CASCADIA WILDLANDS we like it wild. PO BOX 10455 • EUGENE, OR 97440
US Postage PAID Nonprofit Org. Permit No. 82 Eugene, OR
summer 2010
summer 2010
news + fun from cascadia wildlands
CASCADIAQUARTERLY
Wolves Make Tracks in Oregon McKenzie Forest Safe from Saws Bringing Back Bull Trout Community Calendar
what’s inside?
October 14, 2010 “From Source to Confluence: Exploring the Proposed Devil’s Staircase Wilderness.” A
presentation by photographer Tim Giraudier of Headwaters Photographic. 6:30-7:30 pm, EWEB Training Room (500 E. 4th Ave, Eugene).
Devil’s Staircase waterfall, Oregon (greg lief © 2010 LiefPhotos.com)
The alpha male of Oregon’s Wenaha wolf pack is the proud papa of two new pups (ODFW)
Wolves Make Tracks in Oregon
6 New Pups and Renewed Federal Protection Good Signs for Recovery by Dan Kruse, Legal Director A series of exciting courtroom victories has saved wolves from being killed in Oregon and across the western United States and have put the species on
in July, the federal government immediately withdrew plans to kill wolves in Oregon, including the two they had been hunting since May. Soon after that, some of
the path toward recovery. It's hard not to tilt our heads back at the moon and let out a big, triumphant howl. A few months ago the outlook for Oregon’s wolves was bleak. The total statewide population was reduced to just fourteen after two wolves were killed
the best (and cutest) news of all: puppies! In early July a remote camera captured several images of four newborn wolf pups from the Imnaha pack playing in a wildflower meadow in northeast Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains. In August, wildlife biologists also
by federal wildlife agents last September for attacking livestock. In May, the alpha male wolf of Oregon’s only known breeding pack disappeared without a trace. In the same month, federal agents were authorized to kill two more of the remaining thirteen wolves, and several
confirmed two new puppies for Oregon’s Wenaha pack. This marks only the second time since the 1940s that wolves have been born in the wild in Oregon. The good news has kept rolling in. At the end of
ranchers were given permits to kill any wolf seen attacking livestock. But this summer has brought one success story after another. After Cascadia Wildlands filed a lawsuit
July, the permits that authorized ranchers to kill wolves expired without a single loss to the population, and these permits have not been renewed. Instead, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has been continued on p. 4
1
from Executive Director Kate Ritley
staff Nick Cady Legal Intern
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 Justin Ramsey Tim Ream Steve Witten, Treasurer
advisory council 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
Last year the Obama administration eliminated protection for gray wolves in the West. Hunters in Idaho and Montana took aim and in a single season killed 260 wolves. This summer Cascadia Wildlands and fellow plaintiffs, represented by Earthjustice, prevailed in federal court in our suit to stop the hunts. Thanks to you, wolves throughout the West are safe. This year’s wolf hunting season has been cancelled. For Oregon’s wolves, this is still the beginning of a long battle. We saw what happened this summer when wolves killed six calves in eastern Oregon: Wallowa County declared a State of Emergency. Federal agents spent weeks in helicopters trying to gun down the wolves deemed responsible for the livestock loss. Cascadia Wildlands’ Legal Director, Dan Kruse, filed a lawsuit against these federal agents and grounded the helicopters. Shortly thereafter, we received the ruling that protects all wolves in the West. These victories mean Oregon’s 18 wolves are safe for now, but they are a good reminder of the many battles that lie ahead as wolves continue to recover and repopulate our state after a 60-year absence. No doubt, in coming years you will hear more about our fight to protect wolves. Thank you to all who took action and donated to save these wolves. Your support means wolves can safely continue their historic recovery across Oregon– we could not have done this without you. I hope you will continue supporting wolf recovery across Cascadia!
Comings and Goings Cascadia Wildlands recently said goodbye to Board member Jeff Long. After several years of working on our staff followed by four years of board service, Jeff has formally retired– but he’ll definitely continue to help out with our events! Thanks for everything you do for Cascadia, Jeff. We can’t wait to meet your next little bundle of joy!
Thank you to all of our individual and family supporters and the many volunteers who help us protect wild places!
THANK YOU!
