CASCADIAQUARTERLY Fall 2009
news + fun from cascadia wildlands
Save the Date! Wonderland Auction
Exquisite mushrooms decorate Devil’s Staircase in the fall (k ritley).
Saturday Dec 12
Will Obama End Old-Growth Logging for Good? Administration takes old-growth timeout, signals change ahead. by Dan Kruse, Legal Director. As recently as this August, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was proposing massive clearcuts in mature and old-growth forests throughout western
BLM logging proposals, the continued population decline of older forest dependant species, and a new administration.
Oregon. 400 acres of beautiful old forest were planned for clearcutting at Fall Creek, a popular outdoor recreation spot just 20 miles from Eugene. 300 acres of old growth were similarly threatened to the north near Tillamook and another 700 acres just east of
Rather than clearcutting old growth – a practice that leads inevitably to protests, lawsuits, and gridlock - the BLM is proposing to thin young tree plantations – the tens of thousands of acres that were clearcut in the 1940s-70s and then tightly and symmetrically
Salem. In the southwestern part of the state, BLM had proposed more than 2,000 acres of clearcuts in a mixture of young and mature stands. Today, just two months later, the plans look much different. In just a few swift moves, the BLM has
replanted as a single crop of Douglas fir. These young plantations offer very little in the way of habitat forests do not naturally grow in even-aged equally spaced rows. By removing many, and sometimes most of the trees, the BLM is able to introduce the
“indefinitely withdrawn” every one of these controversial logging projects, and effectively replaced its aggressive clearcutting program with a much less controversial approach to forest management. We attributed the change of direction to the conservation
structural complexity that a forest would naturally have. Openings allow sun to reach the forest floor, which in turn promotes the development of a second canopy and allows a greater variety of tree species to establish themselves. Thinning out overly dense areas
movement’s relentless organizing against reckless
also speeds the growth of the remaining upper canopy continued on p. 4
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CASCADIA WILDLANDS
educates, agitates, and inspires a movement to protect and restore Cascadia’s wild ecosystems.
staff Sally Cummings Operations Manager
Dan Kruse Legal Director
Josh Laughlin Conservation Director
Kate Ritley Executive Director
Gabe Scott Alaska Field Director
Cascadia in Color from Kate Ritley, Executive Director. Life in Cascadia is changing. In response to our incessant campaigning, the Bureau of Land Management has started shutting down old-growth logging in favor of thinning tree farms. DC is wellgreased for progressive change, illustrated by the momentum behind Devil’s Staircase. We still fight battles where necessary, from the occasional old-growth logging proposal to the current wolf slaughter in the Rockies. Yet overall, we’re flexing our offense muscles more than ever before. In the spirit of this exciting shift, we decided to give our newsletter a makeover (and we found a really inexpensive way to print in full color!). Inside you’ll find timely updates, witty analysis, a handy event calendar for the fridge, and a healthy dose of humor. Thank you so much for making change possible.
board of directors Kate Alexander, Secretary Amy Atwood Jim Flynn Jeremy Hall, President Paul Kuck Jeff Long Tim Ream Steve Witten, Treasurer
advisory council Jason Blazar Ralph Bloemers Susan Jane Brown Alan Dickman, PhD Timothy Ingalsbee, PhD Megan Kemple Pollyanna Lind, MS Beverly McDonald Lauren Regan, AAL, Chair
contact PO Box 10455 Eugene, OR 97440 541.434.1463 p 541.434.6494 f info@CascWild.org 4
Impress your family and wow your neighbors! It’s the recipe you’ve been waiting for: Lawyer Dan’s Famous Vegan Chili, served at our annual Ancient Forest Hoedown. All you need: • 40 lbs dried beans (pinto, kidney, and black) • 168 cups crushed or diced tomatoes • 50 Bell Peppers (assorted) • 40 Zucchini • 18 lbs onions • 30 lbs frozen corn • 4 lbs chopped garlic • 40 oz chili powder • 20 oz ground cumin • 12 oz oregano • 10 cups nutritional yeast • Salt to taste • Liquid smoke to taste • 1 cup Tapatio Sauce Combine all ingredients in a giant pot, cook over medium heat for four hours and invite 400 of your closest friends for a delicious Chili-thon!
