In another last-minute change of regulations, the outgoing administration has announced that the Interior Department plans to double the rate of logging on federally owned land in Oregon. The area, which is 2.6 million acres, is already receiving harsh criticism from all sorts of people.

The New York Times tells us that in announcing the new regulations, the Interior Department “brushed aside the objections of the governor and two federal agencies charged with guarding the quality of the area’s water and the health of the fish that depend on it.”

Of course, the timber industry is pretty amped about this decision, as it is still hurting from the Northwest Forest Plan, which cut logging back about 80 percent 15 years ago. And, naturally, environmental-type people are fuming.

But environmental groups condemned the decision and gave notice that they would challenge the plan in federal court. The group Earthjustice called the decision a ‘massive giveaway at the expense of salmon spawning streams, healthy old-growth forests and habitat for rare birds such as the northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet.’

I have no idea what a marbeled murrelet is. A bird, I guess? But anyhow, the Interior Department people (hey, remember when the Interior Department did this?) say there will be time for additional review and comment before this plan goes into effect. During that time, you can takepart and visit Earthjustice’s website and learn how they work to protect the environment, and what you can do to help.

Also, an aside: have you read Sometimes a Great Notion? Ken Kesey’s masterpiece about a logging family in Oregon? Yeah, you really need to do that. It’s confusing as all hell for the first 100 pages, but trust me. It’s worth it. So worth it.