Portland, OR — Conservation groups informed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today that they intend to sue over the agency’s denial of Endangered Species Act protections to the imperiled North Oregon Coast population of red tree voles. The Service’s decision to deny protections in February echoes a 2019 Trump administration denial, which was made despite several previous findings that protection was warranted. North Coast voles are threatened by logging and climate change-fueled wildfires. 

“We need protections for these ridiculously cute red tree voles, who spend virtually their entire lives in the tops of big trees, eating conifer needles,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s not rocket science that when these trees are logged or burned, tree voles die. On Oregon’s North Coast, decades of rampant clearcutting have nearly wiped out the vole’s populations.”   

Red tree voles build their nests on complex branch and bole structures found in old growth forest. The North Coast is dominated by a combination of private industrial timberlands and the Tillamook and Clatsop state forests. Decades of rapacious clearcut logging, as well a series of historic fires known as the Tillamook Burn, have eliminated the vast majority of the area’s old forests, along with the red tree voles that once called them home. 

“Red tree voles are a harbinger of the health of our forests; they are suffering the negative impacts of decades of mismanagement,” said Bethany Cotton, conservation director with Cascadia Wildlands. “It’s long past time for the agency tasked with safeguarding imperiled species to do its job and provide these adorable forest dwellers with the protections they need to recover.” 

Remaining North Coast voles are concentrated on federal lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Although the Northwest Forest Plan helps protect these remaining small and isolated populations, the long-term survival of the voles depends on improving state and private land forest management.  

The state forests are in the process of adopting a habitat conservation plan that will provide some protection to the vole. But the plan will also allow continued logging of thousands of acres of potential vole habitat without any surveys to determine if the species is present. The tree vole currently has no protections on private forests.  

“The red tree vole, and the diverse older forests it inhabits, are vital to the survival of northern spotted owls, wild salmon and countless other species,” said Danielle Moser, wildlife program manager for Oregon Wild. “These forests and wildlife are a critical part of Oregon’s natural heritage, and they should be protected as a legacy for future generations; not destroyed for short-term profit.” 

In response to a 2007 Center petition, the Service determined in 2011 that protection of the North Oregon Coast population of red tree voles was “warranted but precluded.” It then moved the voles to a list of candidate species for a decade until it reversed course and denied protections in 2019. A Center lawsuit over the denial resulted in a 2022 settlement directing the Service to reconsider the decision. 

“Red tree voles (everyone’s favorite tree hamsters) are threatened by logging and wildfire, yet the Fish and Wildlife Service has gone to great lengths to contradict its own findings that this species deserves protection,” said Quinn Read, conservation director at Bird Alliance of Oregon. “Red tree voles don’t have time for bureaucratic delays — the agency must do its job to protect this species and its forest habitat.” 

Today’s notice of intent was sent by the Center for Biological Diversity, Bird Alliance of Oregon, Cascadia Wildlands and Oregon Wild.  

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Cascadia Wildlands defends and restores Cascadia’s wild ecosystems in the forests, in the courts, and in the streets. 

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.  

Bird Alliance of Oregon was founded in 1902 and works statewide to advocate for Oregon’s wildlife and wild places, and to inspire all people to love and protect birds, wildlife, and the natural environment upon which life depends.  

The post Press Release: Lawsuit Launched to Protect Oregon’s Red Tree Voles  first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

Contact:
Madeline Cowen, Grassroots Organizer, Cascadia Wildlands, (541) 434-1463
Victoria Wingell, Forests and Climate Campaigner, Oregon Wild
John Persell, Staff Attorney, Oregon Wild
Ryan Talbott, Pacific Northwest Conservation Advocate, WildEarth Guardians

Public comment period concludes for pathway to rulemaking on how Forest Service manages national forests

Eugene, OR — More than 500,000 people have submitted public comments to the U.S. Forest Service calling for the agency to adopt a rule that protects mature and old-growth trees and forests on federal land as a cornerstone of U.S. climate policy. Activists were joined by organizers from the Climate Forests Campaign, a coalition which includes Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands, and WildEarth Guardians, to deliver some of these public comments at an event at the Wayne Morse Federal Courthouse in Eugene on Thursday, July 20, 2023.

PHOTOS AVAILABLE FOR MEDIA USE

In April, the Forest Service issued a rulemaking proposal to improve the climate resilience of federally managed forests. The public comment period on the proposal closed today.

“Hundreds of thousands of people from every age group and every corner of the country weighed in to urge President Biden to enact a clear rule protecting mature and old growth forests from the Forest Service chopping block,” said Victoria Wingell, Forest and Climate Campaigner for Oregon Wild. “Public support has never been higher for bold, effective solutions to keep carbon in the forests and out of the atmosphere.”

In addition to the hundreds of thousands of people who weighed in, dozens of environmental and grassroots organizations submitted comments, including the Climate Forests Campaign, a coalition of more than 120 organizations working to protect mature and old-growth trees and forests on federal land from logging.

“It’s clear that the public wants old-growth and mature forests and trees to be protected,” said Madeline Cowen, Grassroots Organizer at Cascadia Wildlands. “These critical forests store carbon.  They protect imperiled species.  They safeguard key waterways.  It’s well past time for the federal land managers to adopt a rule that provides durable protections for our forests, and recognizes them for what they are: a natural climate solution and a key ally in the fight for a livable future.”

