In a day and age when activist environmental groups file seemingly nonstop lawsuits to halt much-needed active forest management, a federal judge in Oregon denied an injunction request to stop a forestry project.

The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Ashland Strategic Operations for Safety (SOS) project in the southeast corner of the state aims to remove dead and dying trees, along with select live trees for operational and safety reasons, across a 2,000-acre landscape. However, the Applegate Siskiyou Alliance and Klamath Forest Alliance filed suit claiming BLM failed to consider the environmental ramifications.

“The public has an interest in not experiencing a heightened risk of severe, uncontrolled wildfires,” U.S. District Court Judge Michael McShane wrote in his decision. “And BLM has an interest in effectively carrying out its forest management plan for the long-term health of the project area.”

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, more than 45,000 fires burned greater than 5.2 million acres of land nationwide this year as of August 4, 2026. Oregon has 33 large fires that burned 1.8 million acres, including the Bench Fire (see above photo).

Litigant environmental organizations often use the legal process as a moneymaker by seeking to have their attorney fees paid via the Equal Access to Justice Act.

While the judge denied the injunction, the Ashland SOS project may go forward, but so does the lawsuit by activists looking to ultimately stop it.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

(Photo credit: InciWeb)