Mudslide Trees Were Clear-Cut

Washington state's Department of Natural Resources used outdated data to allow clear-cut logging above the slope that collapsed and killed 21 people this month. Five acres' worth of trees were removed, which almost certainly contributed to the soil being able to absorb more water and potentially to the deadly landslide. In 1997, the department issued logging restrictions based on a map from 1988. Had a recent map been used, an "additional 12 acres... would have been placed under protection," the Seattle Times found.