Thanks, Lawyer Dan!
Gray Wolves in the Crosshairs
New Policy Threatens Recovery in Oregon. by Dan Kruse, Legal Director.
In just a few years, gray wolves have made an amazing comeback in parts of the western United States.
species list. This delisting leaves wolf management decisions to the individual state governments, and the
Fewer than 70 wolves were reintroduced into the northern Rocky Mountains from Canada in the mid-1990s, and there are now more than 1,800 wolves across Montana,
states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming have all responded by proposing to kill several hundred wolves in the next few months. Wolf hunts in Montana and Idaho are
Idaho, Wyoming, and parts of eastern Oregon and Washington. Despite their success, wolves have a long way to go. Having once inhabited almost all of North America,
already underway. As of October 27, 79 wolves have been shot dead in Idaho and 25 killed in Montana as part of the state hunts. This does not include wolves “lethally removed” for
wolves today occupy a very small portion of their natural range. And while individual numbers are growing, the overall population still suffers from genetic isolation.
depredations on livestock. Cascadia Wildlands is working to restore full federal protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies and to ensure that wolf populations in
The greatest challenges for the wolf, however, come from the federal government’s 2008 decision to remove wolves from the endangered
Oregon and Washington are allowed to grow to their full potential. Our goal is to hear wolves, in the not-toodistant future, howling away in the Cascade Mountains and throughout the western United States. For more information about our work to protect wolves, visit www.cascwild. org/wolves.html.
GRAY WOLF canis lupus
Of all the captivating and intriguing animals in the wild, of all the creatures out there that inspire thrill, fear and wonder, wolves are in a class of their own. Wolves are the subject of myths and legends as old as the Bible and probably much older. Today, the wolf is an icon for the environmental movement, a charismatic emblem of the few truly untamed things that we have left in the world. To see a wolf in the wild is an experience one never forgets. (p porter)
To look into the eyes of a wolf is to see your own soul. - Aldo Leopold
A new federal policy allows wolf hunting and threatens recovery in the Pacific Northwest (first people). 3
Fall Creek, Oregon Conservation Director Josh Laughlin and canine companion Otis explore oldgrowth forests around Fall Creek. The area was planned for clearcutting until recently. The Obama administration’s focus on plantation thinning is a refreshing change for Oregon’s forests (c mortensen).
IS THIS FOREST SAFE FOR GOOD? continued from p. 1
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by reducing competition for water, nutrients and sunlight, which accelerated the development of oldgrowth forest characteristics.
are designed with limited environmental impact with a close eye on any road building proposed. These types of projects can be a much more
The Eugene District is currently looking to thin several thousands acres of 30-79 year old stands in the Long Tom River watershed and another 3,000 acres elsewhere. The Salem District is eying up the Siletz River watershed with similarly ambitious plans.
reliable source of revenue and job creation for local timber companies because the BLM doesn’t get sued every step of the way. The BLM has been embattled by controversy and lawsuits for decades over its insistent clearcutting program. Its shift away from clearcutting
The Medford District is proposing to thin more than 8,000 acres of young stands around Butte Falls with the hope of reducing hazardous fuels. The list goes on. We will comment on these proposals to ensure they
old growth and renewed focus on thinning younger, homogenous stands offers a win-win situation for Oregon’s forests, waters, wildlife, and communities. We will work to ensure the BLM stays on this track.
Devil’s Staircase Gains Traction in DC
Successful committee hearings set stage in Congress. by Josh Laughlin, Conservation Director. The Obama administration has given its official nod of approval to create the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness, located 15 miles northeast of Reedsport
on minor modifications to the legislation and to welcoming these units into the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System,” testified Robert V.
in the rugged Oregon Coast Range. At Congressional hearings in early October both the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management testified that the wilderness designation was a prudent course of action.
Abbey, Director of the Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior. The Forest Service even suggested turning the 13 mile, east-west Road 41, which bisects the 29,650-acre proposal area in half, into a foot-and-
“The Department of the Interior looks forward to working with the sponsors and the Committee
horse trail, preferring to manage the area as a whole rather than in two parts. At soonest, the area could become wilderness by the end of the year. During the Senate committee hearing, Senator Wyden (D-OR) spoke forcefully in favor of protecting the area, describing Devil’s Staircase as a symbol of Oregon’s wild beauty.
