The Point Project, Klamath National Forest

• Author: Environmental Law Institute
• Pages: 25-27

NEPA SUCCESS STORIES 25

is case provides an example of how, as forest man-

agement on federal lands in the West has changed

from old-growth logging to restoration of natural

forest resilience, NEPA has facilitated site- and

community-sensitive innovations.

In 2005, Westpoint, an old-growth timber sale held

in the Scott River watershed near the Marble Moun-

tains Wilderness on the Klamath National Forest in

northern California, was halted by litigation. e

Westpoint timber sale was largely focused on logging

the oldest, biggest, most re-resistant trees in the

watershed and clear cutting native forests for replant-

ing with dense, young, commercial ber plantations.

is plan was problematic in part because young

plantations are widely known to increase fuel hazard

and re severity.

In response to the court’s ruling, the U.S. Forest Ser-

vice (FS) developed a new project, the Point Project,

and re-started the NEPA process to focus exclusively

on thinning small-diameter conifers. During the

NEPA process, the FS worked collaboratively with

concerned locals to address their comments and

concerns. For instance, the FS collaborated with the

Lower Scott River Fire Safe Council to develop an

alternative that would help implement their Com-

munity Wildre Protection Plan by thinning young

small-diameter trees in strategic locations.

e nal Environmental Assessment, published in

March 2008, favored a “thin-from-below” project

that left standing large old trees and old-growth

stands while removing some smaller-diameter trees

that had encroached into the forest stands due to

the long absence of natural re events. is thin-

ning would be focused on strategic ridges to lessen

the potential eects of wildre on nearby homes

and communities. As part of the Point Project, the

FS proposed a light burn of 1,800 acres in the Scott

River watershed to help return these forests to a

more sustainable and natural condition.

e success of the Point Project demonstrates how

engaging the public in the NEPA process through

collaboration can result in decisions that are ecologi-

cally appropriate and serve the interests of commu-

nities. In this instance, local citizens worked collab-

oratively with the FS during the NEPA process to

develop a project that protects the community from

wildre without disrupting natural forest processes.

For more information, contact:

George Sexton

Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center

541-488-5789

gs@kswild.org

THE POINT PROJECT, KLAMATH NATIONAL FOREST

NEPA SUPPORTS COLLABORATIVE SOLUTIONS TO OLD GROWTH LOGGING CONFLICTS