JUDGE HALTS LOGGING ON GUALALA RIVER

FROM PRESS RELEASE BY FRIENDS OF THE GUALALA RIVER

The “Dogwood” Timber Harvest Plan (THP), an environmental review of the first major logging of the mature redwood forest on the sensitive floodplain of the Gualala River, has been sent back to CAL FIRE for a full revision. The plan is bound for a fourth cycle of public comments. CAL FIRE, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, is the state agency that regulates commercial logging.
On January 25, 2017, Judge Renee Chouteau of Sonoma County Superior Court made an unexpected ruling to remand the entire Dogwood THP ack to CAL FIRE to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Forest Practices Act (FPA).The unanticipated early court decision to require correction of the THP’s incomplete, deficient treatment of many cumulative environmental impacts vindicates environmental organizations and many local residents who commented on and protested the Dogwood logging plan.
“We have in effect already prevailed on one CEQA issue” said Edward Yates, attorney for the plaintiffs Forest Unlimited, Friends of Gualala River, and California Native Plant Society.

http://gualalariver.org/forestry/floodplain-logging/sonoma-county-superior-court-remands-entire-dogwood-timber-harvest-plan-back-cal-fire-environmental-review-controversial-gualala-river-redwood-forest-floodplain-logging/