Professional Forestry Groups Urge Supreme Court To Overturn Decision On Forest Roads Regulation

A group of respected professional forestry organizations has filed a “friend of the court” brief with the U.S. Supreme Court urging the nation’s highest tribunal to overturn an Oregon lower court ruling that if  left standing could lead to EPA permit requirements for forest roads.

The group, led by the Society of American Foresters (SAF), hopes to help persuade the Supreme Court that forest roads are best monitored by the existing four-decade-old system of state-supervised Best Management Practices (BMPs) rather than by requiring permits from the Environmental Protection Agency, as could result from the Oregon ruling.

The foresters’ brief is one of many filed with the Supreme Court in the Oregon case.  Oral arguments are expected to be heard later this year with a decision likely this winter or early spring.  The case, with its potential of permit requirements for building and maintaining millions of miles of forest roads, has raised deep concerns among forestland owners across the nation.

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