Monroe County has retained the firm Eubanks & Associates to pursue potential litigation against the federal government over a logging project. The Colorado based firm specializes in environmental law.
Last month, the U.S. Forestry Service signed off on what’s known as the “ Houston South Vegetation Management Project” which will log and burn more than 4,000 acres of land near the Lake Monroe Watershed.
Environmentalists are concerned the project could contaminate the county’s water supply.
Margie Rice, an attorney for Monroe County, says the county was denied a public records request for documents that would determine whether the Service considered alternative locations for the project.
“We are hopeful that through this litigation, we can discern why they picked this area, what other areas they looked at,” Rice says.
She’s hoping a deal can be made with the federal government, without going to court.
In January, stakeholders raised their objections with Hoosier National Forest Supervisor Mike Chaveas at a meeting in Bedford.
“I think the exchange left many the objectors feeling as if they weren’t being listened to by the United States Forest service.”
“The decision for the Houston South Vegetation Management and Restoration project has been signed and we have no further updates on the effort at this point,” U.S. Forestry Spokesperson Andrea Crain said in a statement sent to WTIU via email Friday.
