Suit filed to protect threatened bull trout from old-growth logging and road building on the Willamette National Forest

On 6-7-02, Center for Biological Diversity, together with the Oregon Natural Resources Council, Cascadia Wildlands Project, and Willamette Riverkeeper filed suit in Portland, Oregon, to protect threatened bull trout from old-growth logging and associated road building in the Willamette National Forest (WNF). The suit was filed against the US Fish and Wildlife Service ("FWS"), which authorized the four timber sales even though the both the FWS and the Forest Service both admit that the logging and associated road work will degrade bull trout habitat that has already been severely damaged by past logging and roads.

The damage from old-growth logging would occur in the Upper Willamette River, which supports the only remaining population of bull trout west of the Cascades in Oregon. Under the proposal authorized by FWS, the WNF would log about 675 acres and build 3.5 miles of road, while reconstructing about 42 miles of road, as part of four timber sales. Together with increased log hauling, all of these activities would further befoul streams with sediment, as both the WNF and the USFWS admit. Bull trout are extremely sensitive to increased sediment levels, which are already a major problem for bull trout throughout the watershed.

The four sales would also increase road mileage in the watersheds. Roads cause severe negative impacts on bull trout http (link: http://www.westerntrout.org/trout/roadless.htm). Currently, the road mileage in the watersheds is already more than double the level recommended by FWS for the conservation of bull trout.

Bull trout in the Upper Willamette River have been on the brink of extinction for several years until the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife ("ODFW") began efforts to re-establish these magnificent trout in a watershed that has been heavily damaged by decades of logging and road building. The four timber sales and associated activities would undermine these efforts. Bull trout populations have been severely reduced and fragmented throughout their historic range, due to habitat damage (link: http://www.westerntrout.org/trout/roadless.htm). Both the Forest Service and the USFWS have concluded that any additional damage to bull trout habitats further imperils these highly threatened native trout.

Previous efforts by the four conservation groups have already reduced the scale of threats from logging to bull trout in these watersheds. The FWS initially approved five timber sales in 2001. The four groups notified the FWS of their intent to sue in December 2001. In response, the FWS re-initiated consultation in early 2002, which resulted in the WNF withdrawing, the Simco sale, which was the worst of the five sales (link: http://www.westerntrout.org/trout/simco.htm)

The Cascade Resources Advocacy Group is representing the four conservation groups in the litigation.