We found out just minutes ago that the U.S. Forest Service has approved an Emergency Authorization to approve what we’re calling the “Community Destruction Project,” industrial logging and applying $30 million of highly toxic herbicides to more than 217,000 acres in the Plumas National Forest (PNF), including mature and old growth forest. They essentially want to convert wild public forests into private tree farms, pretending that these tree farms will somehow protect communities when research has shown that nothing done beyond 100 feet of a home makes any difference whatsoever in whether a home survives a wildfire.
This plan would endanger human, animal, and plant communities by worsening wildfire conditions and exacerbating the climate crisis that is the main cause of recent extreme wildfires in California. This plan is likely one of many resource extraction projects to come (including in National Parks) which are planned to feed into the new “wood pellet as renewable energy” business with large wood pellet factories planned for Lassen and Tuolomne Counties.
You can access and download the US Forest Service Central and West Slope project documents here. This impacts the Mohawk Valley, Portola, Strawberry Valley areas and beyond.
The USFS Eastside project documents are available here. This project affects forest to the west of Janesville and Milford and is currently within the 30 day comment period (which ends November 4th). Please comment even briefly by e-mailing comments-pacificsouthwest-plumas@usda.gov and cc: ryan.bauer@usda.gov
Though the Central and West Slope plan is the largest logging project ever approved for the PNF, and the plan involves major Forest Plan Amendments that would strip Spotted Owl protections, the Forest Service refused to hold a single public meeting and the plan was not debated in public or covered by the local media.
How are we going to respond to this attack on the wild? We are calling for an emergency mobilization to stop the destruction of wild forest lands. Come to Plumas County, join us if you are already here. We need your help!
Please watch our video call to action above, read our letter to the editor that kicked off the debate about this ill-conceived plan, and read our recent Where I Stand article in the Plumas News that provides links to the science, particularly useful if you are new to this issue. Also consider reading Chad Hanson’s Smokescreen: Debunking Wildfire Myths to Save Our Forests and Our Climate which is a great summary of the issue from one scientist working to save our forests (and is available at Plumas County Library).
What you can do:
1. Donate. We need funds to get the word out, organize, and hold the Forest Service accountable. Your donation will go directly to direct costs.
2. Contact us with questions or to volunteer: we need help flyering, spreading word on social media, etc. etc.
3. Sign up for our updates and spread the word.
4. Come to Plumas County, CA. It is lovely in the fall, there is free and low cost camping available, it is uncrowded and we have clean air and beautiful forests that need protecting.
5. Speak out at local government meetings and write letters to local editors (including the Sierra Booster, Mountain Messenger, and Plumas Sun)
Thank you for your support. Please spread this extremely troubling news far and wide! Click on the image below to download our latest flyer in pdf.
