Public Lands

  • Preserving our natural heritage

    Earthrise Law Center helps its clients monitor how government agencies manage and protect public lands. Public lands, including National Forests and the vast areas in eastern Oregon managed by the Bureau of Land Management, play an important role in the environment. They provide essential habitat for many wildlife species, contain watersheds that are critical for threatened salmonids and guarantee clean drinking water for many municipalities, and give people unique and unspoiled places to recreate and reconnect with nature.

    Earthrise’s work includes submitting comments on proposed actions on public lands and drafting administrative appeals of agency decisions that our clients believe will adversely impact their use of public lands or the resources found there. When necessary, Earthrise also files lawsuits challenging agency decisions that could irreparably harm our public lands and the life that depends on it.

News

education-issues, education, newsletter, public-lands-issues-feature, public-lands-issues, sustainability

Rising Issues #18

Our latest newsletter detailing opposition to mining near Mount St. Helens, another summer of the “Tomorrow’s Advocates” program, information about upcoming events, and welcoming our new legal fellow.
public-lands-issues
Map of the Project Area

Forest Service Approves Drilling Near Mount St. Helens

Opposition from Cascade Forest Conservancy among other conservation and recreation groups, objection submitted.

accomplishments, public-lands-issues, sustainability
Peggy getting a drink from Walton Lake with many of the targeted firs in the background.

Walton Lake Logging Stopped

Earthrise victory over Walton Lake logging once again prevents the Forest Service from clearcutting.
accomplishments, public-lands-issues-feature, public-lands-issues
The ridgeline where the fragile chaparral habitat was scheduled to be clear cut, 150 feet on either side of the trail (the length of a fo...

Forest Service Withdraws Controversial Vegetation Clearance Project in California

In response to a lawsuit filed by Earthrise on behalf of the California Chaparral Institute and Los Padres ForestWatch, the U.S. Forest Service has withdrawn a harmful fuel break project that would have damaged fragile habitat and threatened rare species in Los Padres National Forest along California’s Central Coast.  On Monday, the conservation groups agreed to drop their pending legal action against the project, which they filed last December in U.S. District Court.
accomplishments, public-lands-issues

Earthrise Works to Protect Quiet Recreation in Olympic National Park

Earthrise Law Center filed an objection to the USFS regarding their finding of No Significant Impact for the Navy’s Pacific Northwest Electronic Warfare Range above Olympic National Park.
accomplishments, public-lands-issues-feature, public-lands-issues
Refugio manzanita

Fuel Break Would Destroy Rare Plants that Exist Nowhere Else on Earth

On behalf of two California conservation organizations, Los Padres ForestWatch and the California Chaparral Institute, Earthrise filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Tuesday to protect rare and sensitive species that live in the path of a massive, remote fuel break recently approved in the Los Padres National Forest.
accomplishments, public-lands-issues
Walton Lake is a popular recreation site. Here Earthrise attorney Tom Buchele and his dog Peggy enjoy the view.

Walton Lake Win! Forest Service Withdraws Plans to Clearcut Ochoco

After obtaining a preliminary injunction to halt logging in the Ochoco National Forest that was scheduled to begin on October 17th, Earthrise is pleased to announce the Forest Service has withdrawn it decision authorizing the logging of hundreds of large and old growth Douglas-fir and Grand fir in the Walton Lake area of the Ochoco. This area is one of the most popular recreation sites in the Ochoco as well as a location of magnificent old growth and significant wildlife habitat. 

accomplishments, public-lands-issues-feature, public-lands-issues
A cheerful Tom Buchele after a successful PI win.

Preliminary Injunction Win Stops Logging near Walton Lake this Fall

Earthrise attorney Tom Buchele and his co-counsel Earthrise alum Jesse Buss successfully argued a motion for a preliminary injunction in the Federal District Court in Portland on behalf of our longtime client League of Wilderness Defenders/Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project. The motion was necessary to prevent the Forest Service from logging hundreds of large Douglas and Grand fir, including quite a few enormous old growth fir trees, near Walton Lake in the Ochoco National Forest.
accomplishments, public-lands-issues

Earthrise Files Suit to Stop Logging of Popular Recreation Site in The Ochoco National Forest

On Monday Earthrise attorney Tom Buchele filed a lawsuit to challenge proposed heavy logging at Walton Lake, a popular area in eastern Oregon.

accomplishments, public-lands-issues

Snow Basin Timber Sale Cancelled

After a long and complex litigation fight, the USFS finally cancelled this illegal timber sale in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
accomplishments, public-lands-issues
Earthrise alum Laura Hagen, client Don Mench and Earthrise alum Nick Lawton

Earthrise Defends Public Participation in Federal Court

Earthrise Defends Public Participation in Federal Court
Attorney Dan Rohlf successfully stops SLAPP Suit involving a Mt. Hood CPO
accomplishments, public-lands-issues

Snow Basin Project Vacated

Pileated Woodpeckers and Grand Fir in Eagle Creek Celebrate
civic engagement, environment, public-lands-issues
Jackson County Legal Team  L to R: George Kimbrell (CFS), Amy Van Saun (CFS), Lia Comerford (Earthrise), Tom Buchele (Earthrise), Bernie ...

Earthrise Wins One For Jackson County’s Traditional Farmers

On May 29th, Federal District Court Magistrate Judge Clarke issued an opinion, finding that, as a matter of law, a Jackson County Ordinance that prohibits the growing of genetically modified (“GE”) crops in that County was legal under Oregon law.

accomplishments, newsletter, public-lands-issues, staff
Aubrey Baldwin

Rising Issues #8 Summer 2014

Big Public Lands Wins and Farewell to Aubrey Baldwin