Litigants' characteristics and outcomes in US Forest Service land-management cases 1989 to 2005

Abstract

This research identifies and analyzes all parties involved in 949 US Forest Service land-management court cases initiated between 1989 and 2005. We identified 2,501 parties, the frequency and type of their involvement, and their success rates. Almost 75% of the parties were only involved in one case. All 12 of the most frequent parties opposing the US Forest Service were environmental organizations, whereas the top 12 most frequent US Forest Service supporters included four different types of organizations. Repeat US Forest Service opponents were more successful than nonrepeat opponents. However, only one US Forest Service opponent involved in an average of one or more cases per year won more cases than they lost, and one-half of these opponents settled more often than the average settlement rate. By identifying litigants, policymakers, stakeholders, and the public can understand the prevalence of repeat and one-time litigants and can assess strategies to address these types of parties' propensity to litigate. Copyright © 2009 by the Society of American Foresters.