Forest Service Plans Shorter Public Objection Period for Logging

The public will have less time to submit their opposition to logging projects the Trump administration believes will reduce wildfire risk in national forests, under a rule proposed Thursday.

Considering objections is too time-consuming, so the US Forest Service is proposing to “streamline” an administrative review process for hazardous fuel reduction projects—logging operations the agency says reduce wildfire threats, according to the Federal Register public inspection notice.

The public currently has up to 45 days to lodge objections to a logging project proposal before a final decision is made. The draft rule proposes to cut that time to 10 ...