CASCADIA WILDLANDS we like it wild. PO BOX 10455 • EUGENE, OR 97440
fall 2011
US Postage PAID Nonprofit Org. Permit No. 82 Eugene, OR
fall 2011
news + fun from cascadia wildlands
CASCADIAQUARTERLY
Stay Halts execution of Two Oregon Wolves Oregonians Demonstrate Against Elliott Clearcutting Increase Trouble Brewing on the Umpqua
what’s inside?
Community Calendar
For now, the alpha male of the Imnaha Pack is safe from execution. (ODFW)
Stay Halts Execution of Two Oregon Wolves Fate of Imnaha Pack Hangs in Balance
proudly presents
Cascadia Wildlands’ 9th Annual
Wonderland Auction a magical evening to benefit endangered forests, rivers and wildlife
Please join us for a gourmet dinner by the Ring of Fire, drinks, swanky music, and exhilarating live and silent auctions featuring an Alaska wilderness adventure cruise for 2, a week on Cape Cod, whitewater rafting trips, a luxury yacht cruise on the mighty Mississippi River, a private trip to Devil’s Staircase, a vacation in Victoria BC, Oregon coast and mountain getaways, outdoor gear, fine wine, and so much more!
Saturday December 10
September 22-25, 2011: Presented by Mountain Rose Herbs, Rootstalk is a threeday, three-night festival which takes place on 300 acres of old-growth forest just outside of Salem, Oregon. This is a unique celebration of herbal living, love of wilderness, homesteading skills, folk-infused music, of plant lore, organic agriculture, 6 pm • EMU Ballroom, University Oregon, Eugene and a return to community roots. All profits will be generously donated to Cascadia advance tickets and auction Wildlands toDetails, support its conservation work. previews at www.CascWild.org
by Nick Cady, Legal Director The battle over wolves in Oregon has reached a breaking point. On September 23, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) issued a kill order for two of the remaining four wolves in the Imnaha pack, including the alpha male. The order was essentially a death sentence for the pack, Oregon’s first in nearly 65 years, because the remaining alpha female and her pup would likely be unable to fend for themselves this winter. This kill order clearly demonstrated that ODFW’s mandate to recover wolves reached a low point. The agency is under a duty to foster a healthy wolf population in the state, eventually to be composed of seven successful breeding pairs and presumably hundreds of wolves. Instead, the ODFW has succumbed to intense political pressure from the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association while the state’s wolf population is down from over 20 wolves in 2010 to approximately 14 today. Lethal control, poaching and accidental death have contributed to the decline.
The ongoing kill orders are alarming as Cascadia Wildlands was heavily involved in the creation of the plan that guides wolf conservation in the state. Acknowledging that there would be some instances of chronic wolf-livestock conflict as wolves adjusted to Oregon, Cascadia and other conservation groups agreed to allow lethal control under extreme circumstances. But instead of applying this limited exception appropriately, it has been the source of significant abuse. Disturbed by the most recent order, Cascadia staff quickly developed a lawsuit arguing that the state’s management of the gray wolf violates the state Endangered Species Act. Other conservation groups involved in wolf recovery in Oregon, including Oregon Wild and Center for Biological Diversity, eagerly joined the fray. The legal team, led by feared wolf attorney Dan Kruse and Cascadia board member and long-time forest defender, Tim Ream, swiftly drafted a complaint requesting the continued on p. 4
1
from Executive Director Kate Ritley
staff Sally Cummings
Operations Manager
Francis Eatherington Conservation Director
Dan Kruse
Legal Director
Josh Laughlin
Campaign Director
Kate Ritley
Executive Director
Gabe Scott
Alaska Field Director
board of directors Kate Alexander, Secretary Laura Beaton Jeremy Hall, President Paul Kuck Sarah Peters Justin Ramsey Tim Ream Tim Whitley Steve Witten, Treasurer
Amy Atwood Jason Blazar Ralph Bloemers Susan Jane Brown Alan Dickman, PhD Jim Flynn 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 2
WWW.CASCWILD.ORG
advisory council
