Judge Bans Logging In Old-Growth Forests

A federal judge has ruled that a Trump-era rule change allowing the logging of old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest violates several laws, as reported by the Associated Press (AP).

It was determined that the US Forest Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Forest Management Act, and the Endangered Species Act when it amended protections that had been in place since 1994.

US Magistrate Judge Andrew Hallman on Thursday determined that the US Forest Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Forest Management Act, and the Endangered Species Act when it amended protections that had been in place since 1994.

These findings came in response to a lawsuit filed by multiple environmental groups challenging the change.

Hallman recommended that the Forest Service's environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact should be revoked and that the agency should be required to prepare a comprehensive environmental impact statement regarding the change.

"The highly uncertain effects of this project, when considered in the context of its massive scope and setting, raise substantial questions about whether this project will have a significant impact on the environment," Hallman wrote.

The agency has two weeks to object to the judge's findings and recommendations.

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