$3 Million In U.S. Forest Service GLRI Grants

Oct 11: The U.S. Forest Service announced nearly $3 million in grants to improve tree canopy, forest cover and ultimately, water quality in six Great Lakes states, including Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, Illinois and Indiana. The grants are part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a cooperative effort between Federal, tribal, state and local partners. The GLRI is the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades. USDA Undersecretary Harris Sherman said, "The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative will improve the environmental health and economic vitality of the world's largest freshwater system. The Forest Service, together with our partners, is working to improve America's treasured landscapes in more than 7,000 communities across the country."

 

    The U.S. EPA-funded grants administered by the Forest Service will support community forestry efforts to improve the interception, evaporation, infiltration and storage of rainfall and storm water. U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said, "Healthy forests and lands support healthy waters. These projects will put people to work increasing the number of trees, turning polluted industrial sites into beautiful parkland and improving habitat for wildlife."

 

    The Michigan projects included: $50,000 - The Detroit Green Connections Project; $250,000 - The Detroit Reforestation Initiative; $70,000 - The Grand River Ash Tree Protection and Restoration Initiative; $132,274 - The Tree Canopy Restoration on Sault Tribe Lands; $250,000 - The Greening of Chevy in the Hole project; and $197,437 - Reducing Contamination using Hybrid Poplar in Lake Michigan Watersheds.

 

    Access a release with further details on the projects and other state awards (click here).

 

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League To Save Lake Tahoe v. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency

Oct 12: In the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, Case No. 11-17318. Appealed from the United States District Court for the District of Nevada. In this unpublished opinion, the League to Save Lake Tahoe (the League) appealed from the district court's summary judgment upholding the regulatory approvals issued by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA or the agency) for the Sierra Colina Village housing project. The Appeals Court determined that it had jurisdiction and vacated the district court judgment.

 

    The Appeals Court said, "Contrary to TRPA's assertion, the League has standing to sue on its members' behalf." The Appeals Court ruled, "Because substantial evidence does not support two mandatory TRPA findings, we must vacate the district court judgment. We, however, recognize that the League's challenges as described on appeal are much more detailed than the

objections made before TRPA in the first instance, and that TRPA must be afforded the opportunity to reexamine the objections and enter new findings. We remand to the district court with instructions to vacate TRPA's approval of the land coverage transfer for LPF 3 [linear public facility, i.e. shared public access roadway] and remand the matter back to the agency for further proceedings consistent with this disposition. We need not, and do not, reach any other issue urged by the parties."

 

    Access the complete opinion (click here). [#Land, #CA9]

 

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