At any given time, Cascadia Wildlands is involved in a variety of strategic lawsuits aimed at protecting Cascadia’s wild landscapes and sensitive species from logging, road building, and other environmentally destructive activities. Though usually the last resort, litigation has been one of our most effective means of not only protecting the forests, rivers and wildlife of the region, but also of upholding the environmental laws we rely upon from constant and persistent industry and government rollbacks. We are frequently joined in litigation by our allies from other environmental organizations, and we are represented by our in-house attorney and Legal Director, Dan Kruse, and work closely with environmental law firms such as Crag Law Center, Western Environmental Law Center, Earthjustice, Pacific Environmantal Advocacy Center, Cascadia Law and various private attorneys.
While environmental lawyers and lawsuits often bare the brunt of industry criticism and accusations, we take pride and consolation in the fact that almost every meaningful environmental advancement – from the protection of our towering old-growth forests to the protection of wild salmon and spotted owls from extinction – has been the direct result of the hard-fought legal victories of environmental organizations like the Cascadia Wildlands. We are inspired by the battles we've won, by the places and species we've protected, by each other, and by the hope of a healthy future, to continue this rich tradition of fighting for the land.
This page contains information about a few of our current lawsuits. We hope it gives you a better idea of the work we do, and serves as a resource for anyone who is fighting to protect the places they love. If you have any questions at all about our legal work or the specific issues we are fighting over, please don’t hesitate to call our office or email our attorney at dkruse@cascwild.org or 541.434.1463.
Some of our current cases:
1) Five Buttes Project (Dechutes NF)
2) Gray Wolf Delisting 2009
3) Riley Ranch OHV Project in Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area (Siuslaw NF)
4) Tongass NF Exemption to 2003 Roadless Rule
5) Oregon Cougar Management Plan
6) 1995 Elliott State Forest Habitat Conservation Plan
7) Orion North Timber Sale (Tongass NF)
8) Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Plan
9) Logjam Timber Sale (Tongass NF)
Closed cases:
1) Black Crater Post-fire Timber Sale
2) Western Oregon Plan Revisions (WOPR)
60-day notice of intent to sue the US Fish and Wildlife Service
legal complaint
