National Forest land in New England has not been the scene of the pitched battles over timber sales which are commonplace in the west. When the Green Mountain National Forest adopted its management plan in 1987, it was the only one in the country that wasn't appealed by environmental groups. The only appeals were by members of the timber industry and these were either dropped or resolved through a settlement agreement. Public involvement in preparing the plan was marked by communication rather than confrontation, and there has been a history of consensus. The recent lawsuit filed by a coalition of environmental groups against the Green Mountain National Forest is a significant departure from this tradition.
The plaintiffs are five individuals and eight groups, including Green Mountain Forest Watch, the National Audubon Society, the Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society and the Conservation Law Foundation. The suit asks the court to halt the Forest Service's plans for logging and road building in the Lamb Brook area, in the towns of Wilmington, Searsburg, Whitingham and Readsboro. They consider the remote 5600- acre Lamb Brook basin to be prime black bear and neotropical migratory bird habitat, and they say that road-building and logging in the area violates the 1987 management plan.
The crux of the matter is a 1.3 mile road that the Forest Service plans to build for access to the heart of the Lamb Brook basin in order to conduct a timber sale. The Forest Service's position is that this is only a temporary road which will be used for the timber sale and then closed; they say that temporary road construction is in accord with the 1987 plan.
The plaintiffs argue that the management plan identifies and maps 40 miles of roadbuilding which will take place in the GMNF over the next 50 years; this section of road is not included on that list.
Another road is also at issue. The Old Stage Road, which ran between Albany and Boston beginning in 1760, runs through the southern portion of Lamb Brook. Over most of its length, the Old Stage Road has been improved and many miles of it have been turned into state highway. The Lamb Brook stretch (it is a corduroy road through the low, wet areas) is thought to be the only intact section of the Old Stage Road.
Currently it is used in the winter as a snowmobile trail and in other seasons for non-motorized travel. In order to preserve its historical significance, the Forest Service wants to close it as a snowmobile trail and stop maintaining it; they would patch together a replacement trail which would be for recreational use only. The coalition questions whether it is necessary to close the trail and disturb another area for a new trail.
The plaintiffs believe that Lamb Brook qualifies as a roadless area, and an administrative oversight kept it from being designated as such in the 1987 management plan. Its current designation is "roaded natural area" which allows timber management and recreation. Roadless areas, on the other hand, require environmental impact statements before any substantial alterations to an area are made.
The timber sale is scheduled for no earlier than the winter of 1995-96 or 1996-97. Because much of the Lamb Brook area is wet, it will be logged only in the winter.
Senators Leahy and Jeffords have both called for further discussion between the plaintiffs and the Forest Service. It is hoped that the communication and cooperation that marked the birth of the management plan can return, and that the two sides can meet in a public venue other than a courtroom.