Environmental groups filed a lawsuit in the federal district court for the District of Oregon challenging the U.S. Air Force’s decision to expand military aircraft training over the Owyhee Canyonlands of Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada. They alleged that the Air Force violated NEPA and the Administrative Procedure by failing to take a hard look at adverse impacts (including how climate change would exacerbate impacts on resources) and mitigation measures, to consider a reasonable range of alternatives, and to provide adequate notice and public participation.

Challenge to the the U.S. Air Force’s decision to expand military aircraft training over the Owyhee Canyonlands of Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada.

Oregon Natural Desert Association v. U.S. Department of the Air Force

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Lawsuit Challenged Expanded Aircraft Training over Owyhee Canyonlands

Filed

United States of America

Oregon

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An aim to achieve a quantifiable outcome within a given time-frame, set by an institution such as a national government.

Policy instruments are techniques or tools used by governing authorities to promote certain policies in order to achieve predetermined goals. Put simply, instruments are how a government tries to achieve its goals, with this taxonomy being focused on national policy instruments.

Risk is the potential for adverse consequences resulting from the dynamic interplay between (climate-related) hazards, exposure, and vulnerability of affected human or ecological systems.

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Justice is the ethical and political framework that addresses fairness, including issues of responsibility, rights, and structural inequity.

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Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

In human systems, the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate change and its effects, in order to moderate harm, increase resilience or exploit beneficial opportunities. In natural systems, the process of adjustment to actual climate change and its effects; human intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate change and its effects.

The management and allocation of funds, assets and investments to meet various objectives

People who are less able to respond to the effects of climate change due to having limited financial or physical assets

Zoning and spatial planning are both methods for guiding the distribution of people and activities in a space, and are regulatory restriction.

Using laws and the legal system more broadly to protect vulnerable entities

Either money or something of monetary value is transferred between two or more organisations, people or countries.

Extreme weather refers to events where a weather variable exceeds (or falls below) a threshold. Meaning it is significantly different from the average or usual weather pattern.

A drought is an extended period of unusually dry weather marked by a significant and sustained lack of precipitation, falling below a specific threshold over a large area for more than a month

Terrestrial means "of the earth" and relates to the risks to ecological system that includes all living organisms and their interactions within land-based environments, such as forests, grasslands, and deserts.

Social inclusion is the process of improving the terms on which individuals and groups take part in society—improving the ability, opportunity, and dignity of those disadvantaged on the basis of their identity.

People with different national or cultural traditions from the dominant population

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This sector involves activities to move goods and people, alongside the storage of products.

Activities that provide lodging, food, and entertainment services to guests, including hotels, restaurants, and resorts.

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Climate change can have a range of impacts on technological system. Extreme weather events can cause infrastructure failures like power outages or damage to roads and bridges, as well as the impacts from waste following natural disasters. Human activities also cause technological impacts, such as the risks posed by oil spillage and leaks.

Slow onset events evolve gradually from incremental changes over many years or from increased frequency or intensity of recurring events. As defined in the Cancun Adaptation Framework (2010), slow onset events include risks and impacts from rising temperatures, desertification, biodiversity loss, land and forest degradation, glacial retreat, ocean acidification, sea level rise, and salinization.

Lawsuit Challenged Expanded Aircraft Training over Owyhee Canyonlands

Policy instrument

Risk

Impacted group

Just transition

Economic sector

Finance