Summer of Love for Wolves
Huge thanks to the foundations and community groups that have made substantial contributions to support our work: 444S Foundation
Deer Creek Foundation
Mazamas
Acorn Foundation
Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation
Mark Frohnmayer Donor Advised Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation
Alaska Conservation Foundation Astrov Fund
Fund for Wild Nature
Backcountry Gear Ltd.
Kenney Brothers Watershed Foundation
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
Klorfine Family Foundation
Brainerd Foundation
Laird Norton Foundation
Burning Foundation
Loeb-Meginnes Foundation
Millis Donor Advised Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation McKenzie River Gathering Foundation Meyer Memorial Trust
Norcross Wildlife Foundation Sperling Foundation Suwinski Family Foundation Titcomb Foundation University of Oregon Outdoor Program Wilburforce Foundation Winky Foundation
BUSINESS SUPPORT 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+)
Business Friends ($250-999)
Business Partners ($2,500-4,999)
Backcountry Gear Ltd. Emerald Valley Kitchen River Jewelry Southern Explorations Sundance Natural Foods Market
Patagonia, Inc
Mountain Rose Herbs
Business Sustainers ($1000-2499) Pivot Architecture Pizza Research Institute Tactics Board Shop 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
McKenzie Forest Safe from Saws Clearcutting Scheme Scrapped After Appeal by Nick Cady, Legal Intern
Baby Northern Spotted Owl Too young to fly, this curious baby owl hopped across the forest floor to have a better look at our camera. With most of their habitat destroyed by clearcutting, these iconic owls are nearing extinction (f eatherington).
October 9: 9th Annual Hoedown for Cascadia’s Ancient Forests! Get ready to kick up yer heels and celebrate Cascadia! More information coming soon to www.CascWild.org
October 14: “From Source to Confluence: Exploring the Proposed Devil’s Staircase Wilderness.” A presentation by photographer Tim Giraudier of Headwaters Photographic. 6:30-7:30 pm, EWEB Training Room (500 E. 4th Ave, Eugene).
November 2: “A Force of Nature: The Gray Wolf’s Impact on Ecosystem Heath.” A presentation by scientist and author Christina Eisenberg. 6:30-7:30 pm, EWEB Training Room (500 E. 4th Ave., Eugene).
December 11: 7th Annual Wonderland Auction. EMU Ballroom (University of Oregon). 7 pm.
For more information and details, please visit www.CascWild.org
Cascadia Wildlands has long thought of the Willamette National Forest as our backyard. The
However, out of line with recent ecosystem management trends, the Forest Service
organization was birthed from the struggle to protect its rapidly disappearing old-growth forests and species that rely on them. Over the years, we battled extensively to
proposed “Certification Thin,” a project designed to create elk habitat by converting a healthy forest into a patchwork of clearcuts. The agency also
protect the forest’s remaining mature and old-growth stands from destructive and ill-conceived timber sales. This struggle eventually resulted in a collaborative
proposed the logging project without a standard environmental review. Cascadia staff visited the site, and uncovered thriving older
relationship with the Forest Service from which grew non-controversial, restoration-based forestry projects, which are helping repair the decades of abuse on the forest.
forest. A creek ran just below the forest floor, which we were able to follow from just the sound of the rushing water and the small pools bubbling to the surface. This forest is an island of remaining older forest surrounded by dense tree farms and provides optimal habitat for the federally listed northern spotted owl. Certification Thin would have gutted the 158-year-old stand, while cutting close to the banks of the creeks in the logging unit. Cascadia filed a scathing legal appeal
NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL Strix occidentalis caurina This northern spotted owl mother and baby live in the 250,000-acre Tyee Study Area southwest of Eugene, where the Bureau of Land Management has been studying owl populations since 1990. The latest results found that spotted owl pairs in the study area declined by 33% in just the last four years.
of the project to the Forest Service indicating that it was a significant step in the wrong direction and that we were fully prepared to stop them. In response, the project was withdrawn. Although we strive to develop a collaborative relationship with the Forest Service to advance restoration-driven projects, this appeal is evidence that we remain vigilant against threats to native forests.
Afternoon sun filters through the canopy of a McKenzie forest recently saved from destruction (k ritley).
