February 3, 2016 — Conservation groups filed a lawsuit today challenging the authority of the federal wildlife-killing program Wildlife Services to kill any of the approximately 81 remaining gray wolves in Oregon. The legal challenge, filed by the Western Environmental Law Center on behalf of four conservation groups, with Cascadia Wildlands representing itself, comes weeks after a federal court ruled that Wildlife Services’ controversial wolf killing program in Washington is illegal.
Public Lands Rallies Planned Across Oregon
#RefugeRally Announced for Tuesday, Jan 19th Public will gather to support Malheur refuge, celebrate national public lands OREGON/WASHINGTON- Rallies supporting Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and public lands will be held across Oregon and Washington Tuesday, January 19th at noon.The public is invited to join this statewide event expressing appreciation for national public lands, their public … Continue reading Public Lands Rallies Planned Across Oregon
Suit Filed to Restore Endangered Species Act Protections for Wolves in Oregon
December 30, 2015 — Three conservation groups filed a legal challenge today to the removal of protection from gray wolves under Oregon’s Endangered Species Act. According to the challenge, the 4-2 decision by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to delist wolves violated the law by failing to follow best available science and prematurely removing protections before wolves are truly recovered. With only about 80 known adult wolves mostly confined to one small corner of the state, Oregon’s wolf population is far from recovery, according to leading scientists.
Mt. June/Hardesty Mountain Roadless Area Threatened with Old-Growth Clearcutting
Some of our favorite hikes here at Cascadia Wildlands wind through the Hardesty Mountain Roadless Area just southeast of Eugene. Hardesty is one of the closest old-growth, roadless areas you can access from Eugene, and is a favorite of hikers and mountain bikers alike. We have worked for years to safeguard this area for its … Continue reading Mt. June/Hardesty Mountain Roadless Area Threatened with Old-Growth Clearcutting
From Exterminated to a Rebounding Population: A Brief History of Wolves in Oregon
By Legal Director Nick Cady Given the state’s recent move to remove the gray wolf from Oregon’s list of threatened and endangered species, it is worth taking a full look at the history of this species in Oregon to fully put in context the recent decision. In 1947, the last wolf was killed … Continue reading From Exterminated to a Rebounding Population: A Brief History of Wolves in Oregon
Cascadia Wildlands Joins Lawsuit to Protect Wild Salmon and Clean Water from Gold Mining
November 20, 2015 — To defend an Oregon law designed to protect wildlife from damaging gold mining along waterways, a broad coalition of groups moved to intervene today in a lawsuit by mining interests challenging the restrictions. Passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2013, Senate Bill 838 placed restrictions on gold mining using suction dredges and other motorized equipment along streams to prevent harmful impacts to salmon and develop a permitting process to better protect Oregon’s waterways. Miners are now alleging that the state law conflicts with federal laws passed in the 1800s to encourage westward expansion.
Oregon Slammed for “Flawed” Scientific Basis for Wolf Delisting
October 29, 2015 — A group of leading independent scientists this week voiced their opposition to a plan to remove state protections from Oregon’s wolves, saying the estimated population of only 83 wolves cannot be considered recovered. The scientists identified significant flaws in a “population viability analysis” conducted by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife that claims wolves are at low risk of extinction.
Goose Timber Sale is Back!
Two years ago the community of McKenzie Bridge was surprised to find pending timber harvest signs on their property boundaries with the Willamette National Forest. The community started askng questions and realized that the Forest Service had planned a massive timber harvest that entirely surrounded the town. The sale involved mature forest clearcutting, extensive riverside … Continue reading Goose Timber Sale is Back!
Last Chance to Comment on BLM’s Western Oregon Plan Revision
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages over 2.6 million acres of public forests in western Oregon and has recently undertaken efforts to revise all of its forest plans. These plans aim to dramatically increase timber harvests by 60% and ressurect the archaic practices of clearcutting older forests. The draft of the proposed plan … Continue reading Last Chance to Comment on BLM’s Western Oregon Plan Revision
Robbing Peter to Pay Paul: The Abuse of “Ecological Forestry” on our Public Lands in Western Oregon
By Nick Cady, Legal Director The conservation community in the Northwest was incredibly excited by Cascadia’s legal victory over the White Castle timber sale. Not just because of the couple hundred acres of old growth forest that were saved from clearcutting, but because of the potentially important precedent the case set concerning logging old … Continue reading Robbing Peter to Pay Paul: The Abuse of “Ecological Forestry” on our Public Lands in Western Oregon