Menominee - Conflict Over Logging

Conflict Over Logging

The Menominee had the practice of logging in a sustainable manner. In the early 20th century, the Forest Service became involved in managing their forest. Despite the desire of the tribe and Senator Robert M. LaFollette for sustainable yield policy, the Forest Service did clear-cutting for years, until 1926. It had been cutting seventy percent of the salable timber. The Department of Interior regained control and, over the next dozen years, with the tribe reduced the cutting of salable timber to thirty percent. In 1934, the Menominee filed suit in the United States Court of Claims against the Forest Service, saying that its policy had damaged their resource. The court agreed and settled the claim finally in 1952, awarding the Menominee $8.5 million.