Last week, the U.S. Forest Service dismissed its appeal of a district court order that rejected its plans to add 137 miles of off-road vehicle trails in central Oregon’s Ochoco National Forest. The plan would have expanded the forest’s existing network of off-road vehicle trails by 20 percent, cutting deep into the heart of old-growth forest and elk country.
Dropping the appeal means that an earlier ruling this year, by District Court Judge Marco A. Hernandez, remains intact. If the Forest Service wants to expand motorized use in the Ochoco, it will have to start from scratch.
“We are thrilled to get finality in this case and ensure protections for some of the last remaining wild places on the Ochoco National Forest,” said Guardians’ Judi Brawer.
Read the press release.
