Obama administration won’t revive logging increase

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) — The Obama administration says in court filings it will not try to revive a plan to double logging on federal lands in Western Oregon.

Responding to a lawsuit brought by conservation groups, the U.S. Bureau of Land management filed papers late Friday saying it agrees the Western Oregon Plan Revision, known by the acronym WOPR, should be vacated by a judge.

BLM spokesman Michael Campbell says the agency will announce its plans for the future in coming weeks.

He says they will be in line with pilot projects emphasizing thinning and forest restoration over timber production.

The Bush administration had tried to double the timber production from BLM forests to provide more logs for mills and revenues for timber counties.

The Obama administration withdrew the plan as legally indefensible.