3
Bringing Back Bull Trout
Clearcutting Scheme Scrapped After Appeal by Josh Laughlin, Campaign Director The Upper Middle Fork of the Willamette has sediment into waterways. The Forest Service should become ground zero for restoration on the Willamette be commended and encouraged to proceed with this National Forest. Located due west of the 54,000-acre action (see sidebar).
Remote cameras confirmed that Oregon’s Imnaha pack has at least four new pups this year (ODFW) continued from p. 1
investing its time and money into proactive and nonlethal ways to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts, including initiating a Range Rider program, which
will continue to grow and spread throughout the West, and that the work of our members, staff, and volunteers has had a profound impact on the
consists of a cowboy on horseback patrolling the backcountry in areas where wolves and livestock are known to exist near one another. In August, a federal judge in Montana ruled that wolves had been illegally removed from the
recovery of the species. Cascadia Wildlands has made it one of our primary goals for the near future to see wolves return to the Cascade Mountains, and to ensure that wolves remain protected by law until they have recovered throughout all or a significant
endangered species list. As a result of this lawsuit – which was brought by trusty lawyers at Earthjustice on behalf of Cascadia Wildlands and more than a dozen other environmental organizations – wolves are now federally protected again throughout the
portion of their former range. Please help us keep the momentum by sending an email to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife at ODFW.Comments@state.or.us. The state is currently accepting public comments on a revision
entire Northern Rocky Mountain area, including Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. No public hunts will be permitted this fall, unlike last year when wolves were delisted and 260 animals were shot.
of Oregon’s Wolf Management Plan, and it is considering either relaxing or strengthening protections for Oregon’s wolves. Visit www.cascwild.org for more information. A twominute email from you can make a serious
It is immensely satisfying to know that wolves
difference.
Take Action to Save Bull Trout The Willamette National Forest is proposing to close 150 miles of harmful roads southeast of Oakridge in the headwaters of the Upper Middle Fork watershed. Hiking and biking would still be allowed. The drainage is renowned for its endangered bull trout, which require cold, clear water for its survival. The Forest Service is receiving pressure from ATV users not to close the roads. They need to hear from you, too. Email your comments supporting the road closure to Acting district Ranger, Diana Bus, at: comments-pacificnorthwest-willamette@fs.fed.us 4
Diamond Peak Wilderness, the watershed was one of the Willamette National Forest’s most heavily logged and roaded in the past but has become a laboratory over the past five years focused on restoring ecosystem health. However, a post-fire logging plan
Simultaneously, the agency is proposing postfire logging in vicinity of the Tumblebug Fire that burned across nearly 15,000 acres of the Upper Middle Fork last summer. In a display of admirable restraint, the Forest Service didn’t fight the lightning-
surfaced in the aftermath of the 2009 Tumblebug Fire that could jeopardize important restoration work being planned. One thing really stands out in the drainage is the ice-cold, spring-fed, water. These waters historically
caused fire with all the resources at hand. Instead, the agency closely monitored the fire, let it burn naturally in the steep canyons, and suppressed it when private lands were threatened. Since the fire petered out, the agency has proposed a modest
produced optimal habitat for both bull trout and Chinook salmon, both federally listed on the Endangered Species Act. But dam building, oldgrowth logging and roading in the Upper Middle Fork eventually led to the extinction of the bull trout in the
roadside logging project driven by a need for transportation safety and has withstood the urge to propose clearcutting in the backcountry. Cascadia will continue to follow the proposal to ensure it does not jeopardize important work in the watershed and
watershed by the 1990s. Curtailing old-growth logging and roading (Cascadia litigated and stopped five egregious sales in 2001) and an agency emphasis on placing large wood structures in the river
remains focused exclusively on transportation safety.
has created conditions ripe for the reestablishment of the species. In 1997, the species was re-introduced into the icy waters above Hills Creek Dam, and today natural reproduction is occurring and closely being monitored. Currently, the Forest Service is proposing to close 150 miles of old logging roads in the watersheds among other restoration-driven projects. Scientists have told us for years that old roads, particularly ones that are unstable, are detrimental to aquatic species like bull trout and salmon, as they have a tendency to fail and “bleed” Bull trout (flytimes.blogspot.com)
5
Bringing Back Bull Trout
Clearcutting Scheme Scrapped After Appeal by Josh Laughlin, Campaign Director The Upper Middle Fork of the Willamette has sediment into waterways. The Forest Service should become ground zero for restoration on the Willamette be commended and encouraged to proceed with this National Forest. Located due west of the 54,000-acre action (see sidebar).
