by Josh Laughlin, Campaign Director It has been nearly 20 months since Cascadia Wildlands, Oregon Wild and Center for Biological Diversity were granted an injunction against the state killing wolves in Oregon. Prior to filing the case, two things became clear: 1) the state of Oregon was becoming more comfortable killing endangered wolves, and 2) … Continue reading Blog: Landmark Settlement Reached for Wolves in Oregon
Press Release: Settlement Reached in Wolf Legal Fight
May 24, 2013 — After seventeen months of grueling negotiations, conservationists, Governor John Kitzhaber, the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW), and the livestock industry have reached a compromise settlement agreement that resolves a long-running legal battle over wolf conservation in Oregon.
Press Release: Bills to Curb Suction Dredge Mining Approved by Key Senate Committee
April 18, 2013 — Outdoor businesses, the commercial fishing industry, fisheries experts, and conservation organizations applaud the passage of Senate Bill 838 and SB 401 by the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee last night. The legislation aims to protect water quality and salmon in Oregon’s iconic river systems from the impacts of harmful suction dredge mining.
Press Release: Sensitive Wildlife Habitat and Drinking Water Supply Protected Above McKenzie
March 27, 2013 — United States District Court Judge Anne Aiken has found that the United States Forest Service broke the law in seeking to carry out the
controversial Goose logging sale near McKenzie Bridge, Oregon, without a detailed analysis of potential environmental damage. This logging sale has drawn intense opposition from local residents and landowners concerned about harm to wildlife and nearby streams. Represented by the Western Environmental Law Center, the conservation organizations Oregon Wild and Cascadia Wildlands filed a legal challenge against the planned logging in 2012.
Press Release: 52 Members of Congress Urge Continued Federal Protections for Wolves in Lower 48 States
March 5, 2013 — In an effort championed by Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), 52 House members sent a letter today to the director of the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service urging an about-face on the agency’s anticipated proposal to remove federal protections for wolves across most of the lower 48 United States.
Press Release: Legislation Introduced to Protect Water Quality and Wild Salmon in Oregon
February 19, 2013 — Local businesses, outdoor enthusiasts, and conservation organizations applaud the recent introduction of Senate Bill 401 by Senator Alan Bates (D-Medford/Ashland) which would protect 30 rivers as State Scenic Waterways in recognition of their outstanding scenic vistas, value to fish and wildlife, and importance as sources of drinking water.
Press Release: Congress Feels the Love for Oregon’s Natural Treasures
February 14, 2013 — A coalition of Oregon conservation organizations is applauding efforts by Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to re-introduce a package of protections for several natural areas in Oregon. Protection for the Molalla River, Oregon Caves, and other areas have been strongly supported by a broad spectrum of Oregonians for years, from local elected officials to fishing guides to rafting companies.
Press Release: Conservationists Challenge Controversial BLM Clear-Cutting Pilot Project
January 30, 2013 — Conservation groups today filed an administrative challenge to the proposed clearcutting of more than 100 acres of mature forests and spotted owl critical habitat on public lands near Canyonville. The White Castle Timber sale is part of the Roseburg Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Secretarial Pilot project, promoted by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar as a way of restoring the forest and increasing timber harvest on federal forest lands.
Press Release: Anniversary of OR-7’s Arrival in California Inspires New Wolf Alliance
December 21, 2012 — Twenty-five wildlife conservation, education and protection organizations in California, Oregon and Washington today announced the formation of an alliance committed to recovering wolves across the region. The Pacific Wolf Coalition envisions populations of wolves restored across their historic habitats in numbers that will allow them to re-establish their critical role in nature and ensure their long-term survival. The announcement of the Pacific Wolf Coalition coincides with the one-year anniversary of the first wolf, OR-7, in California in nearly 90 years.
Press Release: Oregon Suspends Clearcutting in the Elliott State Forest
November 14, 2012 — After a lawsuit by conservation groups, the State of Oregon has suspended logging of 914 acres of old-growth forest on the Elliott State Forest that is habitat for the threatened marbled murrelet. Previously, ten timber sales were suspended in response to the lawsuit filed in July by Cascadia Wildlands, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Audubon Society of Portland. The suit asserts that the state is harming the rare seabird by logging its nesting habitat in violation of the Endangered Species Act.