Judge Protects Coastal Martens from Off-Road Threat | Portland News

A judge just handed a major win to the coastal marten, a rare, ferret-like creature in Oregon’s dunes, by ordering the Forest Service to stop letting off-road vehicles invade its fragile habitat — especially before the high-stakes UTV Takeover event. The ruling, delivered just days before the festival, finds the agency in violation of environmental laws for failing to protect critical marten zones. With the species officially threatened since 2020, the court’s decision enforces a nightly curfew and bans access to sensitive spots like Banshee Hill — though confusion remains over whether enforcement will actually happen. It’s a tense clash between economic interests and wildlife survival, but for now, the martens get a reprieve. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/e2daa8ab35f8de7b