A forest thinning project approved by the U.S. Forest Service threatens to cut down virgin forests on two California peaks. A host of entities, including Patagonia, aim to stop what they call the ‘commercial logging’ initiative.
About 120 miles northwest of Los Angeles, two peaks thrust skyward from California’s Los Padres National Forest. Some forests at the top of Reyes Peak (7,514 feet) and Pine Mountain (9,648 feet) are “virgin,” which means that they are free of roads and have never experienced commercial logging or any other industrial activity.
Now, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has opened an area equivalent to 575 football fields for a forest management project there — primarily, it says, for forest health and wildfire defense.
In response, a coalition of environmental, business, and recreational organizations is joining some local officials in taking exception. In a statement, the coalition called the measure a “commercial logging project.”
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On Wednesday, April 27, Patagonia joined Los Padres ForestWatch, the County of Ventura, the City of Ojai, and others in filing multiple lawsuits against the USFS over its logging plan. The coalition claims that one-third of the lands are virgin, and the USFS’s ingress would negatively impact the area, which is significant to endangered species, Tribes, and outdoor enthusiasts.
“Pine Mountain is 90 minutes from our corporate headquarters in Ventura and the area is important to our employees and customers because of its outdoor recreation opportunities including rock climbing, hiking and camping,” said Hans Cole, head of environmental activism at Patagonia.
The Accusations: Patagonia, Activists & More
- historically and culturally important to Indigenous people
- popular with locals and tourists
- designated critical habitat for the endangered California condor
- and home to other sensitive wildlife, rare plants, old-growth conifer forests, and unique ecosystems.
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Allegations Explained
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Widespread Opposition
The Defense: USFS Documents
Forest Service Plans to Protect Endangered Species
Similar Projects May Play a Role
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