The Friends of Clark County and the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition are suing the state Department of Natural Resources to stop the planned sale and clear-cutting of 140 acres of timberland.
The five parcels within the historic Yacolt Burn area, collectively referred to as the Dabbler sale, are scheduled for auction in January.
The suit, filed in Clark County Superior Court on Dec. 23, alleges the state failed to “identify, account for, and prevent or mitigate the known environmental impacts” that will result from the sale.
Officials from the Department of Natural Resources were not available for comment on Tuesday.
When the state announced in August it was putting the Dabbler properties up for sale, neighbors and representatives from the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition, Center for Responsible Forestry and others raised the alarm over the possible destruction of spotted owl habitat and older trees. The Clark County Council received hundreds of emails and letters from residents opposed to the sale.
“The Dabbler timber sale targets forests that are over 120 years old, featuring diverse canopies and critical habitats for species like the Northern spotted owl,” Stephen Kropp, director of Legacy Forest Defense Coalition, said in a Monday news release. “Logging these forests violates DNR’s own policies, which require protection of older forests to achieve long-term conservation and biodiversity goals.”
The timber auction was originally scheduled for September but was delayed several times before landing on the January schedule. Because the Dabbler sale will require an estimated 1,600 feet of road construction, 7,500 feet of road reconstruction and 25,550 feet of pre-haul maintenance, DNR was required to complete a full environmental analysis of the project.
“This sale is a direct assault on the ecological heritage of Clark County,” Ann Foster of Friends of Clark County said in the news release. “It is irresponsible to sacrifice these forests for short-term revenue, especially when DNR has not fulfilled its mandate to protect our legacy forests for future generations.”
Foster said the important role legacy trees have in carbon sequestration can’t be overstated.
“We need legacy trees to meet our new climate goals,” Foster said.
The lawsuit claims DNR has not created a forest land plan, a landscape assessment that determines what percentage of structurally complex lands can be considered for harvest, as required.
“DNR failed to consider the direct and indirect impacts of logging structurally complex forests located within the boundaries of the Dabbler timber sale, including … harm to wildlife and plant species, loss of habitat for sensitive or at-risk species, and loss of biodiversity,” the suit states.
A hearing date for the lawsuit has not been scheduled.
