Urges USDA Secretary Vilsack to Take Quick Action
In a letter to U.S. Sec. of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, U.S. Sen. Mark Begich yesterday requested that the U.S. Forest Service take immediate steps to assure that the process for approving resource development and other activities in national forests is not unduly delayed due to a recent Federal District Court decision in California and resulting nationwide injunction.
“I want the Forest Service to assure that, while responding to the court’s decision, it also gets reasonable and responsible projects moving as quickly as possible,” said Begich.
A recent Federal Court decision (Sequoia Forestkeeper v. Tidwell), determined the Forest Service’s existing public process for projects categorically excluded from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) fails to comply with the 1992 Forest Service Decision making and Appeals Reform Act (ARA). As a result, the court issued a nationwide injunction, halting approximately 600 projects in process across the country.
This decision prevents these projects and new ones from moving forward under a categorical exclusion. In Southeast Alaska, the decision affects several mining companies with exploration programs to evaluate or expand both proposed and existing mines.
“Suddenly adding as much as 140 days to a permitting process will adversely affect a number of activities, particularly mining exploration,” Begich said. “Logistics in Southeast Alaska are complicated. These firms need to contract and deploy helicopters, drilling rigs, personnel and other material to remote parts of our state. Due to our short summer work season, the court decision will be more acutely felt in Alaska more than in others parts of the nation.”
Begich added he has previously supported responsible development of mines, such as the Niblack and Bokan projects, as well as exploration for additional resources at existing mines, such as Greens Creek. He said he continue to work double-time to make sure that the Forest Service makes all reasonable efforts to assure that the permitting process does not unnecessarily delay such project activities so that we can create hundreds of much-needed jobs in the Southeast Alaska.
The letter Thomas Vilsack can be read here.
