Violating Nature

A sample of timber-practice violations committed by major logging companies.

• 9/27/89 - The Trillium Corp. (based in Bellingham) [landowner and logging operator] "The operator logged and skidded logs down the middle of a Type 4 (non-fish bearing) stream, which was a deviation of the approved application. The stream was decimated, leaving exposed, erodible soils. Corrective action must be taken to prevent damage to Type 3 waters (fish-bearing)."

• 3/24/1990 - The Weyerhaeuser Co. [landowner and logging operator] "The operator deviated from approved application by felling trees into Type 2 & 3 (fish-bearing) waters ... The skidding of trees from the water cut part of a beaver dam and lowered pond water approximately 3 feet. The deviations noted above caused siltation to Type 2 and 3 water, damage to riparian management zone (streamside) vegetation, damage to wildlife habitat and water quality."

• 11/13/90 - The Trillium Corp. [landowner and logging operator] "Hauling road needs to be worked on, mud flowing down road into stream. Portion of ditches in need of clean out. Culverts and ditches not being kept open ... I can't believe the operator doesn't see the problem."

• 2/2/90 - Simpson Timber [landowner] Logging was sub-contracted. "Hauling over unsurfaced roads during periods of rain, causing silt-laden runoff to enter Type 2 (fish-bearing) water. Application was conditioned to restrict hauling to dry weather."

• 7/19/91 - The Weyerhaeuser Co. [landowner and operator] "Roadside spraying ... not protecting flowing waters from [unidentified herbicide] chemical spray."

• 6/14/91 - The Weyerhaeuser Co. [landowner and the logging operator] "Failure to maintain roads as required by Forest Practices rules and regulations. Public resources damage noted: siltation, sedimentation of public waters; physical damage to State Parks trail as a result of debris torrent triggered by unstable road sidecast materials."

• 10/19/92 - The Weyerhaeuser Co. [landowner] Logging was sub-contracted. "Active haul road's culverts and ditches have not been kept functional ... water has accumulated and accelerated down the road, eroding the road's surface and subgrade. The accumulated water eroded through the berms and left the road, washing sediments and transporting the sediments down small streams which likely transported the sediments into the Tolt reservoir, causing damage to fish habitat, wildlife habitat and water quality of a public water supply."

• 12/17/92 - Crown Pacific [landowner] The logging was sub-contracted. "Deviation from approved application, violation of harvest unit plan and design. Specifically, a significant portion of the proposal where a 25-percent cut was required to provide rooting strength on unstable slopes was clearcut. This violation increases the risk of slope failure to an unacceptable degree."

• 12/3/93 - The Weyerhaeuser Co. [landowner] Logging was sub-contracted. "Hauling on a road below adequate forest practice standards. Inadequate ditchline, poor shaping, inadequate cross-drains during rainy, wet conditions was causing silted water to enter flowing water at several locations."

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Contents on this page were published in the April/May, 1994 edition of the Washington Free Press.
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