Five years ago Cascadia Wildlands hired our first Legal Director, a promising young environmental lawyer named Dan Kruse. It didn’t take long before Dan started making waves, securing injunctions against clearcutting, negotiating settlements to save wild roadless areas, and helping build the legal case that we would go on to win against the notorious WOPR, a Bush-era scheme to allow clearcutting in old-growth and streamside forest reserves throughout western Oregon. After five years of protecting wild places and wildlife through legal action, this fall Dan transitioned off our staff. We are deeply grateful to Dan for his years of leadership and legal vision. Fortunately, Dan is continuing to work closely with us on legal cases through his private law practice. Recently, we hired another bright, up-and-coming environmental attorney to replace Dan on our staff and make similarly huge waves in the conservation movement. Our new Legal Director, Nick Cady, is working closely with Dan as a dynamic legal team to safeguard endangered forests, rivers, and wildlife. In fact, the two have been working closely for nearly two years now, and the results have been stellar. From saving old-growth forests near the McKenzie River from logging to stopping the state of Oregon from killing endangered wolves, Dan and Nick make a potent legal team. We are thrilled to welcome Nick, a passionate forest advocate and avid river-runner, to our staff. Nick hails from St. Louis, Missouri, where he spent much of his early years canoeing and exploring the Ozarks in southern Missouri. A year ago Nick interned on our staff and demonstrated exceptional legal acumen and vision. With his dedication, passion, and ability, we are confident Nick will do an amazing job as our new Legal Director. Nick’s work to protect wild places and wildlife is made entirely possible by your support. Your support at events like our upcoming Wonderland Auction (December 10–see back cover for details!) and your generous donations make Nick’s critical legal work possible. Thank you for supporting our work to protect and restore Cascadia’s wild ecosystems!
THANK YOU!
Goodbye Dan Kruse, Hello Nick Cady
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 and community groups that have made substantial contributions to support our work:
444S Foundation Acorn Foundation Alaska Conservation Foundation
Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation Fund for Wild Nature
Astrov Fund
Kenney Brothers Watershed Foundation
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
Klorfine Family Foundation
Brainerd Foundation Burning Foundation Deer Creek Foundation Earth Friends Conservation Fund
Mazamas Mark Frohnmayer Donor Advised Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation
Norcross Wildlife Foundation Sperling Foundation Suwinski Family Foundation
Roger Millis Donor Advised Fund of the Oregon Community Laird Norton Foundation Foundation Leotta Gordon McKenzie River Foundation Gathering Foundation
Titcomb Foundation
Loeb-Meginnes Foundation
Wilburforce Foundation
Meyer Memorial Trust
Unitarian Universalist Church of Eugene University of Oregon Outdoor Program Winky Foundation
BUSINESSES GIVE BACK A sustainable planet is essential to sustainable business. That’s why more and more companies are actively investing in Cascadia Wildlands. Business support saves wild places from imminent destruction and wildlife from extinction. Please join us in thanking and patronizing the visionary businesses that support our work with generous cash contributions:
Business Champions ($5,000+) Patagonia, Inc
Business Partners ($2,500-4,999)
Business Sustainers ($1000-2499)
Business Friends ($250-999)
Pivot Architecture Pizza Research Institute Tactics Board Shop
Backcountry Gear Ltd. Emerald Valley Kitchen River Jewelry Southern Explorations Sundance Natural Market
Mountain Rose Herbs
In addition, hundreds of businesses contribute goods and services to support Cascadia Wildlands, especially through our annual Wonderland Auction. Please help us thank the businesses that support our work with generous in-kind contributions: Discovery Voyages Ninkasi Brewing Company Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life Cascadia Wildlands is a proud Recipient organization of 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses committed to leveraging their resources to create a healthier planet.
