Massive Medicine Bow logging plan sparks critics

Conservation and water interests are at odds over a plan to log, cut, burn and build roads across 562 square miles of the Medicine Bow National Forest.

The U.S. Forest Service is seeking comments by Monday, Aug. 20 on its “landscape vegetation analysis” that would authorize timber and brush removal over a 15- to 20-year period. The action is necessary “to ensure the future health of the MBNF,” which has seen epidemic but dwindling pine and spruce beetle infestation since the mid 1990s, according to the U.S. Forest Service proposal.

All told, the agency would build 600 miles of temporary road to allow “vegetation treatment” on 360,000 acres. The action would “make areas more resilient to future disturbance,” Forest Service documents say. The agency would authorize clearcutting on 95,000 acres, selective logging on 165,000 acres and burning and hand thinning on another 100,000 acres.

The actions would “enhance forest ecosystem components [and] supply forest products to local industries.” The project also would “provide for human safety; reduce wildfire risk to communities, infrastructure, and municipal water supplies; and improve, protect, and restore wildlife habitat,” a draft environmental study says. Wyoming Sen. Larry Hicks, […]

Full article: Massive Medicine Bow logging plan sparks critics

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