judge rules groups can intervene in cascade siskiyou lawsuit 031617

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http://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/judge-rules-groups-can-intervene-
in-cascade-siskiyou-lawsuit/article_9ac3dd62-a017-5fef-bee2-dd3c9ee2c69a.html

During his final days in office, President Barack Obama expanded the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument by about 48,000 acres. The monument was first established by President Bill Clinton.

A federal judge in Medford ruled Tuesday that several environmental groups can intervene in a lawsuit aimed at preventing the expansion the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in southern Oregon.

During his final days in office, President Barack Obama expanded the national monument by about 48,000 acres. The monument was first established by President Bill Clinton.

The judge’s ruling means Oregon Wild, the Wilderness Society, the Soda Mountain Wilderness Council and other groups will be allowed to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Murphy Timber Investments.

“If they prevail in making this argument, I think it would be a giant setback across a whole range of conversation issues in Oregon,” said Steve Pedrey, the conversation director for Oregon Wild.

Pedrey said they’re also getting involved because they don’t trust the Trump administration to defend the national monument.

Expansion lawsuit

Murphy Timber Investments filed the lawsuit against the expansion in February.

Its attorneys didn’t immediately return OPB’s requests for comment. But in its lawsuit, the company argues Obama went beyond what the law allows.

“Over 80 percent of the acres included within the monument expansion are O (O&C) Lands which have been specially designed by Congress in the O Act of 1937 for the express purpose of ‘permanent forest production,’” the lawsuit states.

Attorneys for the company argue that turning the O&C Lands into a “park-like preservation status” violates the statutes in the act and “exceeds the scope of presidential authority under the Antiquities Act.”

The company said it owns 2,101 acres in the expanded monument boundary.

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