The logging company that submitted the winning bid to harvest timber from a state forest was previously the focus of a lawsuit alleging damaging logging practices on private property.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources accepted a bid from Hamilton Logging on Thursday to harvest 1,700 trees from the back country area of Yellowwood and Morgan-Monroe State Forests. The logging company will pay about $108,000 for the timber.
In 2009, Morin Logging hired Hamilton Logging as a subcontractor for a timber harvest on Ruth Sheek's private property in Brown County.
Sheek eventually sued for breach of contract, alleging Hamilton Logging caused significant damage to her property by expanding the loading area and access roads and using equipment not specified in the contract.
According to court documents, an independent forest consultant determined the loggers did not meet all of the best management guidelines outlined by the DNR. A trial court awarded Sheek more than $55,000 in damages.
Representatives from Hamilton Logging did not respond to requests for comment.