This action is part of the Waterkeeper Alliance's "Fishable" Day of Action, celebrating the Clean Water Act's 40th anniversary. When you take action on this issue, you'll be joined by thousands of other people across the country!
We value clean, clear water and believe the time has long come for the logging industry to do its fair share to protect water quality. Click here to take action if you think the Logging Industry should be held accountable to the Clean Water Act.
Logging roads have long been considered a major source of sediment to streams and rivers. Sediment is a leading cause of pollution that threatens water quality and fish. It seems only fair that the logging industry would have to comply with the Clean Water Act like so many other industries in America.
On logging roads actively used for timber hauling, logging trucks grind up the gravel road surface, turning it into fine sediment that is often then transported by stormwater to rivers and streams. But, there are low-tech, cost-effective and well-proven logging road design, construction and maintenance practices to reduce that pollution.
A recent legal victory by the Northwest Environmental Defense Center requires that logging road pollution be regulated under the Clean Water Act, but the industry has been scrambling to exempt themselves from this ruling. Learn more here.
The logging industry should be required to have Clean Water Act permits for discharging pollutants to our public waterways just like virtually every other industry.