Activists and environmental advocates gathered today to celebrate the amount of public support. At 11:00 a.m. on Thursday at the federal courthouse in Eugene, attorneys for Climate Forests Campaign members Oregon Wild and WildEarth Guardians presented oral argument in a lawsuit against the Forest Service. Oregon Wild and WildEarth Guardians have challenged the Forest Service’s unlawful authorization of commercial logging on the Fremont-Winema National Forest without proper environmental analysis. The agency authorized 29,000 acres of commercial logging, including the 16,000-acre South Warner Project, using a “categorical exclusion” to avoid detailed environmental review and public involvement. 

“The South Warner Project includes commercial logging of large, old trees under the guise of “timber stand and wildlife habitat improvement,” said John Persell, Staff Attorney at Oregon Wild.  “It is yet another example of why a national rule protecting mature and old-growth forest stands is needed to address the climate and biodiversity crises.”

Earlier this month, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) concluded a public comment period for its own proposed rulemaking, with hundreds of thousands of people calling on the federal government to protect mature and old-growth trees and forests from logging. In March, the BLM announced its wide-ranging “Conservation and Landscape Health” rule, with a goal to “promote ecosystem resilience on public lands” and included an acknowledgment of the importance of mature and old-growth trees and forests. 

In addition to the two proposed rules, the Forest Service and the BLM released an inventory of mature and old-growth forests, the first of its kind, as required by the executive order President Biden signed on Earth Day 2022. The White House directed the Forest Service and the BLM to inventory and conserve mature and old-growth forests on federal land, and to implement policies to address threats facing forests.

The Climate Forests Campaign has been elevating calls from community members, scientists, and activists around the country about the necessity of protecting these mature and old-growth trees and forests, including from the ongoing threat of logging. The coalition has highlighted the threat to mature and old-growth forests and trees in two reports, citing 22 of the worst logging projects on Forest Service and BLM-managed forests.

Mature and old-growth forests are some of the most effective tools available for mitigating climate change and promoting biodiversity. They store huge amounts of carbon and keep it out of the atmosphere. They also provide essential wildlife habitat and are the most fire-resilient trees in the forest. As the world experiences record-shattering heat and widespread climate disasters, protecting these forests is critical for preventing the worst impacts of climate change.

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Contact:
Madeline Cowen, Cascadia Wildlands, (541) 434-1463
Victoria Wingell, Oregon Wild
Steve Pedery, Oregon Wild
Patty Hine, 350 Eugene

Following USDA announcement advancing Biden’s 2022 Earth Day Executive Order, activists rally for swift action to protect mature and old-growth forests for their climate benefits

Click for Photos & Videos Available for Press: Rally and Threatened Forests

Eugene, OR — Hundreds of concerned community members gathered Eugene, Oregon on Earth Day for a rally and demonstration in support of a proposed new national rule to protect mature and old-growth trees and forests on federally managed public lands. As thousands of acres of forests on public lands are threatened to be logged, members of the public were joined by Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis and Eugene City Councilmember Matt Keating to urge federal agencies to protect mature and old-growth forests as a cornerstone of U.S. climate policy.

“We are fortunate to have the commitment of the Biden Administration to protect our forests, but as a mayor committed to climate, I recognize the urgency of the moment,” said Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis. “Trees are threatened from logging in our state and across the nation. We know that retaining and protecting these forests is a key step to addressing climate change.” 

Just shy of the one-year anniversary of President Biden’s executive order directing the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to define, inventory, and protect the nation’s mature and old-growth federal forests, the agencies on Thursday released a new inventory and map of these forests, as well as a notice of proposed rulemaking. The rulemaking process will include a public comment period to gather input from Americans on mature and old-growth protections, and what policies the agencies should adopt to protect them. Activists say this a welcomed first step towards permanent protections for the trees and forests most critical to fighting climate change, but worry some of these areas could be logged before a new rule is adopted unless swift action is taken. 

Victoria Wingell, Forest and Climate Campaigner at Oregon Wild said, “Thousands of acres of mature and old-growth forests across the state are still threatened by logging right now, despite the White House’s steps to protect them. If we are to have a fighting chance at combating the climate crisis we are all facing, we need the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to take the magnitude of this threat seriously and withdraw these egregious timber sales. It’s clear that we need this new national rule now more than ever.” These projects include the Ragged Ruby project in the Malheur National Forest and multiple BLM projects: Evans Creek, 42 Divide, and IVM.

“As we celebrate yet another Earth Day characterized by compounding biodiversity and climate crises, we ask federal agencies to permanently protect mature and old-growth forests as one of our most powerful natural climate solutions,” said Madeline Cowen, grassroots organizer with Cascadia Wildlands. “Older forests filter our drinking water, remove climate pollution from the air we breathe, and increase our resilience to uncharacteristically severe wildfires. These forests are worth far more standing.”

“In the Pacific Northwest, mature and old-growth forests are our first line of defense against climate change,” said Steve Pedery, Conservation Director at Oregon Wild. “Keeping these trees standing means they can continue to capture and store the pollution that causes climate change, provide future generations with clean water to drink, and protect vital habitat for fish and wildlife.”

This Earth Day rally follows the withdrawal of the Flat Country timber sale last year, after activists across the region organized in opposition. The Flat Country sale would have logged 1,000 acres of trees 98-170 years old and had been previously identified by the Climate Forests Campaign, a coalition of more than 120 organizations working to protect mature and old-growth trees and forests on federal land, as one of the most egregious examples of mature and old-growth logging projects planned in the United States. The coalition’s report highlighted 21 additional mature and old-growth logging projects on Forest Service and BLM-managed forests currently expected to move forward.

