Picture courtesy of fisheyeguyphotography.com

Finally! 300 miles of Oregon streams that are critical habitat for native trout have finally received protection – and it took a court order to do it. The US Forest service failed to prevent damage to the area, didn’t consult with the appropriate fisheries service about damage, and ignored mandatory measures to monitor and enforce protections. It’s sad that government agencies can be so incompetent (wouldn’t you get fired if you didn’t do your required work duties!?), but we can be thankful that the lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity (and other groups) carried the day. Now let’s see if the victory actually translates into protection for land, streams, and fish…… Read more here.