WWW.CASCWILD.ORG
Check out our website to stay in-the-know and connect with your community! Sign up for e-alerts, join the cause on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and instantly take action on timely issues! (And don’t worry, we absolutely never share or sell your info!) 7
COMMUNITYCALENDAR 6
Oregonians Demonstrate Against Elliott Clearcutting Increase New Logging Plan Breaks Critical Promises for the Forest by Francis Eatherington, Conservation Director
First Mondays through May 2012: Ninkasi Brewing Company hosts “Pints Gone Wild” program to benefit Cascadia Wildlands. Half of all tasting room beer sales will go to support the conservation work of Cascadia Wildlands. The dates of the “Pints Gone Wild” first Mondays are November 7, December 5, January 2, February 6, March 5, April 2, May 7. The Ninkasi tasting room and patio are located at 272 Van Buren Street in Eugene. December 10, 2011: 9th Annual Wonderland Auction Join us for a benefit gala featuring dinner catered by Ring of Fire, drinks, music and abundant holiday cheer. Get ready to bid in the live auction on!a luxurious small-ship cruise for 2 in Alaska, Oregon Coast vacations, a whitewater rafting trip, a winetasting limo tour, and much more! The silent auction will feature outdoor gear, local wines, certificates to your favorite local restaurants, and gift packs to suit every taste (including those hard-to-shop-for family members on your holiday list)!
6 pm University of Oregon EMU Ballroom at 13th and University in Eugene Tickets $30 advance at www.CascWild.org, $35 day of event, 12 & under free. Thanks to the generosity of these event sponsors, every dollar raised will go directly to protecting wild places: Mountain Rose Herbs, UO Outdoor Program, Ninkasi Brewing. For more events and additional information, please visit www.CascWild.org
On October 11, over 100 concerned citizens from across the state attended the State Land Board meeting in Salem, where Governor John Kitzhaber approved the new Elliott State Forest Plan, nearly doubling the clearcuts allowed in this ecologically important temperate rainforest near Reedsport. Since no public comment was allowed during this notable vote, we stood outside the glass wall of the meeting room with our signs, listening to speakers, music and rallying chants, forcing the governor, Secretary Kate Brown and Treasurer Ted Wheeler look at and listen to us all morning. Sixteen years ago, Governor Kitzhaber signed the 1995 management plan for the Elliott. The state asked the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for permission to kill some of the endangered northern spotted owls in exchange for long-term protections elsewhere on the Elliott. The USFWS agreed and gave Oregon permission to kill 43 of the forest’s 69 owls if the state promised to protect other owl habitat on the Elliott, including establishing large reserves in the western half of the Elliott, protecting abundant contiguous forest around 13 owl nests, no matter what happened to those owls down the road, and growing really old forests on one-fifth of the 93,000-acre Elliott. Those 43 owls are already gone, yet the governor has broken the long-term promises by signing off
on the new Elliott Forest Plan on October 11. Under the new plan, some of the reserves on the west side of the Elliott are now the highest priority for clearcutting over the next 10 years. The substantial forest reserves left around the remaining 13 owl sites can now be clearcut to postage stamp size, and if an owl pair takes a multi-year break from its nest site, it can be clearcut. Increasing clearcutting to over 800 acres per year means additional hardships for wildlife living on the Elliott, including the spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and coho salmon. The new logging plan also threatens to kill other wildlife that might harm tree-farms, like the aquatic American beaver, black bear, and the mountain beaver. More clearcutting means more herbicide spraying and increased landslides into salmon streams. The Oregon Department of Forestry, which oversees logging for the State Land Board on the Elliott, is fast turning one of the Oregon Coast Range’s largest contiguous blocks of older forest into an industrial tree farm. Cascadia continues to explore our options to halt the rampant clearcutting on the Elliott rainforest, which we consider the worst on public forest land in the Northwest today. Stay tuned for exciting developments on this front.