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The post Press Release: Eugene Earth Day rally calls for forest protection, Biden to keep promises first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2023
 
Press Contacts:
Bethany Cotton, Cascadia Wildlands, (541) 434-1463
Dylan Plummer, Sierra Club
                     
Eugene, Ore. — The City of Eugene voted five to three tonight to phase out fossil fuels like gas in new homes and buildings, a historic step that will cut climate pollution, improve air quality, and lower utility bills for households. The vote from the City Council delivered a major victory to the dozens of climate, environmental justice, health, housing and racial justice groups who organized for more than two years in favor of the policy.
 
“After years of deliberation, Eugene has taken a critical step to cut dangerous air pollution and meet its climate goals with the passage of this ordinance,” said Eugene City Councilor Emily Semple. “With this policy, our city is now set to help lead Oregon in a just transition to clean renewable electricity in homes.”
 
The ordinance approved by the Council requires that all new residential construction, including single-family homes and multi-family buildings three stories and below, be constructed all-electric starting June 30, 2023.
 
Eugene is the 97th city across the country to pass a climate policy incentivizing or requiring electric appliances in new homes and buildings. New all-electric homes in Eugene cut climate pollution by 74% compared to homes that burn gas, while lowering utility bills by nearly $400 dollars annually, according to an analysis from RMI. 
 
“Burning fossil fuels in homes poses an imminent threat to our health and climate. It’s clear we cannot let this source of pollution grow unchecked. I am proud of our City’s leadership in paving the way for local governments across Oregon to take this step in transitioning new homes to clean energy,”said Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis. 
 
In addition to warming the planet, gas appliances are also a major source of air pollution, both indoors and out. A literature review of the dozens of studies connecting gas appliances like stoves in homes with dangerous air quality prompted the health department in Multnomah County, Oregon to recommend a transition away from gas appliances last year. A recent study from RMI, University of Sydney, and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that more than 12% – or one in eight – of childhood asthma cases nationwide can be attributed to gas stove pollution. 
 
“Communities of color in Eugene are more likely to breathe hazardous air in our neighborhoods – our homes should be places of refuge, not one more source of pollution for overburdened lungs. The City of Eugene took an important step today to increase access to healthy all-electric homes,” said Jerrel Brown, environmental and climate justice organizer with the NAACP Eugene-Springfield. 
 
The vote from the City of Eugene came despite fierce opposition from Oregon’s largest gas utility, NW Natural. In the months leading up to the vote, NW Natural angered some Council members by pursuing a range of scare tactics to dissuade the City from moving forward with the climate policy, including providing misleading verbal and written communications to the Council. 
 
“In the face of an aggressive misinformation campaign from NW Natural and the fossil fuel industry at large, local leaders in Eugene have taken a bold step to achieve its climate targets and protect the public from air pollution,” said Dylan Plummer, Senior Campaign Representative with the Sierra Club. “Elected officials across Oregon should follow Eugene’s lead. Local leadership in standing up to polluters has never been more important.” 
 
NW Natural’s misinformation campaign extended outside of Eugene, to communities across Oregon considering electrification measures. Last week, the New York Times reported that in Multnomah County, NW Natural hired a toxicologist with ties to Big Tobacco, to testify at a County hearing, attempting to cast doubt on the science connecting gas stoves to health harms. Records also show that another expert from Gradient Corp sent written testimony to the Eugene City Council on behalf of NW Natural, which was later forwarded to Oregon legislators. Last week, organizations with the Fossil Free Eugene Coalition submitted comments to the City highlighting Dr. Goodman and NW Natural’s false and misleading claims.
 
“The passage of Oregon’s first electrification ordinance is a tremendous victory for the public health and safety of Eugene residents,” said David De La Torre, healthy climate program director at Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility. “As communities across Oregon continue to face the impacts of the COVID 19 crisis and wildfire smoke, it is critical local governments are taking action to reduce exposure to pollutants that contribute to respiratory health impacts, and which increase risk and vulnerability to serious illness.” 
 
Phasing out gas in new homes and buildings is an important first step, and advocates now hope that policy makers in Eugene will work to expand access to electric appliances in existing homes. 
 
“It is already challenging enough to find affordable and accessible housing in Eugene. No tenant should be forced to put their health in harm’s way to put a roof over their head,” noted Timothy Morris, Executive Director of the Springfield Eugene Tenants Association. “We are glad that the City of Eugene has voted to expand access to healthy all-electric homes for future renters.” 
 
Starting this year, Oregon households will be able to take advantage of federal incentives through the Inflation Reduction Act to support the transition to healthy electric appliances – including up to $8,000 per household for an electric heat pump, $1,750 for a heat pump water heater, and $840 for an electric stove. 
 
“We applaud Eugene for taking this significant step toward enlivening our city’s Climate Action Plan, protecting public health, and building a more resilient community,” said Bethany Cotton conservation director with Cascadia Wildlands. “We look forward to working with the city on the next steps to ensure the community can easily access electrification incentives and ensure a just transition off of fossil fuel reliance in buildings and transportation.”
 
“The most vulnerable families in our community may not be aware that every moment they spend cooking to feed their families, they are breathing in poisonous gasses and chemicals that can cause serious diseases like asthma or increase the risk of pneumonia. Yet, these same families are often renters, without the say-so in what appliances are installed in their homes. With the help of ordinances based on public health concerns such as the action taken by Eugene’s City Council today, homes and apartments of the future will be safer because electric appliances don’t emit toxic pollution,” said Lisa Arkin, Executive Director of Beyond Toxics.
 
