Timber Industry Firm Applauds Forest Service Project

Sonora, CA — Mike Albrecht, the president of Sierra Resource Management, is applauding the U.S. Forest Service for its intent to move forward on the Phase II Fuel Reduction Forest Health and Road Management Project despite the appeals of two "out of the area" environmental groups.

Those groups are the John Muir Project based in Cedar Ridge and Sierra Forest Legacy in Sacramento.

Albrecht commented, "Sierra Resource Management and other loggers in the area are very pleased to see the Forest Service deny the appeals from these outside environmental groups and move ahead with the important forest thinning projects.

The Phase II project is an area where our company worked about 10 years ago in the Wright’s Creek Plantation and thinned the forest at that time. It’s regrown and needs to be thinned again not only to promote forest health but to protect the communities of Long Barn and Merrill Springs and others from fire.

It’s a great project and we’re really pleased to see them (Forest Service) moving ahead. They’re sending the right message that forest thinning takes presidence over environmental lawsuits."

Albrecht lamented that while trees will be harvested during the Phase II project there is no sawmill available due to the recent closure of the Sierra Pacific Industries Standard mill.

Written by bill.johnson@mlode.com