A coalition of 13 environmental groups kicked off a campaign yesterday to halt all old-growth logging on federal lands, reinvigorating an often bitter battle between environmentalists and loggers in the Pacific Northwest. Logging on federal lands has declined substantially in the last decade, and now accounts for less than 2 percent of the Northwest’s economy. But according to the coalition, more than 1 million acres of old growth could still be logged. The coalition promised to work with rural communities to make sure new logging restrictions would not adversely affect timber-dependent towns. The group has the support of some key congressional leaders from the Northwest, including Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)