Find free-to-use photos and footage here. Please attribute to the Fossil Free Eugene Coalition.
 

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Contact:
Madeline Cowen, Cascadia Wildlands, (541) 434-1463
Randi Spivak, Center for Biological Diversity

EUGENE, OR — As world leaders gather to address the climate crisis, U.S. land management agencies are undermining President Joe Biden’s commitment to conserve mature and old-growth forests and trees by proposing to log thousands of acres on public lands that serve as climate-saving carbon sinks, as well as providing wildlife habitat and clean drinking water for communities.

Today’s America’s Vanishing Climate Forests report profiles 12 projects on federal public lands including the Bureau of Land Management’s “42 Divide” sale in southwest Oregon, which proposes to log 5,280 acres of mature and old-growth moist mixed conifer forests with trees up to 200 years old. Along with the 10 similar projects identified in a previous report, federal agencies currently have 370,000 acres of older public forests on the chopping block. 

“With so few old-growth stands remaining amidst a sea of clearcuts, it’s abhorrent that the government is planning to log our last older public forests like those in the 42 Divide project,” said Madeline Cowen, Grassroots Organizer with Cascadia Wildlands. “If the Biden administration is serious about fighting the climate crisis, these forests need to be immediately and permanently protected. Forests and their vast amounts of naturally stored carbon are one of the best, and last, defenses we have. ”

Today’s report comes as members of the Biden administration meet with international leaders at COP27 about climate commitments, including efforts to reverse deforestation and promote nature-based solutions to addressing climate change. Protecting mature and old-growth forests and trees is one of the simplest and most effective ways the Biden administration can tackle climate change at home and demonstrate global leadership.

“Instead of heeding Biden’s pledge to set an example for the world, federal agencies are moving full steam ahead with massive logging of mature and old-growth forests,” said Randi Spivak, Public Lands Program director with the Center for Biological Diversity. “These are some of the world’s most magnificent trees and it’ll take centuries to recover their loss. We’re running out of time. The U.S. needs to immediately change course and protect these carbon workhorses.” 

On Earth Day President Biden issued an executive order directing an inventory of mature and old-growth federally managed public forests and development of policies to protect them. Agencies can establish needed protections for these trees and forests while carrying forward the critical work of protecting communities from wildfire. 

At COP26, world leaders pledged to end global deforestation by 2030, but a recent assessment shows nations are not on track to achieve this goal. Ending logging of mature and old-growth forests and trees is a cost-effective solution that can start right now. Advocates from the Climate Forests campaign, a coalition of 120 organizations, are calling on the Biden administration to swiftly adopt a durable rule to protect mature and old-growth trees and forests from logging.

 “Global leaders are discussing the climate crisis in Egypt this week, and time is running out for the world’s greatest emitters to begin implementing policies to stave off the worst consequences,” said Blaine Miller-McFeeley, senior legislative representative at Earthjustice. “A federal rule that restricts logging of critical mature and old-growth forests on federal lands is a cost-effective solution that harnesses nature to fight climate change, while preserving wildlife habitat and protecting clean drinking water.”

In July the Climate Forests Campaign released Worth More Standing, which identified 10 of the worst projects on federal forests targeting mature and old-growth forests and trees. The agencies have not reversed course on any of the 10 sales, though a lawsuit has paused two. Maps on the Climate Forests campaign website show the projects featured in the reports and illustrate the widespread logging threat across the country. 

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The post Press Release: U.S. Agencies Undermine Biden’s Public Forest Protection Pledge with Logging Plans, According to Report first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

Contacts:
Bethany Cotton, Cascadia Wildlands, (541) 434-1463
Susan Jane Brown, Western Environmental Law Center
Doug Heiken, Oregon Wild

Eugene, OR — Today, old-growth forest and wildlife advocates provided the U.S. Forest Service the means to reconsider the pending Trump-era “Flat Country” timber sale in Oregon’s Willamette National Forest. The vast majority of the proposed logging would be in mature and old-growth forests, with over 1,000 acres of clearcutting, even though President Biden this year ordered his administration to prioritize conserving these forests as a crucial climate protection.

The groups’ “significant new information” letter details new law and policy as well as changed on-the-ground conditions stemming from the 2020 Holiday Farm wildfire nearby. The Forest Service’s 2020 environmental impact statement approving the 5,000-acre timber sale does not consider these important issues as required by the National Environmental Policy Act. With the letter, the groups are asking the agency to perform supplemental environmental review of the new information that arose since 2020.

The timber sale is controversial in part because the Forest Service has not attempted to clearcut older forests in the Pacific Northwest for many years. The sale is opposed by Dr. Jerry Franklin and Dr. Norm Johnson (their story map here), two of the authors of the landmark Northwest Forest Plan; as well as Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR). The area was occupied by tree sitters in 2021 and 2022.

“The Flat Country timber sale would harm the climate, destroy thousands of acres of mature and old-growth forests, harm threatened northern spotted owls, and further impair the McKenzie River Watershed that is still reeling from a 2020 megafire driven by climate change,” said Susan Jane Brown, Wildlands and Wildlife Program director at the Western Environmental Law Center. “There is absolutely zero reason for the Biden administration—after committing to conserve mature and old-growth forests earlier this year—to pursue this Trump-era logging project when so much has changed. This is the Forest Service’s last chance to heed this new information before it makes a tragic and avoidable mistake.”

