Legal Battle Over Wildlife Refuges in Northern California and Southern Oregon

"Three conservation groups filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday alleging a management plan for five wildlife refuges in Southern Oregon and Northern California doesn't do enough to restore and protect key habitat for tens of thousands of migrating waterfowl," reports Andrew Theen.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service crafted the comprehensive plan to protect wildlands in the Klamath Basin, according to Theen, after conservation groups won a court order for the plan in 2015.

With the lawsuit, the Audubon Society of Portland, Oregon Wild, and WaterWatch allege that "farmland carved out of the refuges contributes to drought conditions and poses significant issues for migratory birds."