This is a press release from
EPIC
The Environmental Protection Information Center
http://www.wildcalifornia.org/
EPIC SYP CASE ACCEPTED FOR REVIEW BY CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT
Eureka, CA.- The Environmental Protection Information Center case
challenging Maxxam / Pacific Lumber’s Sustained Yield Plan has been
accepted by the California Supreme Court for review of the 2005 appeals
court decision overturning the local groups’ trial court win.
With six of seven justices voting to take the case, EPIC bucked the 9 out
of 10 odds that their petition would be refused. “We’re very happy to be
able to bring these issues before the high court,” said EPIC Executive
Director Larry Evans. “We believe the court did the right thing.”
In the original case, EPIC had argued that the California Department of
Forestry and the California Department of Fish & Game had failed to
fulfill their statutory obligations to properly consider environmental
impacts of the PL SYP hammered out under the politically charged
Headwaters Deal.
EPIC along with co-plaintiff the Sierra Club is represented by attorneys
Sharon Duggan and Brian Gaffney. A briefing schedule has not been set so
far in the case of EPIC and the Sierra Club v. California Dept. of
Forestry, California Dept. of Fish and Game, and the Pacific Lumber
Company
(Supreme Court case S14057).
The history of the case can be viewed on the CA Supreme Court website at:
http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/search/mainCaseScreen.cfm?dist=0&doc_id=407761&rc=11
Note from Verbena: The SYP allowed for years of environmental devastation
through Maxxam/PL’s logging (mostly clearcutting).