Judge eases Christmas tree-cutting ban in fight over owl

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — scope of a tree-cutting ban across several national forests in Southwest has been furr narrowed to allow for Christmas tree permits and prescribed burns under a new order issued by a U.S. judge in an ongoing fight over a threatened owl.

order was filed late Tuesday, a day after environmentalists and U.S. Forest Service reached an agreement on what s of activities would be allowed to continue across thousands of square miles of forest in New Mexico and Arizona without harming Mexican spotted an owl or its habitat.

activities permitted by latest court order include cutting of a tree in rrn New Mexico that will be put on display for Christmas outside U.S. Capitol.

Legal wrangling h threatened to stall cutting of tree and a statewide tour ahe of its trip to Washington, D.C.

garing of firewood by rural residents also was at issue as Forest Service interpreted Judge Raner Collins’ initial order to mean all timber manment activities across five New Mexico forests and one in Arizona would be halted until forest and wildlife manrs came up with a way to count owls as part of a recovery plan.

Environmentalists argued that Forest Service’s interpretation was overly bro and asked judge for clarification. y ended up reaching an agreement with federal officials, resulting in stipulations Collins included in his latest order.

“ne of se activities that we agreed to release from injunction, wher cutting Capitol Christmas tree or conducting trail maintenance, were ever a serious threat to owl,” said John Horning, executive director of WildEarth Guardians. “We hope Forest Service reorients to work of recovering owl by equately monitoring its population.”

Still pending is a request by Forest Service for judge to reconsider his initial ruling that found federal officials fell short of ir responsibility to monitor owl. Arguments are set for v. 7.

case started in 2013 when environmentalists alleged that Forest Service failed to consider effects of thinning and logging on Mexican spotted owls.

First listed as threatened in U.S. in 1993, Mexican spotted an owl is found in Arizona, New Mexico, Coloro, Utah, parts of West Texas and Mexico.

Forest Service has argued that moving ahe with prescribed burns and thinning projects will dress wildfire threats and ultimately make for a healthier environment. ncy said in a statement Wednesday it would be transparent in steps it takes to alleviate “stressors” that have resulted from initial limits on timber manment activities.

Projects within owl habitat still are off-limits, but order me public Wednesday allows for commercial firewood garing outside of protected zones to continue. Prescribed burns also can resume with some stipulations.

order also permits cutting of vigas and latillas — wooden beams and posts — for personal use along with collection of forest products for tribal ceremonial purposes.