Thousands of acres of old growth saved: Thanks to our recent successful lawsuit, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has withdrawn their illegal "biological opinions" that allow unquantified deaths of threatened Northern spotted owls. Thousands of acres of logging projects that would have caused these owl deaths have been pulled from the table, including the highly-contested Kelsey-Whisky timber sale in the Zane Grey Roadless Area, just above the designated Wild and Scenic Rogue River.
Protection for Forest Salamanders: In response to a 2004 petition and two lawsuits brought by Cascadia Wildlands and partner conservation groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined in March 2007 that the Siskiyou Mountains and Scott Bar salamanders may warrant protection as threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act and initiated a 12 month review of their status. Both species live in mature and old-growth forests such as those that once covered much of the Northwest. Today only fragments of these forests remain, facing increasing pressure from logging and development.
Post-Disturbance Clearcutting Bill Dies: Senator Gordon Smith's (R-OR) ill-named "Forests For Future Generation's Act" has lost momentum and looks to have died on the vine. This bill, which would have skirted environmental law and public review, would have facilitated clearcutting projects after all natural disturbance events, including wildfire, windstorms, hurricanes and even volcanic erruptions. A growing scientific body has suggested natural disturbances like wildfire are essential to the evolution and renewal of healthy forests. The Cascadia Wildlands Project's staff, members and volunteers spent significant time over the past two years to defeat this environmentally harmful bill.