“The Biden administration’s Earth Day executive order is commendable because it at long last acknowledges the importance of safeguarding mature and old-growth forests, but it contains a glaring error in failing to recognize the ongoing threat logging poses to our last remaining mature and old-growth forests,” said Bethany Cotton, conservation director for Cascadia Wildlands. “If the Biden administration is serious about protecting old growth and safeguarding our climate, wildlife habitat, and drinking water sources, it must withdraw this terrible logging project.”

“Anyone who has visited the Flat Country sale can plainly see this is a commercial logging grab,” said Doug Heiken, restoration and conservation coordinator for Oregon Wild. “Many areas slated for destruction are fully functioning mature and old-growth forests—the exact types of systems the Forest Service claims it is trying to restore. To say this logging sale is about forest health, wildlife habitat, or fire mitigation is laughable.”

The significant new law and policy:
In “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad” (executive order 14008), President Biden orders his administration to:

“…organize and deploy the full capacity of its agencies to combat the climate crisis to implement a Government-wide approach that reduces climate pollution in every sector of the economy; increases resilience to the impacts of climate change; protects public health; conserves our lands, waters, and biodiversity…”

In “Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities, and Local Economies” (executive order 14072), President Biden emphasizes the importance of conserving old-growth forests:

“Globally, forests…play an irreplaceable role in reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions…America’s forests absorb more than 10 percent of annual United States economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions. Conserving old-growth and mature forests on Federal lands while supporting and advancing climate-smart forestry and sustainable forest products is critical to protecting these and other ecosystem services provided by those forests.”
 
“My Administration will manage forests on Federal lands, which include many mature and old-growth forests, to promote their continued health and resilience; retain and enhance carbon storage; conserve biodiversity; mitigate the risk of wildfires; enhance climate resilience; enable subsistence and cultural uses; provide outdoor recreational opportunities; and promote sustainable local economic development…”

Finally, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack issued “Climate Resilience and Carbon Stewardship of America’s National Forests and Grasslands” (secretarial memorandum 1077-004) to meet some of the obligations of the Department of Agriculture imposed by EO 14072. In addition to recognizing the threat posed to national forests from climate change and the value of and role that forests play in combating the climate crisis, the secretary directed the Chief of the Forest Service to “carry out immediate actions to accelerate climate resilience and carbon stewardship.”

The Flat Country timber sale is antithetical to this significant new law and policy because rather than conserve older forests, the timber sale will log 3,115 acres of forest older than 80 years of age.

The significant new circumstances (wildfire):
On Labor Day 2020, several wildfires sparked in western Oregon, driven by high winds and temperatures, low humidity, drought conditions, and climate change. One of these fires, the Holiday Farm Fire, burned more than 173,000 acres or 27% of the McKenzie River Watershed to the west of the proposed Flat Country timber sale. Collectively, the Holiday Farm Fire and other Labor Day 2020 wildfires burned millions of acres of federal public lands and nonfederal lands, causing dramatic changes to forest and vegetation composition. The quality and arrangement of suitable wildlife habitat has changed significantly as a result of the Holiday Farm Fire and the other 2020 Labor Day Fires, requiring a reanalysis of the effects of the Flat Country timber sale.

The Forest Service published the Flat Country final environmental impact statement in June 2020, three months before the onset of the Labor Day fires. Numerous assumptions and analyses in that authorization are no longer valid in light of the extensive change in vegetative conditions as a result of these large fires.

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The post Press Release: Mature and old-growth logging sale undermines Biden climate policy; threatens McKenzie River, habitat first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

Contacts:
Bethany Cotton, Cascadia Wildlands, (541) 434-1463
Danny Noonan, Breach Collective

EUGENE, OREGON — In a major step toward a clean energy future, the Eugene City Council voted today to move forward with a suite of measures advancing the transition off of gas in homes and buildings. The motions include one directing staff to draft ordinance language to mandate that all new homes be constructed 100% electric by June 1, 2023; a second advancing conversations to transition new commercial and industrial construction to require all electric; and a third directing the City Manager to formalize Eugene’s goal of electrifying all existing residential and commercial buildings by 2035.

“The first step when you are in a hole is to stop digging. As the consequences of climate change bear down on our state, it has never been more clear that we cannot afford to expand the use of fossil fuels by connecting new homes to the gas system. Eugene’s vote today brings us one step closer to the clean energy future for homes we urgently need,” said Dylan Plummer, senior campaign representative with the Sierra Club.

The votes come as the city of Eugene swelters in triple digit temperatures this week – the latest climate-fueled heat wave to strike the Northwest, where access to cooling in homes remains low. In addition to cutting climate pollution, electrifying homes using highly-efficient electric appliances like heat pumps, which provide affordable cooling, will also boost household resilience in the face of extreme heat.

“The urgency of acting on climate could not be more clear: our communities are experiencing the impacts of climate inaction now: sweltering heat and high wildfire risk, along with the indoor air pollution related health impacts of continued reliance on dirty, dangerous fossil fuels,” said Bethany Cotton, conservation director with Cascadia Wildlands. “Eugene has an ambitious climate plan, but heretofore has not done enough to enliven that document. We applaud the council for moving these resolutions forward and look forward to them finalizing the ordinances this fall.” 

In addition to voting to advance ambitious targets for electrifying homes and buildings, the City Council also voted to direct the City Manager to return to the city with a public engagement plan regarding the transition of existing buildings to all electric, focused on social, environmental and economic equity. To effectively serve the low-income communities and communities of color that are most burdened by fossil fuel pollution, high energy bills, and climate crisis, Eugene’s policy framework for transitioning existing homes to run on 100% clean energy must be developed in partnership with local community leaders.

