Protecting Forests From 'Healthy Forests' Initiative

Public pressure generated by community organizing opposes implementation of the Bush administration's "Healthy Forests" initiative in the Rockies.

1 minute read

April 4, 2005, 11:00 AM PDT

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"...the Healthy Forest Initiative [has made it] much easier for ecologically destructive logging and roadbuilding projects to move forward by weakening keystone laws and limiting environmental analysis and public participation...

Over the past year, activists have fanned out to monitor dozens of these proposed CE logging projects [projects that are being implemented under the new Categorical Exclusions rules], finding many to include industrial logging in old-growth, unroaded wildlands and within important habitat for species...

Fortunately, we have forced the Forest Service to cancel a few of the more egregious timber sales because of our collective forest monitoring efforts combined with public pressure generated through community organizing and field trips."

Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan

Monday, April 4, 2005 in New West Network

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

July 2 - CALmatters

Low-rise Pearl Sreet mall in Boulfer, Colorado.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide

Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

July 2 - Boulder Reporting Lab

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

July 2 - CNU Public Square