Directive Halts Plans To Sell Timber

A planned timber sale between Seeley and Alva lakes has been halted by a directive from the undersecretary of agriculture calling for an early end to the salvage-logging program.

The sale affects 2 million board feet of timber in the Chain of Lakes under the salvage logging rider, a controversial waiver of laws protecting fish and wildlife that was intended to clear national forests of some of their dead and dying timber.

The Clinton administration, under pressure from conservationists, issued an order Dec. 13 halting the program. Undersecretary James Lyons signed a directive prohibiting advertisement of any additional timber sales during the rest of the year.

Assistant district ranger Tim Love said Tuesday said the order came just before the Seeley Lake district ranger planned to advertise the sale.

With the undersecretary’s order, the Seeley sale will start anew.

Love said he will send out the environmental assessment for public comment, then write a new decision notice.

“It will delay us four to six months, but we’re going ahead,” Love said.