Wilderness Expedition Cascadia Wildlands staff recently returned from a two-day outing to Devil’s Staircase with Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Oregon Field Guide, which is working on a television story showcasing the mystical area to be aired this winter or spring. After a sunrise decent and fivehour bushwhack, the group landed right on the Devil’s Staircase and made it out by dark with minor puncture wounds, battered shins and an unforgettable Coast Range experience (top, j laughlin; right, d tvedt). 5
COMMUNITYCALENDAR
Devil’s Staircase, Oregon Franklin Creek meets the lower Umpqua River at the proposed Devil’s Staircase WIlderness. Cascadia Wildlands worked with generous volunteer pilot Ross Bondurant and photographers to shoot aerial images of the proposed Wilderness (t giraudier).
November 5: Join the University of Oregon Outdoor Program and Cascadia Wildlands for a presentation about the proposed Devil's Staricase Wilderness. 7 pm, Outdoor Program office (Erb Memorial Union). Free. November 17: “A Long Trek Home” with author Erin McKittrick. Don’t miss this moving presentation about her family’s 4000-mile human-powered journey from Seattle to the Aleutian Islands, including a stop on the Lost Coast to work with Cascadia Wildlands on restoration. 7 pm, EWEB Training Room, Eugene. Free. November 5: Join the University of Oregon Outdoor Program and Cascadia Wildlands for a presentation about the proposed Devil's Staricase Wilderness. 7 pm, Outdoor Program office (Erb Memorial Union). Free. December 12: Wonderland Auction, 6 pm, EMU Ballroom, UO, Eugene. Guaranteed to be our biggest, most elegant, and most hassle-free auction yet. Details, tickets, and auction catalogs will be available on our website, www.CascWild.org, beginning in November. For more information and details, please visit www.CascWild.org
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THANK YOU! Thank you to all of our individual and family supporters and the many volunteers who help us protect wild places! Huge thanks to the foundations, businesses, and community groups that recently supported our work: 444S Foundation Acorn Foundation Alaska Conservation Foundation Astrov Fund Backcountry Gear Ltd. Ben & Jerry’s Foundation Brainerd Foundation Burning Foundation Deer Creek Foundation Emerald Valley Kitchen Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation
Fund for Wild Nature Kenney Brothers Watershed Foundation Klorfine Family Foundation Laird Norton Foundation Loeb-Meginnes Foundation Mazamas Mark Frohnmayer Donor Advised Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation
Millis Donor Advised Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation McKenzie River Gathering Foundation Meyer Memorial Trust Mountain Rose Herbs Ninkasi Brewing Company Norcross Wildlife Foundation Patagonia Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life
Pizza Research Institute Ring of Fire Restaurant River Jewelry Southern Explorations Sperling Foundation Suwinski Family Foundation Tactics Board Shop Titcomb Foundation Tsunami Sushi University of Oregon Outdoor Program Winky Foundation
Comings and Goings Cascadia Wildlands recently bid farewell to Board members Dee and David Tvedt. You may know Dee and Dave from a hike to Devil’s Staircase or our video about the proposed Wilderness. This extraordinary pair helped launch the Devil’s Staircase campaign and will continue to work for its protection. We are deeply grateful to Dave and Dee for their passion and drive, and we look forward to celebrating a new Wilderness area with them in the near future!
CONNECT WITH CASCADIA Stay in-the-know and connect with your community! Sign up for e-alerts, join the cause on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or be old-fashioned and give us a call! (and don’t worry, we absolutely never share or sell your information!)
www.CascWild.org www.twitter.com/CascWild www.facebook.com/CascadiaWildlands 541.434.1463 or info@CascWild.org 5
WILL OBAMA END OLDGROWTH LOGGING FOR GOOD?
CASCADIA WILDLANDS we like it wild. (FORMERLY CASCADIA WILDLANDS PROJECT) PO BOX 10455 • EUGENE, OR 97440
Fall 2009 News and Fun
Obama’s old-growth agenda
Devil’s Staircase
charges ahead in DC
Gray wolves in the crosshairs
Lawyer Dan’s Famous Vegan Chili Recipe
Community Calendar
what’s inside?
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