MOUNTAIN BEAVER Aplodontia rufa
Also known as the boomer, the mountain beaver is the most primitive rodent alive. Its range spans from the coastal mountains of British Columbia southward to the Cascades, Siskiyous and Sierra Nevada. Mountain beavers build elaborate tunnel networks and dine on herbs and woody shoots. These terrestrial beavers have become a nemesis to industrial foresters as they tend to munch on young saplings planted after clearcutting. In fact, the Oregon Department of Forestry admits it traps and kills approximately 3,000 mountain beavers each year on the Elliott State Forest alone to protect the fiber farms it plants after razing the older rainforest.
3
Trouble Brewing on the Umpqua
Travel Planning Derailed by the Wingnuts after Public Meetings by Francis Eatherington, Conservation Director
On October 11, over 100 Oregonians demonstrated against the clearcutting increase on the Elliott State Forest at the State Land Board meeting. The board, which oversees management of the 93,000-acre Elliott, is made up of Governor John Kitzhaber, Secretary Kate Brown and Treasurer Ted Wheeler. The board unanimously voted in favor of the new forest plan for the Elliott State Forest, which will increase clearcutting of older rainforests by 40%. Cascadia Wildlands and allies are exploring legal options to halt the rampant clearcutting in endangered species habitat. (Trip Jennings)
continued from p. 1
Oregon Court of Appeals to grant an emergency stay preventing the slaying of the alpha male and his yearling. Mere hours after driving to Salem to file the suit, we were informed by the court the stay was granted and the wolves saved for now. The case continues to move forward and the court still needs to rule on the primary issue of the case, whether the state’s lethal control violates the state Endangered Species Act. Your generous support of Cascadia brought this challenge to life,
but the enemies of wolves are upping the ante. Recently, the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association has intervened in the case, resolute on weakening protections for wolves in Oregon. Cascadia needs further financial help to meet these rising challenges, and thanks you in advance for your support. Despite these challenges, we know we will win and look forward to the sweet sound of wolf howls in Oregon’s backcountry.
Please take a moment to weigh in to help our new The Umpqua National Forest has a new Forest Supervisor, Alice Carlton, and one of her first jobs is Forest Supervisor consider all of our values on the Umpqua National Forest. Write to Alice Carlton, UNF to rescue the Travel Management Plan (TMP) left in Supervisor, 2900 NW Stewart Parkway, Roseburg shambles by former supervisor, Cliff Dils. Oregon 97471 or acarlton@fs.fed.us. Tell her what The TMP process began under the Bush you like about quiet recreation, especially on hiking administration with a goal of reducing impacts of trails through pristine glades and into roadless areas. unchecked off-highway vehicle (OHV) development ML-1 roads should also be closed to motorized on national forest lands. The process ultimately travel, except where the Forest Service can verify results in a user map that makes clear where that adequate monitoring and maintenance will take motorized recreation (like OHVs and motorcycles) is place and no resource damage will occur. allowed and where it is restricted. There are over 4,800 miles of roads within the million-acre Umpqua National Forest, including 1,200 miles of “ML-1” roads – abandoned, old logging spurs. Under the Dils proposal, all of the ML-1 roads would have been mapped as motorized trails, regardless if they crossed coho salmon streams or if they required substantial chainsaw work to re-open them for ATV use. Also under the Dils proposal, 60 miles of hiking trails into unique roadless areas, like Bulldog Rock and Mt. Bailey, and through sensitive glades and wetlands, would be mapped for motorized recreation. The Forest Service regional office knew the Dils plan would not have withstood our likely legal challenge, so they ordered the new forest supervisor to start over. Supervisor Carlton recently held two public meetings in Roseburg. One hundred anti-government types, claiming the Forest Service has no constitutional authority to manage federal lands and no right to “lock up” the forest, derailed both meetings. They failed to grasp the TMP will close no additional roads, will decommission no roads, will not change fire-fighting capabilities, and will still allow any person to go anyplace they want, anytime and anywhere in the Umpqua National Forest. While OHV use may end up restricted in some sensitive areas, travel to those areas would still be Will the proposed Bulldog Rock Wilderness be a destination for offpermitted by hiking, biking, or equestrian use. highway vehicles under the Umpqua Travel Plan? (D Stone)
4
5
Trouble Brewing on the Umpqua
Travel Planning Derailed by the Wingnuts after Public Meetings by Francis Eatherington, Conservation Director
