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SERAL 2.0 Huge Forest Project Still Proposes Herbicides and Logging Big Trees

Last fall the Stanislaus National Forest publicly released its plan for the massive new SERAL 2.0 “large landscape” project. While some parts of the giant 119,000-acre project are mostly positive, two proposed treatments in particular are highly controversial.

The plan proposes to allow the spraying of herbicides to kill unwanted vegetation on fuel breaks; the plan would also allow the logging of very large trees up to 40” in diameter at meadows, near aspen stands, and near rust-resistant sugar pine trees. One herbicide formulation (glyphosate) that could be used has been listed as possibly causing cancer by the World Health Organization.

During the public comment period, our Tuolumne Group of the Sierra Club provided a comment letter opposing the herbicide spraying and the cutting of big trees.


LINKS
USFS SERAL 2.0 PROJECT PAGE
SERAL 2.0 PUBLIC COMMENTS PAGE
SERAL 2.0 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT .PDF


In February, after the initial public comments, the Forest Service released its revised proposed action for the SERAL 2.0 project. The agency continues to plan to log very large trees for the three categories of reasons previously identified; and the agency still plans to allow thousands of acres of herbicide treatments on fuel breaks. The Forest Service’s “response to comments” shows that out of 13,800 acres of planned fuel breaks, the revised plan would now allow herbicide spraying on “up to 7,500 acres”. While less than previously, that’s still nearly 12 square miles of public forest that could have chemical treatments when prescribed burning, mastication, or other treatments are alternatives that can be used for managing vegetation.

Because the Forest Service recognizes that herbicide spraying is highly controversial, the Forest staff has decided to separate out the proposed herbicide treatments from decision-making for the other forest treatments that are being rushed through a speeded-up “emergency” planning process.

The decision on whether or not to allow herbicides will now be put off until the end of summer or early fall. But comments submitted now can help influence that decision. You can send your comments on the project to the Forest Service by clicking the comments page link below.


LINKS
USFS SERAL 2.0 PROJECT PAGE
SERAL 2.0 PUBLIC COMMENTS PAGE
SERAL 2.0 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT .PDF


Welcome to the Web site of the Tuolumne Group of the Sierra Club. Our group is one of eleven groups in the Mother Lode Chapter of the Sierra Club. This Web site has information about our activities and conservation issues here in Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties.