Since we have written last, the Forest Service has still not, yet, extended the public comment period for the draft forest plan. Over twenty conservation groups and individuals from around the region have signed on to our January letter requesting more time for the public to analyze this massive plan. You can read the letter here Time Extension Request 1-6-20.
The public comment deadline for the draft plan is Thursday March 19. We will notify the public if an extension is granted. You can still request an extension with Nez Perce – Clearwater National Forests Supervisor Cheryl Probert by sending her an email at cprobert@fs.fed.us.
The Forest Service is hosting a public meeting about the draft plan in Moscow on Saturday January 25 at the Best Western, 1516 Pullman Rd. The open-house will take place from 3:00 – 5:00 pm in the Appaloosa Conference Room. Please consider reading our early analysis before you attend the meeting. The new draft plan is a severe threat to the roadless backcountry, old growth, riparian areas, water quality, and fish and wildlife habitat of the Wild Clearwater. The plan would also greatly hinder the ability of our forests to sequester carbon, while exacerbating climate change.
Thank you to everyone that attended our forest plan workshop in Moscow last week. We have many community workshops planned in the near future, and various conservation organizations have joined as co-sponsors. The upcoming event schedule is as follows – more will be announced soon.
- Thursday, January 30, 5:00 pm at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E Front Avenue in Coeur d’Alene, ID with Kootenai Environmental Alliance and Idaho Rivers United.
- Monday, February 10, 6:30 pm at the Bitterroot Public Library, Public Meeting Room, 306 State Street in Hamilton, MT with Friends of the Bitterroot, Wild West Institute, Wild Earth Guardians, Wilderness Watch and the Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force.
- Wednesday, February 12, 6:00 pm at the Missoula Public Library, 301 E Main Street in Missoula, MT with Friends of the Bitterroot, Wild West Institute, Wild Earth Guardians, Wilderness Watch and the Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force.
Lastly, Friends of the Clearwater recently joined a coalition of conservation groups, spearheaded by Earthjustice, in filing a Notice of Intent to sue the Fish & Wildlife Service over its continued failure to protect wolverines under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The government has neglected to act since a federal judge ruled in 2016 that the agency illegally withdrew a proposal for listing the species under the ESA. Read the news release.
Hope to see you at the Forest Service public meeting in Moscow on Saturday January 25, 3:00 pm at the Best Western in Moscow!
Sincerely,
Brett Haverstick
Education & Outreach Director