The lawsuit filed due to the inability of the Forest Service to complete a Mount Hood land exchange in a timely fashion has cleared its first hurdle.
The Forest Service had filed a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. However, Federal Judge Anna Brown dismissed the motion, and set a schedule to have the exchange accomplished by June of this year.
A complete analysis of the court hearing that was held on January 6, 2016 is found HERE.
The lawsuit was filed by Hood River Valley Residence Committee, a grass-roots citizens group dedicate to protecting the farm and forest lands of Hood River County. The inaction by the Forest Service also drew the ire of local governments. Both Hood River and Clackamas counties joined into the lawsuit.
More information on the land exchange dispute can be found in the post, “New Mount Hood Lawsuit Filed for Protection of North Side.”