As the nation watches and waits during the recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Oso, Washington mud slide, a new report from The Seattle Times suggests that this tragedy may have been preventable.
“A forest clear-cut nine years ago appears to have strayed into a restricted area that could feed groundwater into the landslide zone that collapsed Saturday,” the paper reports.
“A Seattle Times analysis of government geographical data and maps suggests that logging company Grandy Lake Forest cut as much as 350 feet past a state boundary that was created because of landslide risks.,” the report continues.
According to an investigation conducted by the Times, the Washington state Department of Natural resources is tasked with reviewing the plans, and then subsequently the actual logging work done by companies to ensure that firms remain within proposed cut lines.
A state forester interviewed for the Times investigation reviewed documents related to the area in question, and found that it appears that Grandy Lake Forest did stray into a sensitive zone known for landslide risks.
Read the rest of this report on The Seattle Times.
Alexis Stodghill