BLM Appealed Ruling to Halt Logging Project
The Bureau of Land Management and timber industry groups have filed appeals to resume the Blue and Gold project.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Organic Food
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The Bureau of Land Management has appealed a federal judge's 2026 decision that vacated the 3,400-acre Blue and Gold logging project near Eugene. Industry groups representing timber companies also filed a separate appeal to allow the logging operation to proceed.
Why it matters
The agency and timber stakeholders argue they have a legal obligation to harvest timber under the O&C Act. Plaintiffs, however, successfully argued that the agency misrepresented the age of old-growth stands to facilitate illegal cutting.
The Blue and Gold logging project encompasses approximately 3,400 acres located 60 miles southwest of Eugene. The legal dispute involves timber harvesting obligations impacting 18 counties represented by the Association of O&C Counties.
The players
Bureau of Land Management
This is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior that administers more than 247 million acres of public lands in the United States.
Mustafa Kasubhai
He is a U.S. District Court judge who issued the ruling that vacated the logging project in May 2026.
Association of O&C Counties
This organization represents 18 Oregon counties that rely on revenue generated from timber harvesting on public lands.
The details
Judge Mustafa Kasubhai originally vacated the project in May 2026 after finding that the agency violated two federal laws. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals officially opened two cases regarding the project on September 23, 2026.
Timeline
Plaintiffs filed the initial lawsuit in September 2024.
A federal judge vacated the logging project in May 2026.
Requests for reconsideration were denied in July 2026.
Appeals were filed in U.S. District Court on September 18, 2026.
Opening briefs for the appeals are due November 2, 2026.
Deeper Dive
The litigation centers on competing interpretations of the O&C Act, which governs timber production mandates on federal lands. The ongoing legal conflict highlights the tension between industrial resource extraction requirements and environmental regulations governing old-growth forest conservation.
The legal battle affects regional timber employment and the management of natural resources in Lane County and surrounding areas. Residents may see continued uncertainty regarding local land-use policies until the appellate court issues a final decision.
The takeaway
The case highlights the complex intersection of federal resource mandates and judicial environmental review. Interested residents should monitor the upcoming 9th Circuit proceedings to understand how timber harvest schedules in Oregon may shift.
What happens next
Opening briefs for the appeals are scheduled to be submitted by the involved parties on November 2, 2026.
Further reading
For broader context on land management and environmental standards, explore the Organic Food section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Lookout Eugene-Springfield.
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Should environmental protections for public forests take precedence over regional timber industry economic interests?
