On January 14, 2010, Federal Judge Lynn Adelman, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, ruled in favor of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (CNNF) and dismissed the court case involving the Northwest Howell Project. The decision and order can be found at www.fs.fed.us/r9/cnnf/natres/court_rulings/. Project documents are listed below.

Vicinity Map

Description of Project

This project consists of a variety of vegetation management projects.  The current proposal includes (all amounts are approximate) 8000 acres of timber harvest treatments (about 6100 acres are uneven-aged management, 1900 acres are even-aged management).  Associated activities would include maintaining existing wildlife openings; road construction (approximately 2 miles); road reconstruction; road decommissioning; planting and under planting; prescribed burning for jack pine regeneration; and lake habitat improvements on Stevens Lake and Quartz Lake.  Some of the timber harvest and under planting is proposed within the State designated Pine Wild and Scenic River Corridor.  These activities are proposed to convert stands to long-lived species, increase species diversity, improve wildlife habitat and enhance conditions for growth of larger-diameter trees.

Status of Project
In response to Federal District Judge Adelman's April 1, 2005 order regarding the Northwest Howell Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision, the Forest Service is preparing a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.

Legal description:  T39N, R14E, sec. 2-4; T40N, R12E, Sec. 11-14, 23-24; T40N, R13E, sec. 1-26; T40N, R14E, Sec. 1-35; T41N, R13E, sec. 14, 15, 21-29, 32-36; T41N, R14E, sec. 17-36; T40N, R15E, sec. 6; T41N, R15E, sec. 30-32. 

Documents Available for Review