Recent Federal Ruling on O&C Lands Ensures Sustained Lumber Harvest & Public Access

On November 25, 2019, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled in favor of the Association of O&C counties in a lawsuit brought by the association challenging the federal management plan applicable to O&C lands. The Q&C lands, are named for the Oregon & California Railroad Company. They are 2.1 million acres that have a unique history and are spread in a checkerboard pattern across 18 counties in western Oregon. The lands are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under the O&C Act of 1937. The judge’s ruling will shift policy, with the requirement of sustained yield management, which will also ensure the public’s access to the Q&C lands for hunting, hiking, camping and other recreational activities, while protecting fish and wildlife and the production of predictable volumes of timber.