A few dozen activists and concerned citizens gathered in front of the Seneca Sawmills in Eugene Thursday morning to protest a logging project near Springfield. They wore masks—kept their distance, and held signs decrying clear-cuts on public land.
The 109-acre logging project is on Bureau of Land Management land just outside Springfield. Environmental groups object to the timber harvest because they say it will increase fire risk affecting nearby residents and Willamalane parkland.
Madeline Cowen is with Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology.
“It’s a really nice piece of public land, close to Springfield, close to Eugene. And so we’re out here and we’re just asking that Seneca not clear-cut our public lands.”
Cowen says the group dispersed after about 45 minutes. They'd planned to be there for about an hour. The BLM says the logging would not increase fire risks to the area. A Seneca spokesperson, Casey Roscoe, says the protestors are spreading falsehoods. She says the project is not a clear-cut and that a fuel specialist who analysed the project says it does not increase fire risk
BLM is accepting comments from the public until June 2nd.
Protests may be submitted electronically via either ePlanning or by email. Protests submitted electronically must be submitted to BLM_OR_ThurstonHills@blm.gov or to ePlanning at the following link
Electronically transmitted documents must be received by the authorized officer before June 2nd, at 4pm per 43 CFR 5003.3(a).
