Two environmental groups have filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service’s plans to create a major new fire break in Santa Barbara County, claiming that the project would threaten a rare type of plant.
In the wake of recent major brush fires on the South Coast, the Forest Service announced plans to create a six mile long fire break along the crest of the Santa Ynez Mountains to try to prevent huge blazes which could threaten homes in the region.
In a just filed lawsuit, Los Padres ForestWatch and the California Chaparral Institute say the project would threaten Refugio Manzanita. The environmental groups contend the federal agency improperly interpreted the law to say the project is exempt from environmental review, and that a study should be conducted before clearing occurs.