov. Richardson, Monica's mentor, is on TV so often. Doesn't NM have anything for their governor to do but appear on news shows? I guess all their problems have been solved now that a dem is in charge.

[woofie]

Hey! We're a state too!

we are?

[giznort]

What's with all these NM posts?

My thoughts exactly. My, they're certainly turning into a little lefty state like CA. I can't believe all the BS that keeps turning up there. One more reason to give CA and NM back to Mexico.

[Cobra64]

I know. Just joshin' with y'all. An tryin' to tune me up suthun acksent on another post, doncha know.

[Congressman Billybob]

Owls, spottged or otherwise, do not live in burned trees. What is necessary for the health of the Republic is to make judges like this rarer than spotted owls.

I am sick to death of the legal garbage that Clinton puy on fhe federal bench.

Congressman Billybob

Click here, then click the blue CFR button, to join the anti-CFR effort (or visit the "Hugh & Series, Critical & Pulled by JimRob" thread).

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.

Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

---

If this is taxes with reprsentation
Give me taxes without representation
I much prefer a tax on tea!
Instead of everything else.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I think it was determined that the spotted owls were found living in an old growth K-Mart sign.