Ventura County, Ojai, groups sue U.S. Forest Service over plan to remove trees, brush

Cheri Carlson
Ventura County Star
Pine Mountain in the Los Padres National Forest

A coalition of conservation groups, outdoor retailer Patagonia, the city of Ojai and the county of Ventura sued the U.S. Forest Service this week over the agency's plan to cut trees and clear brush from a remote stretch of Los Padres National Forest. 

The complaints say the Forest Service violated federal environmental law in its approval of the project in the Reyes Peak area of Pine Mountain, a recreational spot critical for endangered California condors and home to other sensitive wildlife and old-growth forest.

Los Padres ForestWatch, Keep Sespe Wild, Earth Island Institute, American Alpine Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Patagonia Works and California Chaparral Institute filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Ojai and county officials filed similar lawsuits.

“Pine Mountain must be protected, not offered up to logging companies using loopholes that make a mockery of our bedrock environmental laws," said Jeff Kuyper, ForestWatch executive director.

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Among the charges, the lawsuits say the agency wrongly relied on a law that exempts certain projects from broader environmental review, short-circuiting public involvement and consideration of less harmful alternatives.

Los Padres officials declined to comment about pending litigation.

Last year, the Forest Service signed off on the plan to clear thick stands of chaparral and cut down pine and fir trees. Doing so would help protect against big wildfires, providing a spot where firefighters could make a stand, the Forest Service has said.

The shaded fuel break would be in a roughly 750-acre area of Pine Mountain stretching from Highway 33 to the Reyes Peak trailhead.

Forest officials say work would focus on smaller trees, mostly those under 24 inches in diameter. Trees between the 24-inch and 64-inch diameter would be retained unless they pose a safety risk, according to the agency.

But conservation groups say the plan may increase fire risk, not lower it. Removing brush would clear the way for nonnative grasses to take over. Those light grasses dry out early in the year, can ignite easily and spread fire quickly.

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Alasdair Coyne, conservation director of Keep Sespe Wild, described the area as "sky islands" of giant trees – ones that are threatened by climate change and need protection, not logging, he said.

Coyne said he heads up to Reyes Peak year after year for his birthday, spending long August weekends camping, listening to the wind in the pine trees and taking pictures of wildflowers.

"There's nowhere else quite like that in Ventura County," Coyne said.

The three suits will likely be considered together, according to the plaintiffs.

Ojai Mayor Betsy Stix described the Pine Mountain area as "very healthy," saying cutting down trees to reduce the risk of wildfire will not work.

"Sadly, the only way to stop the Forest Service from damaging our forest is to litigate," she said. 

Cheri Carlson covers the environment for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0260.