On October 11, over 100 Oregonians demonstrated against the clearcutting increase on the Elliott State Forest at the State Land Board meeting. The board, which oversees management of the 93,000-acre Elliott, is made up of Governor John Kitzhaber, Secretary Kate Brown and Treasurer Ted Wheeler. The board unanimously voted in favor of the new forest plan for the Elliott State Forest, which will increase clearcutting of older rainforests by 40%. Cascadia Wildlands and allies are exploring legal options to halt the rampant clearcutting in endangered species habitat. (Trip Jennings)
continued from p. 1
Oregon Court of Appeals to grant an emergency stay preventing the slaying of the alpha male and his yearling. Mere hours after driving to Salem to file the suit, we were informed by the court the stay was granted and the wolves saved for now. The case continues to move forward and the court still needs to rule on the primary issue of the case, whether the state’s lethal control violates the state Endangered Species Act. Your generous support of Cascadia brought this challenge to life,
but the enemies of wolves are upping the ante. Recently, the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association has intervened in the case, resolute on weakening protections for wolves in Oregon. Cascadia needs further financial help to meet these rising challenges, and thanks you in advance for your support. Despite these challenges, we know we will win and look forward to the sweet sound of wolf howls in Oregon’s backcountry.
Please take a moment to weigh in to help our new The Umpqua National Forest has a new Forest Supervisor, Alice Carlton, and one of her first jobs is Forest Supervisor consider all of our values on the Umpqua National Forest. Write to Alice Carlton, UNF to rescue the Travel Management Plan (TMP) left in Supervisor, 2900 NW Stewart Parkway, Roseburg shambles by former supervisor, Cliff Dils. Oregon 97471 or acarlton@fs.fed.us. Tell her what The TMP process began under the Bush you like about quiet recreation, especially on hiking administration with a goal of reducing impacts of trails through pristine glades and into roadless areas. unchecked off-highway vehicle (OHV) development ML-1 roads should also be closed to motorized on national forest lands. The process ultimately travel, except where the Forest Service can verify results in a user map that makes clear where that adequate monitoring and maintenance will take motorized recreation (like OHVs and motorcycles) is place and no resource damage will occur. allowed and where it is restricted. There are over 4,800 miles of roads within the million-acre Umpqua National Forest, including 1,200 miles of “ML-1” roads – abandoned, old logging spurs. Under the Dils proposal, all of the ML-1 roads would have been mapped as motorized trails, regardless if they crossed coho salmon streams or if they required substantial chainsaw work to re-open them for ATV use. Also under the Dils proposal, 60 miles of hiking trails into unique roadless areas, like Bulldog Rock and Mt. Bailey, and through sensitive glades and wetlands, would be mapped for motorized recreation. The Forest Service regional office knew the Dils plan would not have withstood our likely legal challenge, so they ordered the new forest supervisor to start over. Supervisor Carlton recently held two public meetings in Roseburg. One hundred anti-government types, claiming the Forest Service has no constitutional authority to manage federal lands and no right to “lock up” the forest, derailed both meetings. They failed to grasp the TMP will close no additional roads, will decommission no roads, will not change fire-fighting capabilities, and will still allow any person to go anyplace they want, anytime and anywhere in the Umpqua National Forest. While OHV use may end up restricted in some sensitive areas, travel to those areas would still be Will the proposed Bulldog Rock Wilderness be a destination for offpermitted by hiking, biking, or equestrian use. highway vehicles under the Umpqua Travel Plan? (D Stone)
4
5
COMMUNITYCALENDAR 6
Oregonians Demonstrate Against Elliott Clearcutting Increase New Logging Plan Breaks Critical Promises for the Forest by Francis Eatherington, Conservation Director
First Mondays through May 2012: Ninkasi Brewing Company hosts “Pints Gone Wild” program to benefit Cascadia Wildlands. Half of all tasting room beer sales will go to support the conservation work of Cascadia Wildlands. The dates of the “Pints Gone Wild” first Mondays are November 7, December 5, January 2, February 6, March 5, April 2, May 7. The Ninkasi tasting room and patio are located at 272 Van Buren Street in Eugene. December 10, 2011: 9th Annual Wonderland Auction Join us for a benefit gala featuring dinner catered by Ring of Fire, drinks, music and abundant holiday cheer. Get ready to bid in the live auction on!a luxurious small-ship cruise for 2 in Alaska, Oregon Coast vacations, a whitewater rafting trip, a winetasting limo tour, and much more! The silent auction will feature outdoor gear, local wines, certificates to your favorite local restaurants, and gift packs to suit every taste (including those hard-to-shop-for family members on your holiday list)!
