July 9, 2021 — The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission today approved a petition filed by five conservation groups to give marbled murrelets more protection by reclassifying them from threatened to endangered under the state’s Endangered Species Act. The 4-3 decision comes two years after an Oregon judge ruled that the commission had violated state law by denying the petition without explanation in 2018.
Elliott State Research Forest Proposal Released — Your Comments Needed
In late October 2020, Oregon State University’s College of Forestry released its draft proposal to create the Elliott State Research Forest. This plan remains a work in progress, and Cascadia Wildlands continues to help shape the outcome of it to the point it can be something we can stand proudly behind. As with any complex … Continue reading Elliott State Research Forest Proposal Released — Your Comments Needed
Press Release: Lawsuit Filed Challenging Oregon’s Failure to Protect Murrelets
August 2, 2018 — Five conservation groups filed a lawsuit today against the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Commission for failing to uplist the marbled murrelet from threatened to endangered under the Oregon Endangered Species Act.
Press Release: Oregon Court Rules Sale of Elliott State Forest Tract Illegal
August 1, 2018 — The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled today that the 2014 sale of the 788-acre East Hakki Ridge tract on the 93,000-acre Elliott State Forest east of Coos Bay was illegal. The ruling, which overturns the sale of the public land to a private timber company, marks a major win for the state’s public lands.
When Oregon’s Fish and Wildlife Commission Lost its Marbles
by Mari Galloway and Renee Seacor After our first week on the job at Cascadia Wildlands, we took a road-trip to Baker City to attend the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (“ODFW”) Commission hearing. With caffeinated beverages in hand, we left early in the morning so we could site-see along the way. We took … Continue reading When Oregon’s Fish and Wildlife Commission Lost its Marbles
Press Release: Conservation Organizations Enthusiastic about Governor’s Plan for the Elliott
May 4, 2017 — The Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) is pleased to see the plan released today from the Governor’s office regarding the Elliott State Forest. As a coalition, we care deeply about Oregon’s wildlands, and believe the state has an obligation to protect and enhance our vast forests, wildlife, and habitats. This is why the issue of the Elliott State Forest is such an important one to our members.
Conservation Groups Decry Vote by State Treasurer, Secretary of State to Sell Elliott State Forest
February 15, 2017 — A broad coalition of conservation, hunting, and fishing groups across Oregon decried a state land board vote pushing the Elliott State Forest to brink of privatization yesterday.
Court Halts Logging of Elliott State Forest Tract Sold to Timber Company
December 20, 2016 — A U.S. District Court in Eugene has issued a preliminary ruling preventing Scott Timber from clearcutting a parcel of the Elliott State Forest purchased from the state of Oregon. The court found that the proposed logging of the Benson Ridge parcel by the subsidiary of Roseburg Forest Products raised serious questions over the potential harm threatened marbled murrelets, in violation of the federal Endangered Species Act.
Oregon Board of Forestry Sued for Failure to Protect Marbled Murrelet Habitat
September 30, 2016 — Four conservation organizations filed suit today against the Oregon Board of Forestry over dismissal of a petition requesting the Board identify and protect important old-growth forest areas for the marbled murrelet, a seabird threatened with extinction. Under Oregon law, the Board was supposed to have provided such protection after the seabird was protected as threatened under the state Endangered Species Act in 1987.
Press Release: Marbled Murrelet Moves One Step Closer to State Endangered Status, Stronger Protections
September 9, 2016 — In response to a petition from Cascadia Wildlands and other conservation groups, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted 5-2 to initiate a review of the imperiled marbled murrelet to determine if it warrants uplisting from “threatened” to “endangered” under Oregon’s endangered species law. The commission has until June 21, 2017 to make the decision. If the murrelet is determined to be endangered, the state will need to develop protection measures that limit logging in remaining coastal old-growth forests where the seabirds nest.