Remote cameras confirmed that Oregon’s Imnaha pack has at least four new pups this year (ODFW) continued from p. 1
investing its time and money into proactive and nonlethal ways to prevent wolf-livestock conflicts, including initiating a Range Rider program, which
will continue to grow and spread throughout the West, and that the work of our members, staff, and volunteers has had a profound impact on the
consists of a cowboy on horseback patrolling the backcountry in areas where wolves and livestock are known to exist near one another. In August, a federal judge in Montana ruled that wolves had been illegally removed from the
recovery of the species. Cascadia Wildlands has made it one of our primary goals for the near future to see wolves return to the Cascade Mountains, and to ensure that wolves remain protected by law until they have recovered throughout all or a significant
endangered species list. As a result of this lawsuit – which was brought by trusty lawyers at Earthjustice on behalf of Cascadia Wildlands and more than a dozen other environmental organizations – wolves are now federally protected again throughout the
portion of their former range. Please help us keep the momentum by sending an email to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife at ODFW.Comments@state.or.us. The state is currently accepting public comments on a revision
entire Northern Rocky Mountain area, including Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. No public hunts will be permitted this fall, unlike last year when wolves were delisted and 260 animals were shot.
of Oregon’s Wolf Management Plan, and it is considering either relaxing or strengthening protections for Oregon’s wolves. Visit www.cascwild.org for more information. A twominute email from you can make a serious
It is immensely satisfying to know that wolves
difference.
Take Action to Save Bull Trout The Willamette National Forest is proposing to close 150 miles of harmful roads southeast of Oakridge in the headwaters of the Upper Middle Fork watershed. Hiking and biking would still be allowed. The drainage is renowned for its endangered bull trout, which require cold, clear water for its survival. The Forest Service is receiving pressure from ATV users not to close the roads. They need to hear from you, too. Email your comments supporting the road closure to Acting district Ranger, Diana Bus, at: comments-pacificnorthwest-willamette@fs.fed.us 4
Diamond Peak Wilderness, the watershed was one of the Willamette National Forest’s most heavily logged and roaded in the past but has become a laboratory over the past five years focused on restoring ecosystem health. However, a post-fire logging plan
Simultaneously, the agency is proposing postfire logging in vicinity of the Tumblebug Fire that burned across nearly 15,000 acres of the Upper Middle Fork last summer. In a display of admirable restraint, the Forest Service didn’t fight the lightning-
surfaced in the aftermath of the 2009 Tumblebug Fire that could jeopardize important restoration work being planned. One thing really stands out in the drainage is the ice-cold, spring-fed, water. These waters historically
caused fire with all the resources at hand. Instead, the agency closely monitored the fire, let it burn naturally in the steep canyons, and suppressed it when private lands were threatened. Since the fire petered out, the agency has proposed a modest
produced optimal habitat for both bull trout and Chinook salmon, both federally listed on the Endangered Species Act. But dam building, oldgrowth logging and roading in the Upper Middle Fork eventually led to the extinction of the bull trout in the
roadside logging project driven by a need for transportation safety and has withstood the urge to propose clearcutting in the backcountry. Cascadia will continue to follow the proposal to ensure it does not jeopardize important work in the watershed and
watershed by the 1990s. Curtailing old-growth logging and roading (Cascadia litigated and stopped five egregious sales in 2001) and an agency emphasis on placing large wood structures in the river
remains focused exclusively on transportation safety.
has created conditions ripe for the reestablishment of the species. In 1997, the species was re-introduced into the icy waters above Hills Creek Dam, and today natural reproduction is occurring and closely being monitored. Currently, the Forest Service is proposing to close 150 miles of old logging roads in the watersheds among other restoration-driven projects. Scientists have told us for years that old roads, particularly ones that are unstable, are detrimental to aquatic species like bull trout and salmon, as they have a tendency to fail and “bleed” Bull trout (flytimes.blogspot.com)
5
COMMUNITYCALENDAR 6
McKenzie Forest Safe from Saws Clearcutting Scheme Scrapped After Appeal by Nick Cady, Legal Intern
Baby Northern Spotted Owl Too young to fly, this curious baby owl hopped across the forest floor to have a better look at our camera. With most of their habitat destroyed by clearcutting, these iconic owls are nearing extinction (f eatherington).
