Strategy Will Give Rangers Leeway On How To Protect Fish

An 18-month strategy to protect inland native fish in the Northwest has been released by the U.S. Forest Service.

The Forest Service found no significant impact to inland species such as bull trout from industry on the 22 forests.

Still, one industry biologist said Tuesday the strategy could badly hurt the timber economy.

“They’re creating no-entry riparian reserves, a strip along streams that you can’t enter even if that activity will benefit forest,” said Seth Diamond of the Intermountain Forest Industry Association.

Quite the contrary, countered a U.S. Forest Service official.

The Inland Native Fish Strategy gives district rangers a lot of leeway to decide how fish should be protected, said David Wright, supervisor of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

“If we didn’t address this issue, we stood a good chance of all activities being shut down,” said Wright, who headed the team that wrote the strategy.

Several environmental groups have sued the Forest Service for not protecting the habitat of bull trout, as required by the National Forest Management Act.

A federal judge will review the decision that provides management guidelines along streams in designated watersheds.

It would be in effect until long-term management strategies for the Columbia River Basin are completed.

“This proposed decision is essential if the public’s land is going to sustain and improve the native fish populations, and continue the flow of natural resource commodities,” Wright said.

The team’s recommendation was fully supported by the regional foresters, who are responsible for the management of these national forests, Wright said.

Environmental groups generally have praised the strategy, saying it is the first step toward a comprehensive conservation approach.

, DataTimes