CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Covering more than 650,000 acres, the Cherokee National Forest is one of Tennessee's many crown jewels for outdoor recreation and scenic vistas. But conservation groups are concerned about the treatment of part of that land.

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), on behalf of the Sierra Club Tennessee Chapter and Tennessee Heartwood, filed a lawsuit in federal court late last week, alleging the U.S. Forest Service is illegally endangering Tumbling Creek near the Ocoee River.

Sam Evans, SELC national forests and parks program leader, said people should be concerned about a decision to sell 500 acres near Tumbling Creek to commercial logging companies.

"About a dozen miles away, the Forest Service is still trying to clean up its last mess from a five-year-old logging project there," Evans explained. "Heavy logging on steep slopes caused massive erosion. The Forest Service has spent already a tremendous amount of money, but can't get the forests to grow back."

Evans and others predict the erosion and water pollution that would result would damage the forest and water quality. The groups have been expressing their concerns to the feds for four years, and claim they have gone unheard.

Supporters of logging say it is necessary to clear the forest of trees for regrowth, and would not have an impact on the health of the forest.

Evans added the groups are surprised at the lack of response from the Forest Service, in the midst of many examples of partnerships between environmental groups and the federal government.

"We don't take likely filing a lawsuit against an agency that we count on as a partner, in some cases," he said, "but here, they just haven't responded to our many, many attempts to get them to do the right thing voluntarily."

The plaintiffs allege the Forest Service is illegally endangering the soil, forests and waters of the Cherokee National Forest and want the agency to explain how it will prevent damage similar to other projects, if this one is allowed to proceed.



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Pittsburgh is emerging as a leader in innovative solutions like electric vehicles and clean energy to combat the climate crisis. The group Elected Officials to Protect America says in 2022, electric vehicle registrations increased by about 82% from the previous year.

Rep. Emily Kinkead, D-Allegheny County, envisions Pittsburgh as a future leader in the green economy, bolstered by strong labor unions and academic institutions.

"So whether it's solar for schools, or capping oil wells or any number of things that move us away from fossil fuels, transitioning over to electric vehicles. Transitioning away from fossil fuels is a huge way that we can make sure that we are protecting our citizens now," she explained.

The state is using funds from sources like the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes a historic investment of $370 billion to fight climate change over the next decade. Pennsylvania's goal of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 is the same target President Joe Biden set for the nation.

Erika Strassburger, Pittsburgh City Council member, said the biggest benefit of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure law - especially in western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh - is that they've been major job creators.

"You don't have to go too far outside of Pittsburgh, to the Mon Valley, to see 600 new jobs created in a battery manufacturing plant that will help the electrification of our vehicles and of our systems. And those are jobs that wouldn't have otherwise been created without these federal investments," she explained.

Strassburger pointed out federal funding will allow Pittsburgh to invest $15 million in electric vehicles for its city fleet, and she added that the transition is expected to save energy, reduce gas consumption, and ultimately save taxpayer dollars in the long run.

"If we can expand that, which is our intention to reduce the energy burden - for starting with 100 City of Pittsburgh residents by the end of this year, and then over the next six years, do so for 10,000 residents across the region - that means that the greatest benefit we're seeing is people paying less out of their paycheck toward energy" she continued.

Pennsylvania has seen a significant increase in EV purchases. At the start of this year, more than 47,000 electric vehicles were registered in the state.

Iowa has thousands fewer square miles than Nebraska but it has almost 3,000 more concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs.

Opponents of the giant facilities argue there are enough. The increase in CAFOs nationwide has fueled opposition from nearby residents, along with environmental and animal rights groups.

In Iowa, one grassroots group has prevented around 100 of them from being built. Barb Kalbach, president of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, attributes Iowa's dismal water quality in large part to runoff from animal waste, applied to farm fields along with commercial fertilizer. Kalbach thinks rural Nebraska communities should also oppose such developments.

"That manure has to go somewhere," Kalbach pointed out. "It's not a question of, 'Well, should I, or I shouldn't I, put it on the ground,' you know? It's got to go. They've got to empty the pit, and so it's going to go. And if you have any kind of water issues whatsoever, people need to organize immediately."

The Environmental Protection Agency calls animal manure "a primary source of nitrogen and phosphorus to surface and groundwater." Roughly 20% of public water supplies and private wells in Nebraska test above recommended nitrate and nitrogen levels.

Jonathan Leo, a Nebraska environmental and land-use attorney, said CAFO owners usually contract with local farmers to use the animal waste. He noted for the largest operations, the massive amount of waste makes a methane digester system imperative.

"It breaks down manure into methane, which is a major greenhouse gas, for sale as an energy source to third parties," Leo explained. "And digestate, which is sold to off-site farmers as a nutrient additive to soil."

Leo and others helped residents of a small Nebraska town prevent development of a CAFO by an Iowa producer for more than 6,000 head of swine. Leo pointed out many who opposed it were farmers themselves.

"We worked with them about how to organize and understand their county's ordinance, with respect to CAFO permitting," Leo recounted. "And they appeared before their county board and their planning commission in a way that their own supervisors said, 'We've never seen this kind of citizen activism before.'"

The defeated operation would have been about a half-mile uphill from a stream which feeds a state recreation area lake used for swimming, boating and fishing.

As a result of a lawsuit by Food and Water Watch, the Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to begin studying the polluting effects of CAFOs, after years of being urged to do so.

A summer of fires, floods and extreme heat have prompted a series of climate change town halls in New Mexico this month, ahead of the 2025 legislative session.

Camilla Feibelman, director of the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club, said the meetings will engage with communities. She explained the idea is to make sure they know about federal, state and utility incentives helping people weatherize homes, increase the efficiency of appliances, install solar panels and purchase electric vehicles.

"At the same time, wanting to know from people what could our transition look like?," Feibelman pointed out. "What are the kinds of jobs that people could have; what kind of legislation they'd like us to work on in this next 60 days."

The first town hall is Aug. 8 in Albuquerque, followed by others in Las Cruces, Taos and Santa Fe. New Mexico state legislators will be on hand for each of the sessions, which begin at 5:30 p.m.

Feibelman acknowledged New Mexico has done a lot of work to address climate change, including clean car rules, solar credits and energy-efficient building codes. There are also new laws to reduce methane and smog from oil and gas production. But as she noted, it remains a complex problem.

"Because the Permian oil boom is so big and so profound, it's like the goal post is getting pushed out," Feibelman stressed. "If we were to truly reduce our emissions in the way that a crisis like this demands, we're going to have to really take comprehensive action."

She added those people who have long depended on jobs in the fossil fuel industry must also have a sustainable path forward as the climate crisis is addressed. Feibelman sees the town halls as a good opportunity for people to learn the vast impacts of climate change, including how it worsens their allergies.

"We want people to feel like they're coming away from these town halls with some small steps they can take at home," Feibelman emphasized. "And some more comprehensive ways they can get involved in the decision-making and legislative process."

New Mexico residents have long been happy about having fewer mosquitoes than many states, but climate change has unexpectedly brought a new variety to Albuquerque, making it difficult to be outside during summer months.