Recent changes to federal environmental rules mean some logging projects are moving forward without public input. Tristan Scott works for the Flathead Beacon, and has been covering a 13,000-acre logging project moving forward west of Blacktail Mountain in the Flathead. He sat down with MTPR’s Elinor Smith to share his reporting.
Elinor Smith: Tristan, thank you so much for being here today.
Tristan Scott: Thank you, Elinor.
Smith: Of course. So let's start with the obvious question. What is the West Truman Logging project?
Scott: Sure. The West Truman Logging Project is a proposal on the Flathead National Forest Swan Lake Ranger District to thin trees west of Blacktail Mountain You mentioned that it's 13,000 acres. The amount of actual logging and thinning is actually more on the level of 2000 acres.
Smith: So Tristan, this project comes in the midst of some important federal policy changes. Can you walk me through the timeline of this project?
Scott: Sure thing. So, earlier this year, the Council on Environmental Quality, which is part of the executive branch, it issued new guidance to federal agencies about how to implement the National Environmental Policy Act, which is sort of the bedrock policy for environmental analysis. It requires federal agencies to consider certain environmental effects of their proposed actions before making a final decision.
The CEQ was responding to an executive order called the Unleashing American Energy Order. And that instructed each agency to craft its own set of NEPA regulations. And that included the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service.
And so in response to this rewriting of NEPA regulations across multiple agencies, the Flathead National Forest last month announced that it is adjusting the way that planning projects are announced and public comments are solicited. And so, people have been bucking a little bit against that because it feels like another sort of reduction in transparency to how our public lands are managed.
Smith: You brought up some recent changes to the nation's foundational environmental protection policy. Can you walk me through what those changes mean for public comment periods?
Scott: Sure. So on July 3rd, the USDA removed seven agency-specific regulations implementing NEPA — including those for the Forest Service — and replaced them with these department-wide NEPA regulations. And as local national forests begin to implement this new executive order, they are not going to require public comment anymore. They're also doing away with an administrative objection period.
And so basically there's going to be less opportunity for the public to comment. That also means that's going to be a shorter timeline for approving these projects. But again, they're certainly going to be informed less by public input and more by agency decisions.
Smith: The West Truman Project specifically is being analyzed under the USDA's new Emergency Action Determination policy. Can you tell me a little bit about that new policy?
Scott: Sure. So months before any of these NEPA changes went into effect, the Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, issued a memo designating an emergency situation across over 112 million acres of national forests. And that is designed to increase timber production and reduce wildfire risk. That's the key point. This emergency situation determination allows the agency to expedite approval for logging activities in these designated forests by bypassing the usual processes required under national environmental laws.
Basically, it gives forest managers more latitude to analyze logging projects under this wildfire resilience categorical exclusion, which is the least intensive form of environmental review.
Smith: Okay, and has Montana's congressional delegation responded to these new policies at all?
Scott: Yeah, they have and they have been supportive. Some of these new policies that are being implemented were put forth by the Trump administration during President Trump's first term. Then rolled back by the Biden administration, and are now being reimplemented — either in much the same form or with slight revisions.
And so, a lot of the delegates are quite happy to see them regain some clout here during President Trump's second term. Including Steve Daines who has been a champion of streamlining these NEPA processes, and I think so have the other delegates.
Smith: Well, Tristan, as you've said, this situation is updating really fast. Where can MTPR listeners read more of your work as you continue covering this updating situation?
Scott: Sure. Yeah, and we appreciate your interest. You can read all of our coverage on natural resources as well as many other topics at flatheadbeacon.com. We are a free and independent news organization that covers all things Northwest Montana.
Smith: Amazing. Well, thank you so much for being here today and for walking me through the details of this situation. I appreciate it.
Scott: Thanks, Elinor.
