DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. – A handful of environmental groups have successfully stopped the blue and gold logging project.

The Bureau of Land Management approved the plan to log over 2K acres in Douglas County.

Cascadia Wildlands in Eugene says BLM’s plan prohibits the organization from logging trees if they are over a certain size or are over 175 years old.

The court ruled it was a planned violation to authorize logging for the project from the start.

Environmental groups say keeping the old forests secures the homes of multiple endangered species and protects drinking water supplies for communities in rural Oregon.

“One of the major reasons that the court found that we won was the tireless work of the public and volunteers who went out on the ground and hiked through these timber sales and documented the presence of these old trees. It’s a big win for us. Blm’s plan, one of the foundational components of it, says that it was going to protect old-growth trees, and this was kind of a test of that protection and that plan, and we’re very glad the court upheld it,” said Cascadia Wildlands legal director Nick Cady.

Cady tells NBC5 it is highly unlikely BLM can come up with a new plan to log the area due to the court’s ruling.

Here is a statement provided by The American Forest Resource Council in response to the judge’s ruling:

“We are disappointed by the court’s decision and are currently assessing next steps.

The Blue and Gold Project was developed under the BLM’s 2016 Resource Management Plan, adopted during the Obama administration and authorized through an Environmental Assessment approved during the Biden administration.

The 2016 plan, which has been upheld by the courts, specifically designated these project lands for timber harvest, including older age class forests, while still providing specific protections for exceptionally old and large trees. Consistent with the 2016 plan, the Blue and Gold Project limits new road construction, retains the exceptionally old and large trees, and includes fuel treatments to reduce wildfire risk near communities.

AFRC continues to believe that the project represents responsible, science-based forest management on O&C lands. It was carefully designed by professional public lands managers to support rural Oregon jobs, timber supplies, and county revenues while incorporating strong safeguards for water quality, wildlife habitat, and forest health.

AFRC will continue defending this project and other efforts by our local public lands managers to care for our forests and support our communities.”

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