May 31, 2012
By Chris Curtis
EUGENE, Ore. — A rare bird is on the brink of extinction, and a Eugene group is working to change that.
The Marbled Murrelets' population dropped 4 percent each year.
Environmental activists blame that decline on the destruction of state forests.
Cascadia Wildlands, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Audubon Society of Portland filed a lawsuit Thursday morning in federal court.
It accuses the state of violating the Endangered Species Act by killing or displacing protected marbled murrelets.
It's a practice Josh Lauglin of Cascadia Wildlands calls unacceptable.
"It's 1960-style wholesale clear-cutting chemical spraying which is no longer in line with the values with the majority of Oregonians," Laughlin said.
The three groups called on the governor to protect the rare seabird that comes inland to breed.
The groups hope for a plan to be developed in the coming months.
To view the source article and see a short video featuring Josh Laughlin please click here