EUGENE, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity today sued the U.S. Forest Service for failing to protect threatened coastal martens from destructive off-road vehicle activity in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

Even though coastal martens and their critical habitat are protected in the Oregon Dunes under the Endangered Species Act, the Forest Service allows thousands of off-road vehicles to drive through and often rip up marten habitat.

“The Forest Service knows this population of coastal martens is incredibly fragile, but officials have done very little to protect them in the Oregon Dunes,” said Tala DiBenedetto, a carnivore conservation staff attorney at the Center. “Instead of finding ways to limit off-road vehicle harms, the agency has doubled down by allowing even more vehicle use in precious marten habitat.”

Ongoing off-road vehicle use harms coastal martens through noise disturbance, increased fire risk, habitat destruction and risk of vehicle strikes. These risks are highest during large riding events like DuneFest and the UTV Takeover that the Forest Service permit in the Oregon Dunes.

Earlier this year the Center warned the Forest Service that its mismanagement of off-road vehicle use is harming coastal martens. But the Forest Service has allowed these noisy events to expand. For the first time the agency will allow two UTV Takeover events this summer in the Oregon Dunes: These are set to take place in Coos Bay and Winchester Bay.

Today’s lawsuit challenges the Forest Service’s failure to comply with the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act and its own mandates set out in land-management plans for the Siuslaw National Forest and Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

The lawsuit asks the court to require the Forest Service to analyze and mitigate risks to martens through measures like fencing to keep off-road vehicles in designated riding areas, enforcement of established decibel limits, and limiting the number of off-road vehicles allowed in the Oregon Dunes.

Fewer than 400 coastal martens remain in four highly isolated populations in Oregon and California. Approximately 71 of these martens live in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, which the Forest Service manages. Scientists warn that the fragile marten population on the Oregon Dunes could be lost if people cause the deaths of just two or three of the imperiled animals in a single year.

“The Forest Service needs to stop dragging its feet and finally step up to provide critical protections for coastal martens in the Oregon Dunes,” said DiBenedetto. “This beautiful coastal landscape is home to one of the last remaining marten populations, and these riding events are an unacceptable risk to the few martens left. These beleaguered little animals need the agency to act now.”

Today’s lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Eugene Division.

Background

Martens are small, stealthy carnivores in the weasel family with long, slender bodies, large triangular ears and bushy tails. They grow up to 2 feet long but weigh under 3 pounds and must eat one-quarter of their body weight daily to support their high metabolism. Martens eat small mammals, birds, berries, reptiles and insects and are eaten in turn by larger mammals and raptors.

Coastal martens were thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered in the 1990s in northern California. The Center first petitioned the Service to protect coastal martens nearly 15 years ago. After multiple lawsuits by the Center and allies, the agency listed the martens as threatened in September 2020.

After months of delay and a successful Center lawsuit that secured a court-ordered deadline, the Service designated approximately 1.2 million acres of critical habitat for the marten, including 28,843 acres in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.