Environmental activists have filed a suit in federal court, seeking to halt plans by the National Park Service to thin forest overgrowth to prevent forest fires and ensure the safety of nationally treasured natural areas, like the redwoods in Sequoia National Park.
The suit, filed Sept. 25, says the NPS authorized the “Fuels Reduction Project” in October 2022, which involves over a thousand acres of timber cutting with chainsaws to thin the forests in and around remote sequoia groves and more than 20,000 acres of manager-ignited fires and associated activity.
Much of the cutting and burning would occur within designated areas, and the project activity would last an indefinite period, but spanning years, at least. The NPS believes the cutting and clearing actions are essential to prevent forest fires and to protect the national parks.
The plaintiffs allege that NPS ignored legally required public processes, including public debate and engagement, and important statutory restrictions that apply to the project, and the agency has improperly raised the banner of “emergency” to circumvent legal compliance, according to the suit.
The plaintiffs – Wilderness Watch, Sequoia Forestkeeper, and Tule River Conservancy – are represented by attorney René P. Voss, of Natural Resources Law, and Andrew Hursh, of Wilderness Watch.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California case number 1:23-cv-01398-BAM