VAIL, Colo.—A federal court has temporarily delayed a bark-beetle logging operation in Colorado, saying it surpassed its boundaries and that helicopters were being used without approval.
The judge agreed with Minturn attorney Mike Heaphy that the U.S. Forest Service project near Minturn had gone outside the approved boundaries.
The judge also agreed that helicopters weren’t mentioned in the 2008 project plan.
The ruling, issued last month, ordered a 60-day halt.
Scott Fitzwilliams, forest supervisor for the White River National Forest, says the agency will find a way to correct the problems. He says operations would have stopped for the winter anyway.
Some beetle-killed trees are being logged to reduce the danger of fire and falling dead trees.
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Information from: Vail Daily,
