Conservation Groups Sue to Stop Salvage Logging in N. Idaho

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Two conservation groups have filed a lawsuit to stop a salvage logging project on a national forest near the Selway River in northern Idaho following a wildfire.

The lawsuit filed Friday in federal court by Idaho Rivers United and Friends of the Clearwater contends the U.S. Forest Service's approval of the project violates the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

The groups also say potential harm to federally protected steelhead, salmon and bull trout hasn't been adequately considered and name the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the lawsuit.

The lightning-caused Johnson Bar Fire burned more than 20 square miles in 2014, mostly on the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests.