News

USFS ignores federal laws on no chainsaws in wilderness

June 16, 2026/

Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation

After a year of secret, behind-closed-door negotiations, the U.S. Forest Service recently authorized massive amounts of gas-powered chainsaw use in the largest contiguous Wilderness in the Lower 48 with no opportunities for public comment, no environmental review, and no regard for federal laws, including the Wilderness Act.

Incredibly, the chainsaws in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness will not be fired up by Forest Service personnel, but by private commercial outfitters and guides.

Making matters worse, based on internal Forest Service documents Wilderness Watch obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), there is justifiable concern that this chainsaw massacre by commercial outfitters could expand to other Wildernesses nation-wide.

Kevin Proescholdt


Click here to read the story.

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