6 pm University of Oregon EMU Ballroom at 13th and University in Eugene Tickets $30 advance at www.CascWild.org, $35 day of event, 12 & under free. Thanks to the generosity of these event sponsors, every dollar raised will go directly to protecting wild places: Mountain Rose Herbs, UO Outdoor Program, Ninkasi Brewing. For more events and additional information, please visit www.CascWild.org
On October 11, over 100 concerned citizens from across the state attended the State Land Board meeting in Salem, where Governor John Kitzhaber approved the new Elliott State Forest Plan, nearly doubling the clearcuts allowed in this ecologically important temperate rainforest near Reedsport. Since no public comment was allowed during this notable vote, we stood outside the glass wall of the meeting room with our signs, listening to speakers, music and rallying chants, forcing the governor, Secretary Kate Brown and Treasurer Ted Wheeler look at and listen to us all morning. Sixteen years ago, Governor Kitzhaber signed the 1995 management plan for the Elliott. The state asked the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for permission to kill some of the endangered northern spotted owls in exchange for long-term protections elsewhere on the Elliott. The USFWS agreed and gave Oregon permission to kill 43 of the forest’s 69 owls if the state promised to protect other owl habitat on the Elliott, including establishing large reserves in the western half of the Elliott, protecting abundant contiguous forest around 13 owl nests, no matter what happened to those owls down the road, and growing really old forests on one-fifth of the 93,000-acre Elliott. Those 43 owls are already gone, yet the governor has broken the long-term promises by signing off
on the new Elliott Forest Plan on October 11. Under the new plan, some of the reserves on the west side of the Elliott are now the highest priority for clearcutting over the next 10 years. The substantial forest reserves left around the remaining 13 owl sites can now be clearcut to postage stamp size, and if an owl pair takes a multi-year break from its nest site, it can be clearcut. Increasing clearcutting to over 800 acres per year means additional hardships for wildlife living on the Elliott, including the spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and coho salmon. The new logging plan also threatens to kill other wildlife that might harm tree-farms, like the aquatic American beaver, black bear, and the mountain beaver. More clearcutting means more herbicide spraying and increased landslides into salmon streams. The Oregon Department of Forestry, which oversees logging for the State Land Board on the Elliott, is fast turning one of the Oregon Coast Range’s largest contiguous blocks of older forest into an industrial tree farm. Cascadia continues to explore our options to halt the rampant clearcutting on the Elliott rainforest, which we consider the worst on public forest land in the Northwest today. Stay tuned for exciting developments on this front.
MOUNTAIN BEAVER Aplodontia rufa
Also known as the boomer, the mountain beaver is the most primitive rodent alive. Its range spans from the coastal mountains of British Columbia southward to the Cascades, Siskiyous and Sierra Nevada. Mountain beavers build elaborate tunnel networks and dine on herbs and woody shoots. These terrestrial beavers have become a nemesis to industrial foresters as they tend to munch on young saplings planted after clearcutting. In fact, the Oregon Department of Forestry admits it traps and kills approximately 3,000 mountain beavers each year on the Elliott State Forest alone to protect the fiber farms it plants after razing the older rainforest.
