Forest Service Wants to Fast-Track Logging Without Environmental Review

[Judi Lynn]

Jordan Davidson Jun. 14, 2019 11:20AM EST

The U.S Forest Service unveiled a new plan to skirt a major environmental law that requires extensive review for new logging, road building, and mining projects on its nearly 200 million acres of public land. The proposal set off alarm bells for environmental groups, according to Reuters.

The proposed changes, released by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), affect how new projects comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a decades-old law that requires detailed analysis prior to approval for any project that could significantly affect an ecosystem. One of the revisions, for example, would eliminate the requirement for a thorough environmental study before permitting mining on blocks of land up to one square mile in size, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The USDA says that eliminating some impact studies and reducing the number of redundant environmental reviews will allow it to repair roads, trails and campgrounds quickly. It also claims that shedding the red tape will allow the agency to take proactive steps to mitigate the threat of wildfires, according to the USDA's press release.

"We are committed to doing the work to protect people and infrastructure from catastrophic wildfire," said Sonny Perdue, secretary of the USDA, in the agency's statement. "With millions of acres in need of treatment, years of costly analysis and delays are not an acceptable solution — especially when data and experience show us we can get this work done with strong environmental protection standards as well as protect communities, livelihoods and resources."

More:
https://www.ecowatch.com/forest-service-logging-plan-2638830051.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1

[mr_lebowski]

1. MOTHERF***ING F*** THESE MOTHERF***ING @SSHOLE SH!THEADS

Fronting like this it really about 'fire control' ... RIIIIIIIIGHT!

Fucking Liars.

And I suppose as long as the land is carved into '1 Sq/Mi blocks', then according this new rule, it doesn't matter if it's actually 500 contiguous Square Miles' being mined?

[democratisphere]

2. If drumpf had his way he would clear cut every acre in America.

[procon]

3. Bullshit.

Public lands are not up for grabs by the extraction industry's donors that prop up the GOP. Tell me this isn't a quid pro quo setup!

[MFM008]

5. Sue these bastards

!!!!!

[Duppers]

6. ....

[bronxiteforever]

7. Kick and recommend for visibility of this evil

Sonny Perdue is an odious person.