U.S. Loses Millions on Ecologically Damaging Post-Fire Logging

In late August, I reported that a special issue of the scientific journal, Conservation Biology, has explored the ecological impacts of post-fire logging, and found them to be devastating.

Now ENS is reporting that on just one (very contentious) post-fire logging operation in Oregon, the U.S. government stands to lose $2 million. So post-fire logging not only causes tremendous environmental damage, but also is a big money loser for taxpayers.

Nice job.

That's $2 million that could be put toward education, feeding and providing healthcare for the less fortunate, supporting farmers, or simply be saved for more beneficial projects. In the case of this contentious Oregon timber sale and many others, post-fire logging is clearly not only the wrong ecological decision, but also the wrong economic one.