3
from Executive Director Kate Ritley
staff Sally Cummings
Operations Manager
Francis Eatherington Conservation Director
Dan Kruse
Legal Director
Josh Laughlin
Campaign Director
Kate Ritley
Executive Director
Gabe Scott
Alaska Field Director
board of directors Kate Alexander, Secretary Laura Beaton Jeremy Hall, President Paul Kuck Sarah Peters Justin Ramsey Tim Ream Tim Whitley Steve Witten, Treasurer
Amy Atwood Jason Blazar Ralph Bloemers Susan Jane Brown Alan Dickman, PhD Jim Flynn 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 2
WWW.CASCWILD.ORG
advisory council
Five years ago Cascadia Wildlands hired our first Legal Director, a promising young environmental lawyer named Dan Kruse. It didn’t take long before Dan started making waves, securing injunctions against clearcutting, negotiating settlements to save wild roadless areas, and helping build the legal case that we would go on to win against the notorious WOPR, a Bush-era scheme to allow clearcutting in old-growth and streamside forest reserves throughout western Oregon. After five years of protecting wild places and wildlife through legal action, this fall Dan transitioned off our staff. We are deeply grateful to Dan for his years of leadership and legal vision. Fortunately, Dan is continuing to work closely with us on legal cases through his private law practice. Recently, we hired another bright, up-and-coming environmental attorney to replace Dan on our staff and make similarly huge waves in the conservation movement. Our new Legal Director, Nick Cady, is working closely with Dan as a dynamic legal team to safeguard endangered forests, rivers, and wildlife. In fact, the two have been working closely for nearly two years now, and the results have been stellar. From saving old-growth forests near the McKenzie River from logging to stopping the state of Oregon from killing endangered wolves, Dan and Nick make a potent legal team. We are thrilled to welcome Nick, a passionate forest advocate and avid river-runner, to our staff. Nick hails from St. Louis, Missouri, where he spent much of his early years canoeing and exploring the Ozarks in southern Missouri. A year ago Nick interned on our staff and demonstrated exceptional legal acumen and vision. With his dedication, passion, and ability, we are confident Nick will do an amazing job as our new Legal Director. Nick’s work to protect wild places and wildlife is made entirely possible by your support. Your support at events like our upcoming Wonderland Auction (December 10–see back cover for details!) and your generous donations make Nick’s critical legal work possible. Thank you for supporting our work to protect and restore Cascadia’s wild ecosystems!
THANK YOU!
Goodbye Dan Kruse, Hello Nick Cady
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 and community groups that have made substantial contributions to support our work:
444S Foundation Acorn Foundation Alaska Conservation Foundation
Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation Fund for Wild Nature
Astrov Fund
Kenney Brothers Watershed Foundation
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
Klorfine Family Foundation
Brainerd Foundation Burning Foundation Deer Creek Foundation Earth Friends Conservation Fund
Mazamas Mark Frohnmayer Donor Advised Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation
Norcross Wildlife Foundation Sperling Foundation Suwinski Family Foundation
Roger Millis Donor Advised Fund of the Oregon Community Laird Norton Foundation Foundation Leotta Gordon McKenzie River Foundation Gathering Foundation
Titcomb Foundation
Loeb-Meginnes Foundation
Wilburforce Foundation
Meyer Memorial Trust
Unitarian Universalist Church of Eugene University of Oregon Outdoor Program Winky Foundation
BUSINESSES GIVE BACK A sustainable planet is essential to sustainable business. That’s why more and more companies are actively investing in Cascadia Wildlands. Business support saves wild places from imminent destruction and wildlife from extinction. Please join us in thanking and patronizing the visionary businesses that support our work with generous cash contributions:
Business Champions ($5,000+) Patagonia, Inc
Business Partners ($2,500-4,999)
Business Sustainers ($1000-2499)
Business Friends ($250-999)
Pivot Architecture Pizza Research Institute Tactics Board Shop
Backcountry Gear Ltd. Emerald Valley Kitchen River Jewelry Southern Explorations Sundance Natural Market
Mountain Rose Herbs
In addition, hundreds of businesses contribute goods and services to support Cascadia Wildlands, especially through our annual Wonderland Auction. Please help us thank the businesses that support our work with generous in-kind contributions: Discovery Voyages Ninkasi Brewing Company Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life Cascadia Wildlands is a proud Recipient organization of 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses committed to leveraging their resources to create a healthier planet.
