West Virginia Logging Suit Settled

The Kanawha County Parks and Recreation Commission has settled a civil lawsuit related to a park logging operation after the 2012 derecho.

The Charleston Daily Mail reports the commission voted recently to settle the lawsuit filed against David Russell Bowen’s company, Russell Trucking. Parks Commission Attorney Chuck Bailey says the $50,000 payment to the commission is the maximum amount covered by the company’s insurance policy.

Earlier this year a jury cleared Bowen of charges that he illegally took hundreds of trees in Coonskin Park and cut and sold timber.

Kanawha County had hired Bowen’s company to remove debris after the derecho. Bowen said he had permission to cut trees in the park and did nothing wrong.
The lawsuit had sought triple the estimated $144,000 value of the timber removed.