Our News and Views

Wildlands CPR Staff maintain a regularly updated blog ("Our News and Views"), with insightful commentary on off-road vehicle, wildland road, and restoration issues. Check out the posts below, or subscribe to our blog's RSS feed.

Roads and border enforcement

Created by Bethanie Walder on June 28, 2012

U.S. Supreme Court to Review CWA Logging Roads Decision

Created by Sarah Peters on June 28, 2012

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would review the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in NEDC v. Brown that changed the way EPA regulated stormwater pollution on industrial logging roads.  The 9th Circuit decision, first issued by a three judge panel in August 2010 and then affirmed by the full court in May 2011, provided a new interpretation of exising EPA regulations, rather than over-ruling the regulation outright.  The Supreme Court will address three main questions during its review:

Restoration happens: dams removed – rivers return.

Created by Marlies Wierenga on June 15, 2012

 

2007 removal of Marmot Dam, OR.

Dam removal usually results in the release of significant quantities of sediment, which can be a problem.  Scientists from a variety of specialties debate at length on how to deal with these large flushes of sediment.  But now research from dam removals in Washington and Oregon are providing valuable insight on how quickly a river is restored.

Forest Service Proposes Limited Rule for Road & Trail Reclamation

Created by Adam Rissien on June 13, 2012

Today the Forest Service proposed a new rule in the Federal Register “streamlining” its environmental review for three types of restoration activities:

Southern California Forests: Are Changes Finally on the Way?

Created by Grace Brogan on June 13, 2012

The fate of over 4 million acres of land in Southern California, much of it inventoried roadless areas, is at stake.  Following a legal feud between conservation organizations (supported by state agencies) and the Forest Service, it is now on the Forest Service to re-examine the Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino National forests.

New off-road vehicle report released

Created by Bethanie Walder on June 5, 2012

Responsible Trails America released a new report today about state regulations related to off-road vehicles: Visible Identification of Off-Road Vehicles: A Trend Toward a Uniform Standard.

The report focuses on visible identification which, they argue, “solves one of the biggest remaining obstacles to preventing illegal ORV use—identifying the rider.”

Follow-up: Interim Protection Gained for Oregon Flower

Created by Sarah Peters on May 29, 2012

It's not often I come back from vacation to good news on one of the areas we're trying to protect from ORV abuse, but today was one of those days.  Earlier this year, I blogged on the discovery of a new flower in southern Oregon and the on-going threat to the wildflower's habitat from motorized use and abuse of the area. 

Good news? Check out the Siuslaw National Forest in Oregon.

Created by Marlies Wierenga on May 25, 2012

Itching for a little good news?  

Well then check out our latest factsheet on how a forest invested in restoration work - with road management at the forefront - and how it is paying off for local communities, local contractors, streams, and salmon.

 

Salmon and logging don't mix

Created by Bethanie Walder on May 17, 2012

Big Creek removed from impaired waters list thanks to road treatments

Created by Bethanie Walder on May 16, 2012

Way back in 1996, Wildlands CPR held our first ever road reclamation workshop. We brought out two road reclamation experts from Pacific Watershed Associates (PWA) in northern California to lead the workshop. About 20 activists from around the U.S. came to learn about how roads impact water quality and how road reclamation can make those impacts go away.

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