“Transitioning homes in Eugene off of fossil fuels in favor of clean energy can advance public health, racial, and income justice. We look forward to partnering with the city in developing a policy framework that will ensure low-income communities and communities of color are prioritized in the transition to healthier homes, and not left behind,” said Eloise Navarro, environmental climate justice coordinator with the Eugene/Springfield NAACP.

Eugene’s vote directing staff to draft ordinance language phasing out gas in new homes and buildings follows months of community engagement and workshops — during which NW Natural, the gas utility serving the city, sought to derail the policy, despite the health, climate and economic benefits. In recent testimony from the utility in an ongoing rate case surrounding its proposed 11.8% rate hike for residential customers, the utility affirmed its intent to bill utility customers for staff time spent fighting Eugene’s climate policy for new homes.

“The Eugene City Council has been subjected to months of fossil fuel industry manipulation tactics from NW Natural. Today, the Council listened to the hundreds of community members who testified and emailed them supporting a just transition and proved that they will not back down from delivering on healthy and climate-resilient homes for their constituents,” said Aya Cockram, coalition coordinator with Fossil Free Eugene.

“After months of intense lobbying, advertising and other scare tactics by one of Oregon’s largest fossil fuel corporations, it is relieving to see Eugene City Council hold firm and continue on the path towards building electrification. Electrifying new residential buildings is the low-hanging fruit, and we now have a clear timeline for making that happen. But it is encouraging that Council also signaled their commitment to taking on the challenge of electrifying new commercial buildings and our existing building stock,” said Danny Noonan, climate and energy strategist with Breach Collective.

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The post Press Release: Eugene City Council Advances Policy to Transition New Construction to All-Electric, Sets Ambitious Targets for Decarbonizing Existing Buildings first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

On an uncharacteristically rainy morning in mid-June, myself, along with my fellow Cascadia team members, pulled into the Middle Fork Willamette Ranger Station. Here, we would meet with representatives from Oregon Wild, as well as a number of Willamette National Forest District Rangers and fuel planners.

The purpose of the visit was twofold. First, we were going to visit sites within the Oakridge/Westfir Thinning and Fuel Reduction Project (OWTFR). Visiting these sites would open the door to discussion on the effectiveness of these projects, and allow us to visually assess outcomes. Second, we sought to use discussions about these projects as a jumping off point to discuss future fuels reduction projects proposed in the Forest.

As an intern, I had the luxury of being able to quietly take it all in. Legal issues and logging concerns aside, I found it fascinating to watch the interpersonal interactions between the different groups unfold. Forest management and fire suppression is a fascinating subject matter and certainly not straightforward. At the end of the day, I’d like to believe that all groups represented on that tour share a mutual respect for the natural world. The bottom line, however, is that different organizations have different priorities, not to mention the motivations underlying them. Thus, as you might imagine, the tour was not a simple walk in the woods filled with idle chatter. Rather, the tour functioned more as a respectful, but not reserved, opportunity for different parties to present their viewpoints in an effort to inform future decision making.

The purpose of the OWTFR Project is to reduce the risk of future catastrophic wildfires. The project operates in two parts. First, forests are thinned. This is accomplished by removing trees from stands in order to decrease the density. Second, fuels reduction takes place. This is accomplished through prescribed burning of the debris left over on the forest floor after thinning. By reducing ground fuels and increasing space between the canopy, these methods aim to slow the spread of fire and keep it closer to the ground, allowing firefighters to more effectively intervene. These thinning and fuels reduction projects make sense in theory, but the reality is much more nuanced.

Often times when thinning and fuels reduction projects are proposed, older stands are slipped into the proposal alongside younger stands. Logging mature forests is problematic for far more reasons than a simple blog post can hash out. Further, thinning old forests is by no means the most effective method of fire reduction. On the contrary, the ramifications of logging old forests can often lead to an increased fire risk. Thus, mature stands are often tossed into thinning and fuels reduction proposals more as a money grab than a fire risk reduction strategy. That being said, it should come as no surprise that one of our goals on the tour was to address this concern of mature forest logging.

The extreme downsides of mature forest logging should not undercut the fact that logging of any kind comes with drawbacks. While Cascadia recognizes that in some cases thinning can be beneficial to protect communities from the spread of wildfire – more on that later – it comes at a cost. Interestingly, one of the points brought up by a District Ranger on the tour was that many people who own homes in high fire risk areas are opposed to the logging. These people would rather run the risk of a fire destroying their home than intentionally remove the trees that attracted them to the area in the first place. Risky? Perhaps. But in many ways these community members might be onto something. When discussing 2020’s Holiday Farm Fire, District Ranger Darren Cross commented that thinning and fuels reduction projects would not have made much of a difference in stopping the fire’s spread. The force of the wind and the speed with which the fire was traveling rendered it nearly impossible to slow down. The fire crossed rivers, and it’s difficult to imagine a much more effective fire break than a body of water.

On a related note, during the tour I noticed the terms “extreme” and “unusual” being used to discuss the 2020 fires. Given the rate of climate change and the effects already occurring, it is entirely likely that 2020 was not unusual so much as it was the start of a new normal. In that case, we need to critically examine the steps we are taking to preemptively reduce fire risk, especially when fuels treatment projects contribute certain negative climate impacts, and uncertain positive outcomes.

I’ll step off my soapbox now to say that fuels reduction projects do have a time and place. Agencies using prescribed fire and commercial thinning to fight fires can be a good thing when done correctly.

