Carson Whitehead

Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center (Ashland, OR)

This summer I had the good fortune of clerking at the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, an environmental nonprofit based in Ashland, OR. KS Wild seeks to protect and preserve the remaining wildlands of the Klamath-Siskiyou eco-region, which roughly encompasses the watersheds of the Rouge and Klamath Rivers. The organization works though grassroots community organizing, policy initiatives, and legal action. It’s a small, tight-knit group deeply rooted in the landscape they are protecting.

This summer I experienced the full range of KS Wild activities. While the bulk of my time was spent in legal research and writing, I was out in the field about one day a week looking at industrial timberlands, walking Forest Service and BLM timber sales, or participating in KS Wild outreach. My legal work mostly involved the intricacies of California law regulating timber harvest on private land, but I also gained experience with ESA, NEPA, and NFMA.

A PILP stipend allowed me to have a wonderful first summer of legal work. I had the opportunity to see environmental law in action, provide needed support to the organization, and get explore a unique and beautiful corner of the Northwest. KS Wild is a wonderful organization for anyone looking for experience in forest and wilderness law.