"High Court To Rule on Forest Plan Challenge"

"The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether environmental groups can challenge a federal government plan that has led to increased logging in California forests throughout the Sierra."



"The plan was adopted in 2004 by President George W. Bush's administration for 11 national forests covering 11.5 million acres. In February 2012, a federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled that the government had failed to analyze the potential impact of more tree-cutting and road-building on fish in the mountain streams. Nine species of fish in those streams are listed as threatened or endangered.

The Supreme Court put that ruling on hold Monday and granted review of an appeal by the Obama administration, which argued that the suit was premature because the overall forest management plan did not authorize any specific logging projects."

Bob Egelko repports for the San Francisco Chronicle March 18, 2013.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle, 03/19/2013