The devil is in the details, and one critical detail to keep in mind is that fires are a natural part of the forest ecosystem. The Forest Service has a bad legacy of fire suppression. Wildfires that should have burned in the past were put out. Consequently, stands have become overstocked, tree size and growth has been stunted, and species that don’t belong have moved in. On the one hand, ensuring public safety must be balanced with naturally allowing areas to burn. On the other hand, the reality is that often these wildfires have been put out not to protect the general public, but to protect neighboring private timber plantations.

If all of this sounds a bit confusing, it’s because it is. There’s a lot to unpack here. Fire management is not black and white, but in some ways that is a good thing. It means there is lots of room for compromise.

During the tour, discussions about compromise took place. More importantly, these discussions were productive. For instance, representatives from the environmental groups shared the aforementioned points on the necessity of fire to a healthy forest ecosystem. They suggested that the Forest Service might let more fires burn naturally, so long as they do not pose a safety risk. In theory, the more that fires naturally thin the forest, the less intentional thinning must be done. This benefits not only the ecosystem, but also the Forest Service itself. The reality is that fuels reduction projects are expensive; if more natural burning is allowed to occur, the Forest Service can save time and resources.

As it turns out, the Forest Service has already been considering a fuels reduction strategy along these lines. Inspired by fire management techniques in New Mexico, the fuels reduction planners shared their plans to implement the use of Potential Operational Delineations (PODs) to manage fire.

According to the Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) branch of the Forest Service:

PODs are spatial units or containers defined by potential control features, such as roads and ridge tops, within which relevant information on forest conditions, ecology, and fire potential can be summarized. PODs combine local fire knowledge with advanced spatial analytics to help managers develop a common understanding of risks, management opportunities, and desired outcomes to determine fire management objectives.

Perhaps more importantly than what PODs are, is what they are intended to achieve. Echoing the sentiments I shared earlier, the RMRS explains,

Sometimes, fires resulting from natural ignitions can be strategically managed to achieve goals similar to a prescribed fire: ecological restoration, watershed health, reduced risk of catastrophic wildfire, and reduced future fire suppression costs. When values are likely to benefit, the right kind of fire can be managed for risk reduction and restoration objectives rather than immediately suppressed. Collaborative pre-planning during the PODs process helps to identify these opportunities, as well as conditions and locations where rapid initial attack may still be the best option to protect sensitive resources and assets. Where and when possible, leveraging natural ignitions for non-suppression objectives can reduce fire risk to adjacent high-value PODs over the near term, with benefits for maintaining lower risk conditions with future actions.

Essentially, PODs provide a method of forest management that would allow for a better balance between allowing fires to operate naturally within the ecosystem and ensuring community safety. As far as the Willamette National Forest is concerned, the idea of implementing PODs into fire management planning is still in the early stages, but the concept sounds hopeful.

Overall, I’d deem the tour worthwhile. Attendees were able to share perspectives, tradeoffs were acknowledged, and collaboration, at least to some degree, ensued. The trip ended on a positive note with ideas being floated for future tours including longer hikes to older stands, as well as rotating ranger districts and discussion topics. Most importantly, all parties agreed collaboration and communication are in everyone’s best interest.

Danielle Curtis
University of Oregon School of Law
J.D. Candidate 2023

The post BLOG: Reporting Back from the Oakridge/Westfir Field Visit first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

Contacts:
Bethany Cotton, Conservation Director, Cascadia Wildlands, (541) 434-1463
Tim Ingalsbee, Executive Director, Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology (FUSEE)

Conservationists Call on Biden Admin to Rein in Destructive Post-Fire Roadside Logging

Widespread Post-Fire Clearcutting Threatens Drinking Water, Climate Resilience, Wildlife

Eugene, Oregon — Today, over twenty conservation and climate justice organizations sent a letter to Cabinet Secretaries Deb Haaland of the Department of the Interior and Tom Vilsack of the Department of Agriculture opposing the sweeping post-fire roadside logging proposed or actively being carried out by their respective agencies. The organizations are calling for an end to the blanket prescription linear clearcuts within the perimeters of the 2020 Labor Day wildfires, and a halt to the use of Categorical Exclusions (CE) by federal land management agencies to bypass environmental review and public participation. These clearcuts are up to 200 feet wide on both sides of roadways, adding up to tens of thousands of acres of clearcuts in addition to the hundreds of thousands of acres of private land clearcuts and proposed public lands post-fire logging.

The letter comes as tens of thousands of acres of “hazard” tree removal road and riverside logging are proposed and taking place along federal public forest roads across the State of Oregon. In the past six months, hundreds of thousands of acres of private timberland were already clearcut.

“The roadside clearcutting of burned forests is an insult to the safety risks, health hazards, and hard work that wildland firefighters subjected themselves to save those trees,” said Timothy Ingalsbee, executive director of Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE). “Worse, the logging will greatly amplify the fire risks and fuel hazards affecting future firefighters if and when they are sent to the weedy brushfields that grow up in the wake of clearcutting.”

Community members and environmental organizations are raising concerns about the serious ecological impact that heavy logging has on post-fire forests and watersheds. Research shows that post-fire logging damages the local environment and delays forest recovery, while releasing large amounts of carbon — further exacerbating the global climate crisis. Agencies permit the logging under the scientifically unsound theory of “salvage,” implying burned forests must be clearcut to save value. In truth, burned forests provide habitat for myriad fire-dependent wildlife and plant species, sequester carbon, and naturally recover if only left to do so.

