After months of public outcry and a meeting with officials in Washington D.C. about logging at Land Between the Lakes, the Forest Service at LBL is altering its logging plans.
Forest Service Spokesperson Jan Bush says LBL Area Supervisor Tina Tilley is recommending to higher Forest Service offices the modification of existing timber harvest contracts to keep areas around the Trace byway from being logged. Bush says LBL officials are confident the modification will be approved. She says the Forest Service is also postponing future timber sales until LBL officials can engage the public on contested issues.
Public outcry began after the release of a Scenery Management Plan last year, which Bush says is no longer on the table. In May, the Forest Service will begin conducting public meetings to discuss alternatives for the Pisgah Bay project, which has also received some objections. Bush says public meetings will focus on individual projects rather than the overall Land and Resource Management Plan.