October 9: 9th Annual Hoedown for Cascadia’s Ancient Forests! Get ready to kick up yer heels and celebrate Cascadia! More information coming soon to www.CascWild.org
October 14: “From Source to Confluence: Exploring the Proposed Devil’s Staircase Wilderness.” A presentation by photographer Tim Giraudier of Headwaters Photographic. 6:30-7:30 pm, EWEB Training Room (500 E. 4th Ave, Eugene).
November 2: “A Force of Nature: The Gray Wolf’s Impact on Ecosystem Heath.” A presentation by scientist and author Christina Eisenberg. 6:30-7:30 pm, EWEB Training Room (500 E. 4th Ave., Eugene).
December 11: 7th Annual Wonderland Auction. EMU Ballroom (University of Oregon). 7 pm.
For more information and details, please visit www.CascWild.org
Cascadia Wildlands has long thought of the Willamette National Forest as our backyard. The
However, out of line with recent ecosystem management trends, the Forest Service
organization was birthed from the struggle to protect its rapidly disappearing old-growth forests and species that rely on them. Over the years, we battled extensively to
proposed “Certification Thin,” a project designed to create elk habitat by converting a healthy forest into a patchwork of clearcuts. The agency also
protect the forest’s remaining mature and old-growth stands from destructive and ill-conceived timber sales. This struggle eventually resulted in a collaborative
proposed the logging project without a standard environmental review. Cascadia staff visited the site, and uncovered thriving older
relationship with the Forest Service from which grew non-controversial, restoration-based forestry projects, which are helping repair the decades of abuse on the forest.
forest. A creek ran just below the forest floor, which we were able to follow from just the sound of the rushing water and the small pools bubbling to the surface. This forest is an island of remaining older forest surrounded by dense tree farms and provides optimal habitat for the federally listed northern spotted owl. Certification Thin would have gutted the 158-year-old stand, while cutting close to the banks of the creeks in the logging unit. Cascadia filed a scathing legal appeal
NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL Strix occidentalis caurina This northern spotted owl mother and baby live in the 250,000-acre Tyee Study Area southwest of Eugene, where the Bureau of Land Management has been studying owl populations since 1990. The latest results found that spotted owl pairs in the study area declined by 33% in just the last four years.
of the project to the Forest Service indicating that it was a significant step in the wrong direction and that we were fully prepared to stop them. In response, the project was withdrawn. Although we strive to develop a collaborative relationship with the Forest Service to advance restoration-driven projects, this appeal is evidence that we remain vigilant against threats to native forests.
Afternoon sun filters through the canopy of a McKenzie forest recently saved from destruction (k ritley).
3
from Executive Director Kate Ritley
staff Nick Cady Legal Intern
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 Justin Ramsey Tim Ream Steve Witten, Treasurer
advisory council 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
Last year the Obama administration eliminated protection for gray wolves in the West. Hunters in Idaho and Montana took aim and in a single season killed 260 wolves. This summer Cascadia Wildlands and fellow plaintiffs, represented by Earthjustice, prevailed in federal court in our suit to stop the hunts. Thanks to you, wolves throughout the West are safe. This year’s wolf hunting season has been cancelled. For Oregon’s wolves, this is still the beginning of a long battle. We saw what happened this summer when wolves killed six calves in eastern Oregon: Wallowa County declared a State of Emergency. Federal agents spent weeks in helicopters trying to gun down the wolves deemed responsible for the livestock loss. Cascadia Wildlands’ Legal Director, Dan Kruse, filed a lawsuit against these federal agents and grounded the helicopters. Shortly thereafter, we received the ruling that protects all wolves in the West. These victories mean Oregon’s 18 wolves are safe for now, but they are a good reminder of the many battles that lie ahead as wolves continue to recover and repopulate our state after a 60-year absence. No doubt, in coming years you will hear more about our fight to protect wolves. Thank you to all who took action and donated to save these wolves. Your support means wolves can safely continue their historic recovery across Oregon– we could not have done this without you. I hope you will continue supporting wolf recovery across Cascadia!
