A grassroots community group is taking the provincial government to court over its plans to clear-cut a large portion of Crown land on the East Coast.

The Citizens Against Clearcutting says the province’s plan to clear-cut almost 11 square kilometres of land in the Southwest River Valley near Port Blandford would have a number of negative impacts.

The government, which first announced plans to clear the area in 2017, has recently expanded the amount of land to be cleared.

The protest group says clear-cutting would have a negative impact on residents’ quality of life, eco-tourism, and wildlife, including at-risk species such as caribou, pine marten, and lynx.

The group has held public meetings, sent petitions to the House of Assembly, and met with government officials but claims it is now left with no choice but to take legal action.