Herger Feinstein QLG Pilot Project
Appeal and Litigation Summary
August 2007

In the activists propaganda to stop the HFQLG legislation they claimed that
"The QLG program shortcuts the NEPA process..." (more)

The NEPA activist’s strategy of filing appeals and law suits continues to prevent the strategic implementation of hazardous fuel reduction and forest restoration projects in the eight county area of the Herger Feinstein Quincy Library Group pilot project.

Table A displays 10 projects that have had appeals and/or law suits filed against them to tie up 42,000 acres of hazardous fuel reduction and forest restoration treatments.  These projects would have resulted in 161 million board feet of sawlog volume (all under 30 inches in diameter) and 285 thousand bone dry tons of biomass volume. Bold print shows most recent actions.

 

Forest

Listed in  Plan of Work

Project Name

Project Status

Acres of Treatment (x 1,000)

Sawlog Volume (million BF)

Biomass Volume (million Bone Dry Tons)

1.

Lassen

2007

North 49er

CRT/ROD 2

9.3

29.1

50.5

2

Lassen

2008

Creeks

CRT/ROD 2

5.5

30.9

57.4

3.

Lassen

2008

Champs

ROD 1

6.5

9.2

36.4

4.

Plumas

2007

Basin

CRT

2.1

32.0

-

5.

Plumas

2007

Empire

APP 4

6.8

17.7

62.1

6.

Plumas

2007

Watdog

ROD 3

4.0

14.0

7.8

7.

Plumas

2007

Freeman

CRT PI

3.5

10.5

32.4

8.

Plumas

2007

Happy Jack

ROD 2

4.3

4.7

12.8

9.

Plumas

2007

Slap Jack

CRT

2.8

10.6

41.1

10.

Tahoe

2007

Phoenix

ROD 2

3.5

11.0

20.6
Totals
42
161
285

  Information from 11/2005, 6/2006, 12/2006 and 5/2007 Program of Work (POW) distributed by USFS.
  Phoenix Project is a combination of formerly appealed Euro DFPZ and Checkmate DFPZ projects.
  ROD3 = NEPA Record of Decision, 1st, 2nd and 3rd attempt
  CRT = In Court, CRT PI = project in court and Preliminary Injunction is being sought.
  ROD1 = project is working towards a Record of Decision. DN = Decision Notice for CE or EA.
  APP 4 = Project ROD Appealed for fourth time and waiting for Regional Forester decision.

 

Table B displays 11 additional projects that have had or will have appeals filed by the same parties during 2007 and 2008 season to tie up an additional 56,100 acres of hazardous fuel reduction and forest restoration projects that would generate 156 million board feet of sawlogs (under 30 inches in diameter) and 188 thousand bone dry tons of biomass material.
 

Forest

Listed in  Plan
of Work

Project Name

Project
Status

Acres of
Treatment

Sawlog Volume
(million BF)

Biomass Volume
(million Bone Dry Tons)

1.

Lassen

2007

Minnow

DN

1.0

12.7

 9.3

2.

Lassen

2009

Backbone

ROD 1

2.7

5.0

12.0

3.

Lassen

2009

Ebey

ROD 1

2.9

6.6

18.7

4.

Lassen

2009

Willow

ROD 1

6.4

  19.3

18.6

5.

Lassen

2009

Gooch

ROD 1

1.6

3.7

12.8

6.

Plumas

2008

Grizz

ROD 1

3.9

6.0

1.8

7.

Plumas

2008

Sugarberry

ROD 1

4.1

34.7

6.4

8.

Plumas

2008

Diamond

ROD 1

14.1

29.4

35.9

9.

Plumas

2009

Keddie

ROD 1

6.8

16.0

28.8

10.

Plumas

2009

Ingalls

ROD 1

3.4

6.0

1.7

11.

Plumas

2009

Flea

ROD 1

3.0

7.7

5.3

 

Table C is a comprehensive listing (2001- 2007) of the appeals filed against Forest Service projects being conducted under the auspices of the Herger Feinstein Quincy Library Group Forest Recovery Act.

Year of
Project

National
Forest

Project Name

Name of Appellant (see list below)