Comings and Goings Cascadia Wildlands recently said goodbye to Board member Jeff Long. After several years of working on our staff followed by four years of board service, Jeff has formally retired– but he’ll definitely continue to help out with our events! Thanks for everything you do for Cascadia, Jeff. We can’t wait to meet your next little bundle of joy!
Thank you to all of our individual and family supporters and the many volunteers who help us protect wild places!
THANK YOU!
Summer of Love for Wolves
Huge thanks to the foundations and community groups that have made substantial contributions to support our work: 444S Foundation
Deer Creek Foundation
Mazamas
Acorn Foundation
Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation
Mark Frohnmayer Donor Advised Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation
Alaska Conservation Foundation Astrov Fund
Fund for Wild Nature
Backcountry Gear Ltd.
Kenney Brothers Watershed Foundation
Ben & Jerry’s Foundation
Klorfine Family Foundation
Brainerd Foundation
Laird Norton Foundation
Burning Foundation
Loeb-Meginnes Foundation
Millis Donor Advised Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation McKenzie River Gathering Foundation Meyer Memorial Trust
Norcross Wildlife Foundation Sperling Foundation Suwinski Family Foundation Titcomb Foundation University of Oregon Outdoor Program Wilburforce Foundation Winky Foundation
BUSINESS SUPPORT 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+)
Business Friends ($250-999)
Business Partners ($2,500-4,999)
Backcountry Gear Ltd. Emerald Valley Kitchen River Jewelry Southern Explorations Sundance Natural Foods Market
Patagonia, Inc
Mountain Rose Herbs
Business Sustainers ($1000-2499) Pivot Architecture Pizza Research Institute Tactics Board Shop 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
US Postage PAID Nonprofit Org. Permit No. 82 Eugene, OR
summer 2010
summer 2010
news + fun from cascadia wildlands
CASCADIAQUARTERLY
Wolves Make Tracks in Oregon McKenzie Forest Safe from Saws Bringing Back Bull Trout Community Calendar
what’s inside?
October 14, 2010 “From Source to Confluence: Exploring the Proposed Devil’s Staircase Wilderness.” A
presentation by photographer Tim Giraudier of Headwaters Photographic. 6:30-7:30 pm, EWEB Training Room (500 E. 4th Ave, Eugene).
Devil’s Staircase waterfall, Oregon (greg lief © 2010 LiefPhotos.com)
The alpha male of Oregon’s Wenaha wolf pack is the proud papa of two new pups (ODFW)
Wolves Make Tracks in Oregon
6 New Pups and Renewed Federal Protection Good Signs for Recovery by Dan Kruse, Legal Director A series of exciting courtroom victories has saved wolves from being killed in Oregon and across the western United States and have put the species on
in July, the federal government immediately withdrew plans to kill wolves in Oregon, including the two they had been hunting since May. Soon after that, some of
the path toward recovery. It's hard not to tilt our heads back at the moon and let out a big, triumphant howl. A few months ago the outlook for Oregon’s wolves was bleak. The total statewide population was reduced to just fourteen after two wolves were killed
the best (and cutest) news of all: puppies! In early July a remote camera captured several images of four newborn wolf pups from the Imnaha pack playing in a wildflower meadow in northeast Oregon’s Wallowa Mountains. In August, wildlife biologists also
by federal wildlife agents last September for attacking livestock. In May, the alpha male wolf of Oregon’s only known breeding pack disappeared without a trace. In the same month, federal agents were authorized to kill two more of the remaining thirteen wolves, and several
confirmed two new puppies for Oregon’s Wenaha pack. This marks only the second time since the 1940s that wolves have been born in the wild in Oregon. The good news has kept rolling in. At the end of
ranchers were given permits to kill any wolf seen attacking livestock. But this summer has brought one success story after another. After Cascadia Wildlands filed a lawsuit
July, the permits that authorized ranchers to kill wolves expired without a single loss to the population, and these permits have not been renewed. Instead, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has been continued on p. 4
1