OPINION: When laws are ignored, national forests become exploited – The Lewiston Tribune

Report on Forest Management, Public Engagement, and Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction: Dispute Overview

A public dispute has emerged concerning the management of national forests, specifically involving critiques by forester Bob Hassoldt against the environmental organization Friends of the Clearwater. The core of the conflict revolves around differing approaches to forest ecology, public participation in land management decisions, and the legal mechanisms for environmental oversight. This report analyzes the dispute through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 15 (Life on Land), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

2.0 Alignment with SDG 15: Life on Land

The central theme of the disagreement directly addresses SDG 15, which calls for the sustainable management of forests, halting biodiversity loss, and protecting terrestrial ecosystems. The differing philosophies on forest management represent a critical debate on how to achieve these targets.

• Ecosystem Integrity (Target 15.1, 15.2): Friends of the Clearwater advocates for management that respects the forest as a “dynamic biological organism” and prioritizes intact, fully functioning ecosystems. This contrasts with what they describe as a “tree farm” approach, which they argue leads to deteriorating forest health.
• Biodiversity Protection (Target 15.5): The organization’s legal actions are aimed at compelling the U.S. Forest Service to adhere to its Land Management Plan, which includes a mandate to protect 10% of the forest in an old-growth condition. This goal is explicitly linked to the habitat requirements of key indicator species, including:
  1. The black-backed woodpecker, which relies on unlogged, severely burned forests.
  2. The fisher, a rare carnivore requiring large, structurally diverse forests with dense old-growth trees.

3.0 Alignment with SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The conflict highlights the mechanisms for public accountability and legal recourse in environmental governance, which are central to SDG 16. The debate focuses on the appropriate channels for public influence on governmental agencies like the Forest Service.

• Access to Justice and Rule of Law (Target 16.3): Friends of the Clearwater defends its use of the judicial system as a legitimate means to enforce existing environmental laws. The organization asserts that its lawsuits are not to impose a private agenda but to ensure that public institutions adhere to established legal frameworks.
• Accountable and Inclusive Institutions (Target 16.7): The report identifies two distinct pathways for public involvement being debated:
  1. Statutory Processes: Federal laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) mandate scientific analysis and public comment periods, which the organization states it has utilized.
  2. Collaborative Processes: The opposing view champions voluntary “collaborative processes,” such as the Clearwater Basin Collaborative (CBC), as the preferred avenue for public engagement.

  The organization argues that participation in collaborative bodies is not legally mandated and does not replace the legal right to ensure agency compliance through the courts.

4.0 Alignment with SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The role and effectiveness of multi-stakeholder partnerships, a key component of SDG 17, are questioned within the dispute. The Clearwater Basin Collaborative (CBC) is presented as a case study in the challenges of such partnerships in environmental management.

• Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships (Target 17.17): While one perspective promotes the CBC as the ideal model for decision-making, its efficacy is challenged. The report notes a significant precedent where the Nez Perce Tribe terminated its participation in the CBC and subsequently filed a lawsuit to halt a timber sale, suggesting that the collaborative process did not adequately address its concerns or ensure lawful management. This illustrates the complexities of ensuring that partnerships are equitable and effective in achieving sustainable outcomes without supplanting legal and regulatory obligations.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

SDG 15: Life on Land

This goal is central to the article, which focuses on the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, specifically national forests. The entire debate between the forester and the environmental organization revolves around the proper management of forest ecosystems to maintain their health and biodiversity.

1. Target 15.2: Promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.

   Explanation: The article is a direct commentary on what constitutes “sustainable management” of forests. The author argues against treating forests “like tree farms” and advocates for management that respects “natural processes and for the complexity of natural ecosystems.” The lawsuit mentioned aims to force the Forest Service to follow its Land Management Plan, which is the primary tool for implementing sustainable forest management.

   • Indicator: The article implies an indicator for sustainable management by referencing a specific legal requirement: the need to “identify and protect 10% of the forest in an old-growth condition.” This percentage serves as a measurable standard for assessing whether the management plan is being followed.

2. Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

   Explanation: The author highlights the importance of specific habitats for biodiversity by citing key species. The argument is that current management practices are degrading habitats necessary for certain wildlife. The article explicitly mentions the need to protect habitats for the “black-backed woodpecker, which only thrives in unlogged, severely burned forests” and the “fisher, a rare, medium-sized carnivore needing large areas of structurally diverse forests that are dense with old trees.”

   • Indicator: The presence and health of indicator species are implied as a measure of ecosystem integrity. The article suggests that the thriving populations of the black-backed woodpecker and the fisher can be used as indicators to measure the success of conservation efforts and the health of their specific forest habitats.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

This goal is relevant because the article discusses the mechanisms for public involvement in governance and the use of the legal system to hold public institutions accountable. The author’s organization, Friends of the Clearwater, is using legal and procedural channels to ensure that a government agency, the Forest Service, adheres to environmental laws.

1. Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.

   Explanation: The article explicitly describes using the judicial system to enforce existing laws. The author states, “Nor would we have needed to file our latest lawsuit to get the Forest Service to follow its own Land Management Plan.” This action demonstrates the use of legal channels to ensure a government agency complies with the law, which is a core component of the rule of law and access to justice.

   • Indicator: The filing of a lawsuit (“our latest lawsuit”) is a direct indicator of citizens and organizations accessing the justice system to hold institutions accountable for implementing environmental laws and management plans.

2. Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

   Explanation: The article discusses the appropriate pathways for public involvement in decision-making regarding national forests. The author defends their choice not to join the Clearwater Basin Collaborative (CBC) by highlighting the legally mandated processes established by “The National Environmental Policy Act and the National Forest Management Act,” which “mandate careful scientific analysis and allow for public comment opportunities.” This points to a debate over which form of participation is most effective and legitimate for influencing public policy.

   • Indicator: The article implies an indicator by referencing the organization’s active use of legally established channels for public input: “we painstakingly did [public comment] for these timber sales.” This demonstrates participation in the formal, legally mandated decision-making processes for forest management.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: lmtribune.com