Bark sues over privatizing Mt. Hood recreation

As an environmental attorney, it is my work and my passion to enforce the laws that protect our public lands. Yet, every time I have to file a lawsuit, I am upset that we have to fight so hard against the agencies who should be our allies in protecting and restoring our public lands.

But Bark does what it takes to protect our Mt. Hood forests and, thanks to Barkers like you, yesterday afternoon I filed Bark's lawsuit challenging the BLM's proposal to log old-growth in the Airstrip Timber Sale.

What Alex didn't mention in his email Monday, was that we have been working with a coalition of individuals and organizations across the West to stop the privatization of recreation in our national forests and have filed another new lawsuit alleging that the Forest Service unlawfully allowed private companies to create new fees for public recreation, like the new fees at Bagby Hot Springs and Big Eddy.

The suit sends a clear message that people want their tax money to provide the services that we expect from our national forests. Bark is demanding that the Forest Service prioritize recreation with its $20+ million budget Mt. Hood National Forest -- please join us.

Support our campaign with a tax-deductible donation today.

Bark volunteers and staff collected the information necessary to file this challenge to privatizing recreation. We and our co-plaintiffs across the West are being represented by well-known environmental attorney Matt Kenna from Durango, CO. To read a copy of the complaint, agency documents, and media coverage, please visit Bark's page on the Concessionaire decision.

Bark does not litigate very often because our community organizing to protect Mt. Hood is often successful. When Bark does go to court, it is because our public officials have failed to listen and the only defense for Mt. Hood National Forest is a lawsuit.

When this is the case, the most important thing you can do is to make a tax-deductible donation.

In order to avoid going to court to stop the recently finalized Jazz Timber Sale, we will soon be asking you to take action to protect 2,000 acres of forests in the Collawash River Watershed. For an update on last Friday's Jazz Timber Sale decision please visit our page on the Jazz Timber Sale.

Sincerely,
Brenna Bell, NEPA Coordinator and Staff Attorney


PS- Bark learned last week that the Forest Service did not send out its regular trail crews this year to maintain Mt. Hood National Forest hiking trails. Apparently its $20 million budget did not include trail maintenance -- and yet it had the money to plan nearly 4,000 acres of logging. Bark is the only organization demanding that the Forest Service uphold its mission to maintain recreation opportunities, but we can't do it without your support. Please give today.