Today, a divided three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court upheld President Obama’s expansion of the Siskiyou National Monument to encompass approximately 40,000 acres of O&C timberlands.  All three judges unanimously rejected the Biden Administration’s argument that the proclamation was not judicially reviewable. However, the judges split 2-1 on the question of whether the…

Excluding O&C Lands From NSO Critical Habitat and Restoring Sustained Yield Management     Excluding O&C Lands from the 9.5 million acres previously designated as Northern Spotted Owl (NSO) Critical Habitat was a necessary first step for restoring sustained yield management as required by law.  Maintaining that exclusion will be essential to the development of…

Testimony of Commissioner Tim Freeman before Members of the Congressional Western Caucus For the Virtual Forum Titled  “Impacts of a Weaponized Endangered Species Act: The Case of the Northern Spotted Owl” June 16, 2021   Chairman Newhouse and Members of the Congressional Western Caucus:   My name is Tim Freeman. I am a County Commissioner…

The Association of O&C Counties (AOCC) today expressed strong support for the recently announced decision of the US Fish & Wildlife Service to exclude all O&C lands from the 9.5 million acres previously designated by that agency as “critical habitat” for the Northern Spotted Owl.  “This is a result AOCC has been seeking for a…

The Association of O&C Counties (AOCC) unanimously re-elected its leaders for 2020 at AOCC’s annual meeting in Roseburg on December 13. Commissioners from AOCC members once again selected Douglas County Commissioner Tim Freeman as AOCC President and Polk County Commissioner Craig Pope as Secretary/Treasurer. Coos County Commissioner Bob Main was re-elected as Vice President. AOCC…

The Association of O&C Counties (AOCC) is seeking support from the Oregon congressional delegation for reestablishment of the part of the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument that was declared illegal by a federal judge in Washington DC. The Monument near the Oregon/California border was expanded in early 2017 by proclamation of President Obama. On November 25,…