Courts starting to lean toward rural interests in timber cases

The courtroom victory in November for Linn and 13 other counties in Oregon will certainly not be the last word on forestry management in Oregon, but the case highlights problems prevalent in our state and, indeed, across the nation.

We complain frequently on this page about how urban interests and thinking impact not only forestry policy, but land use, environmental laws, gun restrictions and other aspects of our lives in rural Oregon.

While this particular…