“Far from improving public safety, the unprecedented scale of road and riverside logging is further endangering imperiled species, undermining climate resilience, and jeopardizing drinking water sources for hundreds of thousands of Oregonians,” said Bethany Cotton, conservation director for Cascadia Wildlands. “Federal agencies are attempting to circumvent scientific analysis and public process, by claiming these impacts are minimal when nothing could be further from the truth.”

The organizations are also calling on the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to promulgate clear, science-based post-fire hazard tree removal and remediation regulations applicable across federal agencies via notice and comment public rulemaking to ensure transparency, clarity and consistency.

The signatory organizations are: Cascadia Wildlands, Center for Biological Diversity, Western Environmental Law Center, Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology, Breach Collective, Kalmiopsis Audubon Society, Forest Web, Soda Mountain Wilderness Council, 350PDX, Redwood Region Audubon Society, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, John Muir Project, Sunrise PDX, Sunrise Eugene, Bark, Western Watersheds Project, Blue Mountain Biodiversity Project, South Umpqua Rural Community Partnership, Oregon Wild, Environmental Protection Information Center, WildEarth Guardians.

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Background and Resources:
Read more about the impacts of post-fire roadside logging here and here. Find photos of ongoing post-fire roadside logging here.

Post-fire logging typically removes most of the remaining trees and involves intense road building and maintenance, the planting of non-native species and the application of toxic herbicides. The combined impacts of these actions disrupt forest health, degrade habitat, harm forested watersheds, and impact aquatic ecosystems by driving erosion and removing potential habitat in the form of woody debris (Karr et al. 2004, Donato et al. 2006, Reeves et al. 2006).

Logging emits far more carbon than even severe wildfire (Law et al. 2018). While fire-killed trees may take several decades or even centuries to decompose, during the logging and milling process, most of the carbon is rapidly released into the atmosphere (Smith et al. 2006, Gower et al. 2006). Post-fire logging undercuts the natural sequestration and storage capacity of post-fire forests and contributes to carbon emissions that worsen climate change.

In congressional testimony to the House Subcommittee on Resources (November 10, 2005, hearing on HR4200), University of Washington Professor Jerry Franklin said “Timber salvage is most appropriately viewed as a ‘tax’ on ecological recovery.”

Cascadia Wildlands is a Eugene-based nonprofit working to defend and restore Cascadia’s wild ecosystems in the forests, in the courts, and in the streets.

Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE) conducts public education and policy advocacy promoting safe, ethical, ecological fire management

The post A Call on Secretaries Haaland and Vilsack to Rein in Reckless Post-Fire Roadside Logging in Oregon first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.

What a wonderful week for Cascadia!

TUESDAY

On Tuesday, the proposed Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and 230-mile Pacific Connector pipeline was dealt what we hope is a fatal blow by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which – in a surprise but welcomed move – denied the fossil fuel company’s request to strip Oregon of its Clean Water Act authority. Oregon previously denied Jordan Cove this essential permit – a decision that now stands. Cascadia’s staff, allies, and supporters like you have fought Jordan Cove for 15 years: it’s long past time the threat of this dangerous proposal is lifted from our rural communities, affected Tribes, remaining old-growth, imperiled species, waterways, and our climate.

Later in the day, Washington’s Department of Ecology denied a key permit for the proposed Kalama methanol refinery in Kalama, Washington, effectively killing the project. The proposed refinery would have tied this Washington community to a dirty fossil fuel project for a generation and undermined progress to address climate change.

These two victories — rooted in sustained grassroots activism — demonstrate the power of advocacy, of working across difference: landowners, students, conservationists, Tribes, all coming together in common cause to realize a better, cleaner future.

WEDNESDAY

Then came Wednesday when we woke to a list from the incoming Biden-Harris administration of over 100 anti-environment regulations it intends to review, including the removal of Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves, the stripping of 3.4-million acres of critical habitat for the northern spotted owl, exemption of the Tongass National Forest from the 2001 Roadless Rule, dangerous regulations limiting or eliminating public engagement on projects that imperil our environment, like reckless timber sale planning. Some of these efforts will take time, but they are a very positive signal that the administration intends to prioritize undoing much of the harm done over the past four years.

A few hours later, once formally in office, the administration withdrew the Keystone XL pipeline permit, rejoined the Paris Climate Accord (effective in 30 days), ended the construction of the border wall, placed a moratorium on leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and ordered a review of the shrinkage of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, and the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Marine Monument. The new White House Press Secretary explained these were just the initial actions and noted the need to study the “social cost of greenhouse gas emissions,” clearly acknowledging the existential threats posed by climate change.

THURSDAY

And yesterday, we learned that in response to our administrative protest, the Bureau of Land Management withdrew the 62-acre Beaver Creek timber sale in the Umpqua Field Office of the Coos Bay District along with the entire Environmental Assessment. The proposed logging was in potential nesting habitat for the imperiled marbled murrelet and northern spotted owl in forest areas with trees up to 129 years old. The project had potential negative cumulative impacts with the proposed Pacific Connector pipeline and additional timber sales, as well as increasing fire risk to a rural community, and impacting residential water sources. The agency will now engage in new environmental analysis.

As National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman said at the presidential inauguration, “there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

Thank you for being the light these past four years, these past two-plus decades. We are looking forward to holding this administration accountable to its promises, to pushing it to do more to conserve and recover the wilds of Cascadia and beyond, and to celebrating more victories with you all.

It has been an inspiring first week, and together, we will accomplish so much for Cascadia.

The post BLOG: A Week to Remember first appeared on Cascadia Wildlands.