The U.S. Forest Service is backing out of a logging operation in the Pisgah National Forest days after environmental groups filed a lawsuit claiming it violated federal law because it didn’t notify the public.
[ READ MORE: Environmental groups sue to protect western North Carolina forests from increased logging ]
The lawsuit was dropped Monday.
The Forest Service claimed the logging efforts were necessary to deal with wildfire risk in the forest a year after Hurricane Helene.
Environmental groups argued there was no guarantee the logging operation was limited to areas around the downed trees.
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