A court ruling has cleared the way for the clear-cutting of almost 1.5 million acres in California and Washington State after a timber company won a test case brought by environmental groups.
Clear-cutting rather than selective logging remains strongly opposed by environmental groups in the Pacific Northwest.
The California Supreme Court said an application by Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) to clear-cut 1,000 acres had been properly reviewed by regulatory authorities.
SPI said it will now continue with plans to clear-cut 70% of its 2 million acre estates. A spokesperson said: “It’s a total victory for SPI and a stinging rebuke for anti-logging activists.”
