We need YOUR help to protect the future of our environment. A critical legal battle is underway. We are calling on passionate supporters like you to help us defend northern spotted owls and mature and old-growth stands on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
The U.S. District Court of Eastern California is considering our challenge of the destructive South Fork Sacramento Project. We maintain that approving harm to 12 endangered northern spotted owls, including the only two reproductive pairs in the region, flies in the face of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s legal duties. And with your support, we can win this lawsuit.
Here’s the story:
More than 21,000 acres of beautiful, biodiverse national forest near Mount Shasta, including two northern spotted owl activity centers, are facing a serious threat from proposed logging by the U.S. Forest Service.
The proposed South Fork Sacramento “Public Safety & Forest Restoration” Project would log over 8,000 acres of critical habitat near Lake Siskiyou and take 12 endangered northern spotted owls, including the only two reproductive pairs on the Shasta Management Unit of Shasta-Trinity National Forest and their offspring for the next ten years. Successfully reproducing for over 35 years, these are two of the longest occupied owl territories, which have continuously contributed to the long-term persistence of the owl since the species’ 1990 listing under the Endangered Species Act.
The Forest Service falsely claims that the South Fork Sacramento Project would “improve wildlife habitat,” but, in fact, it is expected to remove and degrade 1,366 acres of mature and old-growth forest that serves as nesting and roosting habitat for owls. The project would permanently remove at least 1,600 acres of suitable foraging habitat, as well as significantly reduce regional habitat connectivity. The northern spotted owl is in persistent and steepening decline, and scientists have warned that if these trends continue, the species may go extinct across large swaths of its historic range within the next decade. Nevertheless, the Forest Service is trying to log one of the northern spotted owl’s last remaining strongholds.
In September EPIC and allies sued the Forest Service and Fish & Wildlife Service for violating the Endangered Species Act by concluding that the take of northern spotted owls was not likely to jeopardize the species’ continued existence. We argue that this “no jeopardy” conclusion was “arbitrary, capricious, and contrary” to the Endangered Species Act, including because the Fish & Wildlife Service’s biological opinion failed to adequately account for “how climate change may amplify the effects of the Project—and vice versa.” EPIC and our allies are committed to challenging this decision, protecting the northern spotted owl, and preserving the forest ecosystems that make Northern California so special.
The mature and old-growth forests of Shasta-Trinity National Forest are an ecological treasure – supporting countless imperiled, rare, and endemic plant and animal species. Its lands and waters also provide critical ecosystem services and beloved recreational opportunities for local communities. If we lose this appeal, it could set a dangerous precedent, not just for this ecosystem, but for forests, wildlife, and communities across the region.
That’s where you come in. To keep this fight alive, we need to cover two big expenses: staff time (the policy experts and environmental attorneys working tirelessly on the case within EPIC) and legal fees (because, unfortunately, saving the planet doesn’t come cheap). We’re counting on your generosity to help us make this lawsuit a success.
Please donate today! Your contribution will directly support EPIC’s work to challenge the South Fork Sacramento Project in court.
Here’s how you can help:
$25 – Keeps our office lights on and internet connected.
$50 – Helps cover essential policy and legal research and case preparation.
$100 – Contributes to court filing fees and other legal costs.
$250+ – Supports the EPIC staff policy experts who are hard at work reviewing this and other timber sales.
Every dollar counts, and every donation, big or small, will help us reach our goal and ensure this vital environmental protection continues. Together, we can win this lawsuit and protect northern spotted owls and old forests for generations to come.
Donate now and help us keep up the fight! Your support means the world to us—and to the wild places we all love. Thank you for standing with us.
Have questions or want to talk about the case? Don’t hesitate to reach out! We're happy to chat about how your donation makes a real impact.
Warmly,
The EPIC team
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