In an action that will lead to a hotter and unhealthier climate, the U.S. Forest Service (FS), National Forests and Grasslands (NFGT), did nothing to reduce climate change air pollution when this issue was brought up by the Sierra Club about the Midcoast Energy natural gas pipeline Special Use Permit (SUP) proposal.

This proposal would install, operate, and maintain an almost 2,000-foot natural gas pipeline and right-of-way (ROW) on the north side of Angelina National Forest (ANF).  The FS does not believe that climate change is an extraordinary circumstance “that would warrant further analysis and documentation in an environmental assessment (EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS).”

In the proposal’s decision document, the FS stated that, “The effect of this project on global climate change has been considered, as well as, the effect of climate change on this project.  We cannot discern significant climate change effects of this project given the size and scale.  Any resulting greenhouse gas emissions would not be measurable on a global scale because of the lack of effect that can be meaningfully valuated under current science, modeling, and policies.”

The FS provided no analysis or documentation that backed up or supported this statement.  The Sierra Club stated that the proposal will worsen climate change via carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) air pollution and will degrade management of ANF ecosystems.  Climate change will alter existing ANF ecosystems and make it more difficult for many plants and animals to adapt to changed ecosystems.

The Sierra Club recommended that the FS prepare a climate change ecological resilience and resistance plan (CCERRP) that would:

1. Protect existing functioning ecosystems;

2. Reduce stressors on ecosystems;

3. Restore natural functioning ecological processes;

4. Use natural recovery;

5. Acquire buffers/corridors to expand and ensure connectivity of ecosystems;

6. Intervene to manage ecosystems;

7. Reduce climate change air pollution so there are zero emissions and a reduced carbon footprint;

8. Conduct CO2/CH4 removal to reduce existing climate change air pollution.

The FS did not seriously consider Sierra Club comments.  The FS stated that it would continue to follow agency guidance for climate change analysis but then did not identify the climate change guidance it follows. 

The FS ignored that there are climate change air pollution calculators that the U.S. EPA and others have where the climate change air pollution can be calculated.  The FS did not mention that methane causes over 80 times more climate change warming than CO2, and that the proposal will increase climate change effects.

There are FS documents and U.S. government policies that tell what the NFGT should be doing about climate change.  These documents were not mentioned and are ignored in the Midcoast decision.

For example, a February 2021 flyer, “The U.S. Forest Service and Climate Change”, states, “The Forest Service strategy includes … managing human uses when necessary … Managing Forests to sustain carbon sequestration capacity … Using Forest Products to Reduce and Replace Fossil Fuel Energy … Maintaining a Research Program … Reducing the Agency’s Environmental Footprint”.

A January 20, 2021 Executive Order by President Biden, entitled, “Executive Order on “Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis”, states, “… the Federal Government must be guided by the best science … It is, therefore, the policy of my Administration to listen to the science … to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; to bolster resilience to the impacts of climate change; to restore and expand our national treasures and monuments”.

The FS has ignored its’ responsibilities and policy requirements in the Midcoast Energy and other oil/gas proposals in the NFGT.  This is to the detriment of all of us.  It’s time that this changes.

Author: Brandt Mannchen