Opposition to Army Corps Levee Clear-cut Policy Grows

Tree debris litters the ground alongside a levee in Natomas, Calif. Photo courtesy of Ron Stork.

Defenders was the first to stand up to the Army Corps of Engineers’ misguided levee vegetation removal policy, filing a lawsuit in 2011 to stop the clear cutting of California’s levees. But in the fight to save levee trees across the nation, our ranks are growing.

The California Department of Fish and Game has recently notified the Army Corps of its intent to sue, alleging that the clear-cut policy violates the federal Endangered Species Act by destroying habitat for threatened and endangered animals such as Chinook salmon, Swainson’s hawks and the Valley Elderberry longhorn beetle.

Fish and Game also argues that the Army Corps failed to account for regional differences in how the levees were designed and built, citing scientific studies showing that native vegetation can minimize flood damage and help to keep levees and the properties behind them safe.

Some 1,600 miles of Californian levees will be affected by the Army Corps’ policy, and officials estimates that it will cost upwards of $7.5 billion to remove all the plant life from the levees. What’s worse is that those vital funds will likely have to be diverted from more pressing projects to fix significant levee problems that are real threats to public safety.

Endangered Chinook salmon depend on riverside trees for healthy habitat.

Meanwhile, in Idaho, another lawsuit is seeking to protect trees on a levee in the City of Coeur d’Alene. The Army Corps has ordered the city to remove some 500 ponderosa pines from its levee. City officials are putting a $1.6 million price tag on the project, which they say is 10 times more than what the city can afford in the dour economy.

Opponents of the tree removals say the pines are an important part of the town’s character, providing a much-needed shady buffer for a nearby beach and park. Because the trees have been growing on the dike for years without causing serious problems, plaintiffs in the lawsuit hope the courts will stay the axes until there’s a thorough scientific review of how removing the trees will affect the environment, the integrity of the levee and the town’s visual appeal.

Although the Army Corps continues to march forward, opposition numbers are growing. If the courts agree that the Army Corps is not above the law, we suspect that more people will join the movement and be inspired to stand up for their river habitats!