It was well planned by the Forest Service, he said. The company began cutting Aug. 7. The timber must be cut by Aug. 1, 2001. Currently the market is dropping, but not enough yet to add another year extension. The logging company must begin cutting now if it is going to finish the job by the deadline.
Environmentalists say the sale was a bad idea in the first place.
The judge at the time ruled that it was a salvage rider sale, exempt from environmental law. The Forest Service's own study, called the Fish Creek Watershed Analysis, recommended that no further canopy openings should occur in that area. Terry Brumley, natural resources coordinator for the Umpqua National Forest, said the canopy concerns have been taken into account. He said four to six seed trees and 10 to 12 shelter trees will be left per acre.