Archie Creek Fire Danger Tree challenge to the Umpqua National Forest
In the aftermath of the 2020 Archie Creek Fire, the Umpqua National Forest issued a decision to clearcut post-fire forest along 65 miles of roads above the North Umpqua River under the guise of safety. The Forest Service had exempted the logging from any environmental review, arguing that this logging was just routine road maintenance. Upon scrutiny, many of the roads proposed for logging were already closed roads or unfrequented spur roads, indicating that the actual motivation for this project was to generate timber volume.
Umpqua Watersheds, and our allies Oregon Wild and Cascadia Wildlands, challenged the decision in court with the legal help of Crag Law Center. In March 2022, we reached a settlement agreement with the Forest Service to drastically scale back the logging and limit it to the few areas where logging would facilitate public access or genuinely address public safety concerns.
Umpqua National Forest Danger Tree removal area that was successfully challenged. Photo by Umpqua Watersheds
Post fire logging on BLM in the Archie Creek Fire area. Photo by Umpqua Watersheds.
