2nd lawsuit targets large west-central Idaho forest project

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service violated numerous environmental laws in approving a 105-square-mile logging and restoration project in west-central Idaho, a conservation group seeking to stop the project said in a lawsuit.

The Idaho Conservation League in the lawsuit filed Monday said the Forest Service violated the Endangered Species Act and other laws in approving the 20-year Sage Hen Project in the Boise National Forest in April.

The group said the Forest Service used flawed information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, also named in the lawsuit, that could harm federally protected bull trout.

The Alliance for the Wild Rockies and other groups filed a similar lawsuit last month. Both lawsuits request a more thorough environmental study before the project goes forward.

The Forest Service has said the project will make the forest more resistant to insect outbreaks, reduce wildfire fuel hazards and remove hazard trees, making it safe for firefighters and the public. The agency also said the project will create jobs and improve recreation opportunities for the area that draws visitors from rapidly-growing southwestern Idaho.

The U.S. Department of Justice, which defends federal agencies in lawsuits, didn't immediately respond to an inquiry sent through its online portal.