Local conservation group Cascadia Wildlands hosted an online forum Tuesday for community members to express their concerns about logging on land adjacent to Springfield.
Cascadia Wildlands has submitted protests to the Bureau of Land Management regarding its decision on May 18th to allow Seneca Jones Timber Company to clear 109 acres of trees in Thurston Hills.
Cascadia’s Grassroots Organizer Dylan Plummer said the Bureau’s persistence with the logging plans is an insult to the community, which he says has been fighting the project for years.
“It poses a huge risk,” said Plummer. “Clear cut logging directly increases wildfire risk, as well as potential hazards of mudslides and the loss of habitat for wildlife that will impact these local communities.”
Plummer hopes the BLM will address Cascadia and the community’s concerns within the next week. He said although their protests could result in litigation and revised plans, Seneca Jones may go ahead with the logging plan.
Copyright KLCC, 2020.