WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement in response to the federal court of appeals ruling that the U.S Forest Service’s Logjam Timber Sale complies with federal environmental laws:

 

“I congratulate the U.S. Forest Service on coming up with a successful template for responsible timber sales in the Tongass National Forest,” Murkowski said. “Now that the Logjam sale has been cleared by the courts, the Forest Service should take this opportunity to help Southeast Alaska’s struggling economy by offering new timber areas for sale. Additional timber sales would also help bring the Forest Service closer to meeting the 224 million-board-feet goal agreed to under the Tongass Land Management Plan.”

 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit last week upheld a lower court’s ruling that the Logjam Project, which includes several timber sales on Price of Wales Island, was in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act.