WWW.CASCWILD.ORG
Check out our website to stay in-the-know and connect with your community! Sign up for e-alerts, join the cause on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and instantly take action on timely issues! (And don’t worry, we absolutely never share or sell your info!) 7
CASCADIA WILDLANDS we like it wild. PO BOX 10455 • EUGENE, OR 97440
fall 2011
US Postage PAID Nonprofit Org. Permit No. 82 Eugene, OR
fall 2011
news + fun from cascadia wildlands
CASCADIAQUARTERLY
Stay Halts execution of Two Oregon Wolves Oregonians Demonstrate Against Elliott Clearcutting Increase Trouble Brewing on the Umpqua
what’s inside?
Community Calendar
For now, the alpha male of the Imnaha Pack is safe from execution. (ODFW)
Stay Halts Execution of Two Oregon Wolves Fate of Imnaha Pack Hangs in Balance
proudly presents
Cascadia Wildlands’ 9th Annual
Wonderland Auction a magical evening to benefit endangered forests, rivers and wildlife
Please join us for a gourmet dinner by the Ring of Fire, drinks, swanky music, and exhilarating live and silent auctions featuring an Alaska wilderness adventure cruise for 2, a week on Cape Cod, whitewater rafting trips, a luxury yacht cruise on the mighty Mississippi River, a private trip to Devil’s Staircase, a vacation in Victoria BC, Oregon coast and mountain getaways, outdoor gear, fine wine, and so much more!
Saturday December 10
September 22-25, 2011: Presented by Mountain Rose Herbs, Rootstalk is a threeday, three-night festival which takes place on 300 acres of old-growth forest just outside of Salem, Oregon. This is a unique celebration of herbal living, love of wilderness, homesteading skills, folk-infused music, of plant lore, organic agriculture, 6 pm • EMU Ballroom, University Oregon, Eugene and a return to community roots. All profits will be generously donated to Cascadia advance tickets and auction Wildlands toDetails, support its conservation work. previews at www.CascWild.org
by Nick Cady, Legal Director The battle over wolves in Oregon has reached a breaking point. On September 23, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) issued a kill order for two of the remaining four wolves in the Imnaha pack, including the alpha male. The order was essentially a death sentence for the pack, Oregon’s first in nearly 65 years, because the remaining alpha female and her pup would likely be unable to fend for themselves this winter. This kill order clearly demonstrated that ODFW’s mandate to recover wolves reached a low point. The agency is under a duty to foster a healthy wolf population in the state, eventually to be composed of seven successful breeding pairs and presumably hundreds of wolves. Instead, the ODFW has succumbed to intense political pressure from the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association while the state’s wolf population is down from over 20 wolves in 2010 to approximately 14 today. Lethal control, poaching and accidental death have contributed to the decline.
The ongoing kill orders are alarming as Cascadia Wildlands was heavily involved in the creation of the plan that guides wolf conservation in the state. Acknowledging that there would be some instances of chronic wolf-livestock conflict as wolves adjusted to Oregon, Cascadia and other conservation groups agreed to allow lethal control under extreme circumstances. But instead of applying this limited exception appropriately, it has been the source of significant abuse. Disturbed by the most recent order, Cascadia staff quickly developed a lawsuit arguing that the state’s management of the gray wolf violates the state Endangered Species Act. Other conservation groups involved in wolf recovery in Oregon, including Oregon Wild and Center for Biological Diversity, eagerly joined the fray. The legal team, led by feared wolf attorney Dan Kruse and Cascadia board member and long-time forest defender, Tim Ream, swiftly drafted a complaint requesting the continued on p. 4
1