The Grasshopper Fire
By: Amber Ford, The Mountain Times
As fire season comes to an end and residents of The Mt. Hood Villages really comprehend the damage and devastation from wildfires such as The Grasshopper, Narrows, and the Austin Fire, speculation and politics have played a significant role in handing out blame. The Grasshopper Fire kept residents between Government Camp and The Mt. Hood Villages alert throughout the end of July and much of August, and by mid-September the fire finally fell to a containment of over 95%. And while community members have shown their gratitude and appreciation to all fire personnel who worked tirelessly to hold containment lines and save communities, many are left wondering if this large-scale fire could have been prevented, or at the very least, less destructive.
Two organizations at the helm of the blame battle are Oregon Wild and The BlueRibbon Coalition – both describe their organizations as advocates of public lands. But they lead very different crusades when it comes to forest management. According to a lawsuit filed by Oregon Wild in 2023, the organization made claims that The Mt. Hood National Forest Service was planning a proposed project that would take down old growth within The Grasshopper area and, according to Oregon Wild, that was in violation of The National Environmental Policy Act. The lawsuit Oregon Wild filed stated “The Forest Service says it aims to reduce the risk of high-intensity wildfires and to restore and protect wildlife habitat throughout The Grasshopper Project area, primarily through commercial logging that will reduce forest canopy cover and stand density, and remove 19.5 million board feet of timber.” The lawsuit also states that “the Forest Service approved commercial logging in mature, moist, mixed-conifer forest that is operating within the range of natural conditions, and such logging will degrade suitable and critical habitat for the northern spotted owl.” Ultimately the case was settled in January 2025 with modified project terms and the National Forest paying $55,000 in attorney fees to Oregon Wild.
Although Oregon Wild has been candid in their overall mission with regard to forest preservation, backlash from other organizations has brought attention to their lawsuits and claims against The National Forest. According to Oregon Wild Communication Director, Arran Robertson, fire is an emotional issue needing answers. “People are justifiably confused and frightened and angry; they are looking for answers and those feelings are valid,” he said, adding “accusations by anti-environment groups don’t align with the facts.” He also explained that those groups “are there to rile people up and build political support for policies that will enrich logging company CEOs while degrading the landscape, threatening water, and increasing fire risk.” While Oregon Wild does maintain their goal of “seeking to protect and restore Oregon’s wild lands, wildlife, and waters as an enduring legacy for future generations,” they do also believe in the power of forest management, specifically when it involves wildfire season. Robertson explained that “Oregon Wild supports thinning around homes and communities and prescribed fire to reduce risk,” adding “we think the Forest Service should be doing more of that work, and that governments of all levels should do much more to help support things like Firewise communities, home hardening, and emergency services.”
While Oregon Wild stands firmly in their decision when it comes to filing suit against The National Forest, other organizations have taken aim at Oregon Wild for their actions. The BlueRibbon Coalition, a nonprofit also fighting to preserve recreation sites, has publicly denounced the intent of Oregon Wild, stating “their serial litigation narrowed and stalled The Mt. Hood fuels work design for the landscape.” They went on to say that “sixteen days before The Grasshopper Fire started, they (Oregon Wild) served notice to sue over four more projects.” Although The BlueRibbon Coalition finds much fault with the intensity of Oregon Wild, they are also taking aim at Oregon’s courts. According to BlueRibbon Executive Director, Ben Burr, “under the current system of laws, regulations, and 9th Circuit Court precedents, there is nothing the U.S. Forest Service could have done differently.” He went on to say that “having thousands of acres of unmanaged designated wilderness has only made it worse,” adding, “the courts in Oregon have sentenced our public forest to death by fire.”
Although it has been determined that The Grasshopper was lightning-caused, understanding the roles organizations such as Oregon Wild have in communities such as The Mt. Hood Villages is vital for The BlueRibbon Coalition. Burr exclaims that “while the specific lawsuits have clearly delayed and complicated forest management activities in this specific area, the biggest threat from their lawsuits is the litigation pressure they create that prevents countless other projects from ever getting analyzed.” He went on to say “the movement they’ve been a part of has destroyed the economy of rural Oregon and the spotted owl is functionally extinct,” adding “one after one, the public forests are being incinerated; the experiment has failed and the movement they are a part of deserves most of the blame.”