Forest Service Allegedly Lied About Owl Habitat

U.S. Forest Service officials knowingly submitted false data on spotted owl habitat to block logging in California, reports The Washington Times.

Two reviews of their data-one by a private contractor and one by the government-described the analysis as unreliable, yet the timber sales were canceled nonetheless.

According to newly obtained court documents, the Forest Service did not have any data or sound scientific fact to halt the timber sale to WetselOviatt Lumber Co., El Dorado Hills, Ca., in the late 1990s.

As a result of the court rulings, the federal government agreed last month to pay Wetsel-Oviatt $9.5 million for four canceled timber sales.

With this most recent settlement, the federal government has paid out over $15 million to timber companies for falsely canceling timber sales over the spotted owl issue.

To this point, the Bald Mountain, Ca., sale involving Wetsel-Oviatt, is the only timber bid that has went to trial.

In his decision, Federal Claims

Court judge Lawrence S. Margolis, stated that the Forest Service action was "arbitrary, capricious and without rational basis." He went on further to add that officials knew the findings were false.

"The Forest Service therefore breached its contractual obligation to fairly and honestly consider Wetsel's bid on the sale," Margolis said after the four-day trial in 1998.

James Hardie Drops Gypsum

James Hardie Industries has agreed to sell its U.S.-based gypsum facilities to Toronto, Canada-based BPB for $345 million.

The March l3 agreement involved the sale of James Hardie's wallboard plants in Seattle, Wa., and Las Vegas, Nv.. in addition to one in Arkansas.

The sale also includes two adjacent gypsum mines, a joint treatment plant and a grinding and packaging facility. James Hardie's gypsum division employs nearly 600 people.

"The James Hardie operation is a highly successful organization which marks another step forward in BPB's strategy to expand in to the U.S.," said BPB president and c.e.o Brent Thompson.

The deal is expected to make BPB the third largest gypsum producer in North America.

The transaction is expected to be completed by May.

Obituaries

(Continued from previous page) mill, Occidental, Ca., died March 12.

A native of Berkeley, Ca., he founded Sturgeon's with his high school friend Ralph Sturgeon. The mill processed redwood from 1942 to t963.

The partners also owned and logged 2,000 acres of timber between Occidental and Duncans Mills, Ca.

Russ Jackson, 49, sales manager for AHR Equipment Services, Commerce City, Co., died Jan. l9 in Nebraska.

A native of Illinois. Mr. Jackson was a member of the Mountain States Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association.

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