April 1, 2025
Medford Oregon
For Immediate Release
Contact:
George Sexton, Conservation Director KS Wild (541) 778-8120 gs@kswild.org
Nick Cady, Legal Director, Cascadia Wildlands (314) 482-3746 nick@cascwild.org
John Persell, Staff Attorney, Oregon Wild (503) 896-6472 jp@oregonwild.org
Meriel Darzen, Senior Staff Attorney, Crag Law Center (503) 525-2725 meriel@crag.org
On March 31, 2025, Federal District Court Judge Ann Aiken ruled that the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) “Integrated Vegetation Management” (IVM) logging program illegally authorized the destruction of old-growth forest stands located within Late Successional Reserves, areas purportedly set aside for forest conservation. In particular, the court pointed out that “gap creation” and “open seral” logging prescriptions within the Late Successional Reserves would have increased fire hazard while removing old-growth forest habitat.
Conservation groups from across Oregon challenged the IVM logging project with the goal of getting BLM forest managers to focus on fuels reduction and fire resiliency instead of logging old-growth forests to meet artificial timber targets.
“This ruling confirms that Late Successional Reserves are exactly what their name says,” said George Sexton, KS Wild Conservation Director. “These fire-resilient old-growth forest stands capture carbon while providing some of the best wildlife habitat left in southern Oregon.”
The first commercial IVM timber sales called Penn Butte and Late Mungers were located in the Williams Late Successional Reserve and would have removed over 400-acres of old-growth habitat through “open seral” logging and another 51 acres through “gap creation” clearcutting.
“Reckless timber sales like this are exactly why we need strong public oversight,” said John Persell, Staff Attorney for Oregon Wild. “Trump’s executive order to ramp up logging pushes for more destructive projects like this solely to benefit the timber industry, but the forests at Penn Butte and Late Mungers should be protected for their role in storing carbon and providing key habitat, not sacrificed for corporate profit.”
Through the IVM timber scheme BLM timber planners hoped to avoid site-specific analysis and public input while removing old-growth forest habitat from the Late Successional Reserves, increasing fire hazard in the logged forest stands.
“If the BLM is interested in real fire-focused restoration, we would be fully supportive,” said Cascadia Wildlands Legal Director Nick Cady, “but that is not what the IVM logging program is. Aggressively logging wildlife habitat in the Late Successional Reserves will increase fire hazard for the surrounding communities. It demonstrates that this agency is only concerned with producing timber volume.”
The successful legal challenge was argued by Meriel Darzen of the Crag Law Center on behalf of KS Wild, Oregon Wild, Soda Mountain Wilderness Council, and Cascadia Wildlands. In the shadow of the Trump Administration anti-environmental Executive Orders, Crag remains committed to the rule of law.
Eugene-based Cascadia Wildlands defends and restores Cascadia’s wild ecosystems in the forests, in the courts, and in the streets. The organization envisions vast old-growth forests, rivers full of wild salmon, wolves howling in the backcountry, a stable climate, and vibrant communities sustained by the unique landscapes of the Cascadia bioregion. www.cascwild.org
Oregon Wild’s mission is to protect and restore Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife, and water as an enduring legacy. Oregon Wild is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year.
KS Wild’s mission is to protect and restore wild nature in the Klamath-Siskiyou region of southwest Oregon and northwest California.
Soda Mountain Wilderness Council protects and promotes wilderness in the Soda Mountain/Pilor Rock area.
Through a unique model of “legal aid for the environment,” Crag Law Center provides free and low-cost legal services to people and organizations who are working on the ground to protect our environment, climate and communities. www.crag.org