2008

 Lassen Champs JMP
Tahoe Phoenix SFL, SC, CBD, FIG
2007

Plumas

Watdog

SFL, SC, PFP

Plumas

Empire

SNFPC

Plumas

Slapjack *

SNFPC, SC, PFP, JMP, DE

Plumas

Freeman *

SNFPC, SC, PFP

2006

Lassen

Creeks **

SNFPC, SC, LFPG, BEC, CATS, JMP EII, CBD,

Plumas

Happy Jack

SNFPC, PFP

Plumas

Empire

SNFPC, SC, PFP, JMP, EII, CBD

2005

Lassen

North 49 **

SNFPC, SC, LFPG

Plumas

Happy Jack

SNFPC, SC, PFP, CATS

Plumas

Basin *

SNFPC, SC, PFP

Tahoe

Euro

SNFPC, FIG, CATS, LWB

2004

Lassen

Cabin

CATS

Plumas

Mabie

PFP

Plumas

Meadow Valley **

SNFPC, PFP, JMP, EII, CATS

2003

Lassen

Big Jack

CATS

Lassen

H FQLG FSEIS

JMP, EII, CATS

Plumas

Bald Onion

CATS

Plumas

Humbug

PFP, JMP, EII, CATS

Plumas

Stream Fire

SNFPC, PFP, JMP, EII

Plumas

H FQLG FSEIS

JMP, EII, CATS

Tahoe

Borda

JMP, EII, FIG

Tahoe

H FQLG FSEIS

JMP, SII, CATS

2002

Lassen

Cone Crater

FCC

Lassen

Storrie Fire

FCC, JMP, EII, LFPG

Plumas

Storrie Fire

FCC, JMP, EII

Plumas

Crystal Adams

FCC, NFPA, PFP, LB

Plumas

South Fork

CATS

Tahoe

Treasure Mt. Fire

JMP, EI

2001

Lassen

Pegleg A21

FCC, JMP, EII

Lassen

North Coble

FCC, NFPA, JMP, EII, LFPG

Lassen

Blacks Ridge

FCC, NFPA

Lassen

Storrie Fire

FCC, NFPA, LFPG

Plumas

Stony ridge

NFPA, PFP

Plumas

Waters

FCC

Plumas

Kingsbury Rush

FCC

Plumas

Lower Slate

FCC

Plumas

Upper Slate

FCC

Plumas

Cold DFPZ

FCC

Plumas

Last Chance

FCC, JMP, EII

Plumas

Poison DFPZ

FCC

Plumas

Storrie Fire

FCC, JMP, EII

Tahoe

Liberty

SNFPC, NFPA, FIG

Tahoe

Scraps DFPZ

FCC, FIG

2000

Lassen

Jonesville

SNFPC, FCC, LFPG, JMP, EII

Lassen

Prattville

SNFPC, FCC, LFPG

Lassen

Pittville

SNFPC, FCC, LFPG, JMP, EII

Plumas

Red Clover

PFP, JMP, EII

Plumas

Red Mountain

FCC

Plumas

Antelope Border

SNFPC, PFP

Plumas

Bucks Fire line

FCC, NFPA

Plumas

Horton II Fire

SNFPC, PFP, PRC,

Plumas

Bucks Lake Fire

FCC, NFPA
Tahoe Cottonwood Fire FIG, SFSP, CNPS

Status
*              In Court
**           Court Ruling

 

 

Table D summarizes the number of projects by the appeallant that have been delayed by appeals and litigation.
Name of Appellant/Plaintiff

Year of
Project
BEC
CATS
CBD
DE
EII
FCC
FIG
JMP
JMP EII
LB
LFPG
LWB
NFPA
PFP
SC
SNFPC

Grand
Total
2000
   
 
 
  
3
4
  
3
  
  
3
  
  
2
  
4
19
2001
  
  
  
  
3
11
2
3
  
  
1
  
4
1
  
1
26
2002
  
1
  
  
  
2
  
  
  
1
  
  
1
1
  
  
6
2003
  
3
  
  
2
 
1
2
  
  
  
  
  
1
  
  
9
2004
  
2
  
  
1
  
  
1
  
  
  
  
  
2
  
1
7
2005
  
2
  
  
  
  
1
  
  
  
1
1
  
2
3
4
14
2006
1
1
2
  
  
  
  
1
1
  
1
  
  
2
2
3
14
2007
  
  
  
1
  
  
  
1
  
  
  
  
  
2
2
4
10
2008
   
   
1
   
   
   
1
1
   
   
   
   
   
   
1
1
5
Grand
Total
1
9
3
1
9
17
5
12
1
1
6
1
5
13
8
18
105

 

Figure 1
Figure 1  displays the trends in appealed DFPZ acres by entity over time.  Data is presented in Table E.
 
Figure 2   displays the total HFQLG DFPZ acres appealed by entity from 2000-2007.  Data is presented in Table E.

 

Table E summarizes the acres of fuel breaks (DFPZs) that have been delayed by appeals and litigation by appellant.
Name of Appellant/Plaintiff
Year of Project
BEC
CATS
CBD
DE
EII
FCC
FIG
JMP
JMP EII
LB
LFPG
LWB
NFPA
PFP
SC
SNFPC
2000
 
 
 
 
2,785
4,411
 
2,785
 
 
3,694
 
 
3,062
 
6,309
2001
 
 
 
 
8,487
28,558
 
8,487
 
 
2,336
 
7,017
1,653
 
 
2002
 
 
 
 
 
3,966
 
 
 
3,966
 
 
3,966
3,966
 
 
2003
 
4,435
 
 
2,887
 
 
2,887
 
 
 
 
 
2,887
 
 
2004
 
5,591
 
 
5,411
 
 
5,411
 
 
 
 
 
11,111
 
5,411
2005
 
3,000
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
500
 
 
3,000
3,500
3,500
2006
1,500 
1,500 
6,500
 
 
 
 
5,000
 
 
 
 
 
8,000
5,000
9,500
2007
       
 
2,000 
5,200
 
 
 
5,200
 
 
 
 
 
8,950
8,950
15,450
2008
 
  
 
 
  
 
2,000
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2,000
2,000
Grand Total
1,500 
14,526
8,500
5,200
19,570
36,935
2,000 
29,770
 
3,966
6,530
 
10,983
42,629
20,950
42,170

 

Appellant/Plaintiff Names

BEC

Butte Environmental Council

CATS

Citizens Against Toxins

CBD

Council for Bio Diversity

CNPS

California Native Plant Society

DE

David Edleson

EII

Earth Island Institute

FCC

Forest Conservation Council

FIG

Forest Issues Group

JMP

John Muir Project

LB

Linda Blum

LFPG

Lassen Forest Preservation Group

LWB

Lahanton Water Board

NFPA

National Forest Protection  Alliance

PFP

Plumas Forest Protection

SC

Sierra Club

SFSP

Sierrans for Safe Passage

SFL

Sierra Forest Legacy (formerly SNFPC)

SNFPC

Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign