An update on the Green Ridge Project
Proposed Logging project in the Metolius Watershed
We’ve been monitoring the Green Ridge Project proposed by the Forest Service since 2017. This project involves thinning and logging on nearly 25,000 acres of national forest just north of Sisters in the Metolius Watershed.
LandWatch has been a defender of this magnificent area since the organization began in the 1980s, and we remain committed to protecting this Central Oregon wildland stronghold.
For the Green Ridge Project, the Forest Service proposed several alternative options.
Ultimately, the forest service chose to implement Alternative 3, with modifications. While the Forest Service made several changes between the draft and final EA, our concerns over the amount, location, and overall habitat impact of logging, still needed to be fully addressed in the final EA. That’s why we filed a formal objection to the project last fall.
Our main concerns
Mechanical logging in sensitive riparian areas along rivers and streams. This type of logging can lead to erosion, causing water sedimentation and pollution, and disrupt crucial habitats for a variety of fish, wildlife, and plant species.
Excessive reduction of tree cover in Northern spotted owl habitat areas. The Northern spotted owl is an endangered species that heavily relies on mature forests, and excessive thinning can cause a loss of nesting and foraging sites, leading to further population declines.
The amount and density of new road construction that would disrupt and fragment wildlife habitat. Extensive road networks impact the ability of wildlife to safely move, find food and refuge, and reproduce, increase the risk of wildlife, and impact sensitive riparian areas.
As part of the objection period, we have been in conversation with the Forest Service, and we hope to see significant improvements to the project in our areas of concern. We expect to hear the Forest Service’s final response to the objections in the upcoming months.
Interested in exploring our concerns in detail?
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