Judge tosses challenge to Angora Fire Restoration Project

Sacramento Bee ^ | 7/18/11 | Denny Walsh

[SmithL]

A Sacramento federal judge has thrown out a challenge by environmentalists to the U.S. Forest Service's effort to prevent a recurrence of the disastrous Angora fire near South Lake Tahoe.

The environmentalists argued the agency "failed to take a hard look" at the project's impact on a certain bird species, on future fire behavior and on climate change.

Not so, said U. S. District Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. The agency addressed these issues "in proportion to (their) significance," he ruled.

One by one, Burrell shot down every aspect of the claim by Earth Island Institute and the Center for Biological Diversity that the service's assessment of the project's environmental impact is unlawful.

The 2007 Angora fire, determined to be human-caused, destroyed 254 homes and scorched more than 3,100 acres, including approximately 2,700 acres of national forest land.

A year ago, the Forest Service approved the Angora Fire Restoration Project to "reduce the amount of dead and downed trees" in order "to reduce long-term fuel (accumulation) to reduce future fire severity."

The thinning project calls for the removal of both live and dead trees. Twelve zones would be "retained as habitat for a diverse set of species," including the black-backed woodpecker. Most of the trees "will be hauled … for disposal at … biomass energy facilities."

On Thursday, Burrell granted the Forest Service's motion for summary judgment, ending the legal challenge at the district court level.

[SmithL]

The 2007 Angora fire destroyed 254 homes and scorched more than 3,100 acres, including 2,700 acres of national forest land.

[SmithL]

Burrell, Garland Ellis Jr.

Born 1947 in Los Angeles, CA

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. District Court, Eastern District of California
Nominated by George H.W. Bush on August 1, 1991, to a new seat created by 104 Stat. 5089; Confirmed by the Senate on February 27, 1992, and received commission on March 2, 1992. Served as chief judge, 2007-2008.

Education:
California State University, Los Angeles, B.A., 1972
Washington University in St. Louis, M.S.W., 1976
California Western School of Law, San Diego, J.D., 1976

Professional Career:
U.S. Marine Corps, 1966-1968
Deputy district attorney, Sacramento, California, 1976-1978
Deputy city attorney, Sacramento, California, 1978-1979
Deputy chief, Civil Division, U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California, 1979-1985
Business litigator, Stockman Law Corporation, 1985-1986
Senior deputy attorney, Sacramento, California, 1986-1990
Chief, Civil Division, U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California, 1990-1992

[jazusamo]

Outstanding! Kudos to Judge Burrell, he gutted the frivolous lawsuit and outright lies of the enviro-nazis.

The Center for Biological Diversity is nothing more than a scam organization composed mostly of lawyers making a living off phony enviro lawsuits backed up by enviro-nazi professors writing junk science.

[jazusamo]

Good news ping!

[Enterprise]

Cheers for this Judge. The enviros have consistently prevented proper management of forests and the results have consistently resulted in spectacular barbecues. The endangered animals burn just as brightly as the non endangered.

[Flycatcher]

Thanks for the ping.

This is great news.

On a related front, I was just reading this morning the June 2011 issue of Wyoming Wildlife magazine.At the back of the magazine, there was a great article about a recent lawsuit brought by the Fund For Animals (an anti-hunting Marxist group) and the commie Humane Society of the United States. These groups wanted to ban hunting in our national wildlife refuges, but a federal judge (in Ohio) ruled against them!

Excellent news!

I would love to post this article on FR, but I'm sorta HTML-illiterate. If you or George76 or girlangler want to post it (from Wyoming Wildlife), I think it would be of interest to other FReepers.

It's another great victory.

[calex59]

Unintended consequences of stopping almost all logging in CA.

[george76]

Good news

[jazusamo]

Thanks, Fly. That’s also good news about Fund For Animals and HSUS getting shot down.

HSUS is a nothing more than a calmed down version of PETA but in fact about as radical. They play to emotions of pet lovers with TV ads and bilk millions out of viewers for their radical agenda.

I’ll look up the article and post it if no one else is interested.

[jazusamo]

Wyoming Wildlife is a subscription only publication but did some checking here and a thread was posted on the lawsuit loss by HSUS, link below:

Sportsmen Win Major Courtroom Battle Over Hunting on Public Lands

Thanks for the heads up, Fly.

[george76]

Thanks

I saw this also...Wyoming Wildlife is a subscription only publication .

Flycatcher...do you have a url ?

[Flycatcher]

Thanks for pursuing this, Jaz.

Good to know this story did get some thread time back in June. Looks like we all missed it though.

But it's a great victory, nonetheless.

[Issaquahking]

I wouldn’t cross the street to pee on an envirowacko if their guts were on fire! The dumbasses are useful idiots for the commies. The environmental movement NEVER gave a damn about the environment - they care about control.

[Flycatcher]

No. I just get hard copies of the magazine every month. I don't think they have an online presence.

I think you guys would like this magazine though. My only beef with it is that the editor (Chris Madsden) is in the tank for man-made global warming. He takes a lot of grief in the letters-to-the-editor section for this -- and deservedly so -- but the mag is well written with great articles about the fish and game of that state.

Hey girlangler: You may want to consider submitting a piece for them if you've ever been up that way and fished. I'm sure they would consider freelance work.

Just a thought.

[SandRat]

Enviro-Nazis are Watermelons, Green on the outside and Red on the inside.

Glad to see them get slapped down.

[girlangler]

I had read that Flycatcher, in an email news alert I receive.

People are getting wise to the scams the Center for Biological Diversity, and other radical environmental groups are up to.

I have been publishing some of these on my own reporting level and it stands to reason, with the current climate and financial situation people will become aware of this and end it!!!!

Certain congressmen are getting involved in this. It’s time to do something about these scam artists that parade themselves as saviors of the “anything.”