The Horizon
All the latest updates on our work defending rural lands, creating livable cities and towns and preserving wild lands and water throughout Central Oregon
We won! Big trees protected across 7 million acres of national forestland
On August 31, a federal judge made a sweeping recommendation to set aside an illegal Forest Service rule change made under the Trump administration.
Press Release: Federal protections for big trees
Today, a federal judge made a sweeping recommendation to set aside an illegal Forest Service change to the Eastside Screens - a longstanding set of rules to protect old growth on six national forests in Eastern Oregon and Washington.
Press Release: Over 122,000 call on federal government to protect older forests from logging
Environmental groups, including LandWatch, delivered more than 122,000 public comments urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to protect mature and old-growth forests and trees on federal public lands from logging as a cornerstone of U.S. climate policy.
We just filed a lawsuit to protect 7 million acres of national forests
Determined to protect Oregon’s biggest trees east of the Cascades, LandWatch and five other environmental organizations filed a lawsuit against the Forest Service over its decision to allow logging of large and old trees in national forests across Central and Eastern Oregon.
Press Release: Lawsuit filed to protect big trees in Oregon and Washington
For immediate release. Determined to save Oregon’s biggest trees that remain, LandWatch and five other environmental organizations filed a lawsuit against the Forest Service over its decision to allow logging of large and old trees on national forests across Central and Eastern Oregon.
Here's the latest on forests, farmland, and climate
What's happening behind the scenes? This week, we've got a series of on-the-ground updates for Central Oregon.
How big trees can help fight climate change
If left to age, the mature, large trees in Oregon’s eastern forests can play a big role in combating climate change. In a study on national forest land in Oregon’s forests east of the Cascade Range, large-diameter trees accounted for only 3% of trees but stored 42% of the total above-ground carbon.
More time to save our big trees!
There’s still time to comment on the Forest Service’s plan to allow logging of big trees on public lands!
Speak up for big trees!
The Forest Service is moving forward with plans to weaken its rules that protect big trees on all National Forests in Central and Eastern Oregon.
Stand up for old-growth forests
The Forest Service is exploring a change in forest policy for all National Forests east of the Cascades in Oregon via what they’ve dubbed “Project 21.” This project would allow the Forest Service to cut and sell trees larger than 21” in diameter. Thanks to prior advocacy, current forest policy prevents cutting these large trees throughout the Deschutes, Ochoco, Fremont-Winema, Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests.