Oregon Wild Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 36, Number 1
Mount Hood Forever Wild
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Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 36, Number 1
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Formerly Oregon Natural Resources Council (ONRC) Working to protect and restore Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife, and waters as an enduring legacy.
Main Office 5825 N Greeley Avenue Portland, OR 97217 Phone: 503.283.6343 Fax: 503.283.0756 www.oregonwild.org
Western Field Office P.O. Box 11648 Eugene, OR 97440 454 Willamette, Suite 203 Phone 541.344.0675 Fax: 541.343.0996
The e-mail address for each Oregon Wild staff member: initials@oregonwild.org (for example: rm@oregonwild.org)
Conservation & Restoration Coord. Doug Heiken x1 Western OR Wildlands Advocate Chandra LeGue x 2
Executive Director Conservation Director Director of Finance & Admin. Director of Development Wilderness Coord. Klamath Campaign Coord. Roadless Wildlands Advocate Communications Associate Membership Coord. Naturalist
Regna Merritt Steve Pedery Candice Guth Allison Oseth Erik Fernandez Ani Kame’enui Rob Klavins Sean Stevens Cheryl Lohrmann Wendell Wood
Oregon Wild Board of Directors President Vice President/Treasurer Secretary Susan Applegate Pat Clancy Mike Helm Jan Wilson
x x x x x x x x x x
214 212 219 223 202 205 210 211 213 200
Wilderness
{4-7}
What’s Next
{9}
Evergreen Society Prof ile
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FRONT COVER IMAGE: TOM KLOSTER Mt. Hood view from Owl Point
Eastern Field Office 16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend, OR 97701 Phone: 541.382.2616 Fax: 541.385.3370 Eastern OR Wildlands Advocate
Tim Lillebo
Gary Guttormsen Megan Gibb Rand Schenck
ONRC Action Board of Directors President Treasurer Secretary
Pat Clancy Megan Gibb Jan Wilson
Jim Baker Chad Kromm Jane Malarkey
Susan Applegate Gary Guttormsen Tom Lininger
Jim Baker Chad Kromm Rand Schenck
Oregon Wild is a tax-exempt, non-profit charitable organization. ONRC Action is a tax-exempt, non-profit social welfare organization. Contributions to Oregon Wild are tax-deductible for those who itemize; contributions to ONRC Action are not. Staff are employees of Oregon Wild, which contracts with ONRC Action to carry out its activities. Portions of this newsletter are paid for by ONRC Action.
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From the Director’s Desk
Along the Way to Wilderness Regna Merritt
A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain. —The Wilderness Act of 1964.
It has always been difficult to legislate
wilderness. Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, Oregon Wild has repeatedly pushed ahead, helping pass wilderness bills in 1975, 1978, 1984, 1996, 2000, and now 2009. We couldn’t have gotten there without you! Remember when development threatened the quiet side of Mount Hood? Logging sales threatened the drinking water of Sandy and Hood River? The U.S. Forest Service proposed an unlimited number of clear-cuts in the Columbia Gorge? With each
new threat, Oregon Wild staff worked closely with activists, raising wilderness as a solution. Partnering with municipalities, public interest law firms, and elected officials, we staved off immediate threats. We built trust. We turned outrage into hope.
(who worked hard to protect Mount Hood, Soda Mountain, Copper Salmon, Badlands, and Spring Basin), Congressman Blumenauer (for superb efforts on Mount Hood), and Congressman DeFazio (for years of work on Copper Salmon).
Through our Adopt-a-Wilderness program, hundreds of volunteers refined wilderness maps. Over 90 businesses and 90 conservation groups helped us launch our statewide campaign in 2000. Folks showed up to speak at town hall meetings. Hundreds gave passionate testimony at hearings.
Individuals, organizations, businesses, and funders played key roles. Many, though not all, are featured in this edition of Oregon Wild. Huge thanks go to our own hero, Erik Fernandez, who led the statewide wilderness coalition.
We guided legislators and media on tours. Friends joined us to advocate in Washington, D.C. A well-coordinated groundswell of support got results: wilderness legislation was introduced in both houses of Congress. And then introduced again…and again. Getting the ball around an obstructionist senator from Oklahoma was no fun. But what a difference an election—or two—can make. We finally did it!
My deep gratitude goes to our staff, board and families (1998 – 2009). Yes, life happens along the way to Wilderness: love, loss, illness, marriage, divorce, birth, and death. But you stayed with it, knowing the enduring value of wilderness and wholeness for the land and for future generations.
And, dear readers, big thanks to each one of you! Your strong advocacy, financial support, and green votes made the difference. Congratulations We thank all in the Oregon delegation on a job well done! but particularly laud Senator Wyden 3
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DARRYL LLOYD Lost Lake Butte
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Wilderness: Today, Tomorrow, Forever Erik Fernandez
I recall my first project with
Oregon Wild as a volunteer in 1997 —drawing some of the very first draft lines on the map for areas that would later be protected as Wilderness. As volunteers, we got the “cushy” office in the attic that was roasting on summer afternoons. The previous maps of potential wilderness were drawn in the 70s using the accuracy equivalent of crayons. We were tasked with bringing that inventory into the 21st century using fancy GIS/mapping software. Today, not only are the volunteer digs at the office much improved, but a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. Oregon Wild has relentlessly pursued increased Wilderness protections in our state for the past ten years. Today, I’m thrilled to tell you those efforts paid off. MOUNT HOOD WILDERNESS MAP On March 30, President Obama signed a bill adding 128,000 acres surrounding Mount Hood to the Wilderness system.
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On March 30th President Obama signed the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009—finalizing protections for 202,000 acres of Wilderness and 90 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers in Oregon. We won permanent protections for Mount Hood, the Columbia River Gorge, Soda Mountain, Copper Salmon, Spring Basin, and Badlands. That means the old-growth forests, wildlife habitat, world-class recreation opportunities, and clean drinking water these areas provide will be forever protected. By protecting Oregon’s wilderness areas we are also taking responsibility for doing our part to help curb global warming. There are approximately seven million trees in Oregon now protected by the Wilderness bill. These trees store vast amounts of carbon— the primary pollutant responsible for global warming. Oregon’s entire congressional delegation voted in support of increased Wilderness protections, with Senator Wyden leading the charge in the Senate and Congressmen Blumenauer and DeFazio leading in the House.
Oregon’s newest Senator, Jeff Merkley, got in on the action with his very first vote a “yea” for Wilderness protections. It is also important to note that this Wilderness victory would not have been possible without the support of our members. Folks like Kate and Mike McCarthy, Leslie Logan (see page 8), and countless others devoted so much to the wilderness cause. You are the champions who showed up to countless town halls, summits, hearings, and wrote thousands of letters demanding more protections for Oregon. Your contributions of time and financial support got us to the summit. We couldn’t have done it without you! It was a powerful moment when, after years of working to protect these areas, I took my first steps into the new wilderness. I will never forget that feeling. I hope you get out there and experience the exhilaration of exploring one of Oregon’s new Wilderness areas—seeing it as it has been for generations and knowing it will survive for our descendants to enjoy.
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Your New Wilderness
Columbia River Gorge
Clackamas River Wilderness
You’ll find more waterfalls here than anywhere else in the country and no shortage of trails connecting you from one to the next. The Gorge has everything from spectacular, short easy hikes for the This area is home to cedar trees that started growing over one thousand years ago, when everyone still thought the earth was flat. family like Wahclella Falls to multi-day backpacking trip options like Herman Creek. Most of the trails in the Gorge are accessible year You may also want to check out “The Narrows” where the mighty round and have some of the most amazing wildflowers around— Clackamas River shoots through a slot that’s only 15 feet wide. some found nowhere else on Earth.
E R I K F E R N A N D E Z A n c i e n t f o re s t s t o w e r o v e r h i ke r s i n t h e B i g B o t t o m W i l d e r n e s s u n i t a l o n g t h e C l a c ka m a s R i v e r.
J A M E Y P Y L E S T h e r u s h i n g w a t e r o f Wa h c l e l l a F a l l s i s f a m i l i a r t o m a n y a G o rg e h i ke r.
Copper Salmon Steep hillsides covered with abundant old growth help the Elk River salmon run maintain its status as the most productive for a river of its size in the continental United States. MIKE BEAGLE/TROUT UNLIMTED Old growth cedars blanket the landscape in the untouched forests of the Copper Salmon Wilderness.
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ELIZABETH FERYL Soda Moutain
Soda Mountain Now that the area is protected it serves as a proper welcoming committee for those hiking into Oregon from California on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.
Badlands/Spring Basin “Wilderness is a common thread that binds us to the generations that have come before us and to the generations that will follow.”
SEAN STEVENS Badlands
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–Brent Fenty, Executive Director of the Oregon Natural Desert Association and—along with Alice Elshoff and previous ONDA director Bill Marlett—a champion of the Badlands and Spring Basin Wilderness proposals. 6
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ST E V E N H O LT T h e ri s i n g p e a k of P i l ot R o ck sta n d s s e nt i n e l ove r t h e n ew l y d e s i g n a te d S o d a M o u nta i n W i l d e rn e ss.
When Wilderness Becomes Real Andy Kerr
Congress did not create any “new”
wilderness by the enactment of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009. These areas were already wilderness in character, just not yet Wilderness in law. The legislation that paved the way for the Omnibus, The Wilderness Act of 1964, is neither the 11th Commandment, nor the 28th Amendment, but was a product of political compromise. One of those compromises allowed livestock grazing to continue in Wilderness Areas where it existed at the time of designation. For one of Oregon’s new Wilderness
Areas—the 23,000-acre Soda Mountain Wilderness in the CascadeSiskiyou National Monument—there is no more compromise. The same legislation that gave Wilderness protection also provided for the voluntary retirement of federal grazing permits in and near the National Monument.
Management to inventory its lands for possible Wilderness designation. Eventually, BLM recognized a Wilderness Study Area and then later recommended a Soda Mountain Wilderness of a little over 5,000 acres.
Along the way President Clinton proclaimed the area a National Monument. Most of the heavy lifting At the very beginning of my association with Oregon Wild in 1977, for the Soda Mountain Wilderness battles was done by Dave Willis and I “discovered” the core roadless area the Soda Mountain Wilderness that became the Soda Mountain Council. Coming on line in 1983, Wilderness. In 1976, Congress Dave carried on the work of the late required the Bureau of Land Bruce Boccard and Marc Prevost, both Oregon Wild field representatives who “Wilderness designation for the Soda Mountain backcountry was ecologically crucial – and more died far too young. (For the record, neither death was work-related). needs to be designated in the coming years.” In my mind I know Soda Mountain, –Dave Willis, champion of the Copper Salmon, Oregon Badlands, Soda Mountain Wilderness proposal. 7
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Spring Basin and all those “new” and expanded Wildernesses on the Mount Hood National Forest are real. However, I have found that “new” Wilderness becomes real in my heart upon seeing their boundaries drawn on the next Official Highway Map of Oregon. On a beautiful April Saturday, Dave and I rode horses in the proposed Horseshoe addition to the Soda Mountain Wilderness that is just across the California border (but part of the Greater Oregon Ecosystem). I prefer going to proposed, rather than designated, Wilderness to gain familiarity for the next campaign. Dave and I rode to the stateline fence (which is no longer needed) and dismounted for lunch. We did cross the
fence and broke our bread for the first time in the (newly established) Soda Mountain Wilderness. On the ride back we plotted next steps to expand Wilderness, Wild & Scenic River and National Monument protections for the Cascade-Siskiyou area. Stay tuned. Andy Kerr (andykerr@andykerr. net) is Senior Counselor to Oregon Wild. From 1976 to 1996 he was in the full-time employ of Oregon Wild, starting as a field organizer and ending as executive director.
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When my husband Patrick and I
For the Love of the Wild Leslie Logan
ERIK FERNANDEZ Adopt-a-Wilderness volunteer Leslie Logan in what is now the Roaring River Wilderness.
started our family, my dream was for our two sons to experience the same wild beauty in Oregon that I had known as a child growing up in Alaska. I wanted to know that all current and future children of Oregon would have that opportunity as well.
While Oregon Wild has celebrated many hard-earned victories, the recent passage of the wilderness bill tops them all for me. Twelve years ago I signed on with Oregon Wild to adopt the Roaring River Roadless Area with the hope that it would be wilderness someday. The staff guided me through every step of my own advocacy work. They celebrated my efforts to include friends and neighbors, including the Earth and Spirit Chorale and West Hills Friends church.
I looked to the staff of Oregon Wild for inspiration to keep going when the times were discouraging. For over six years they worked tirelessly with individuals and businesses on both sides of Mount Hood as well as our congressional delegation—mapping, leading hikes, attending political gatherings, and doing everything possible to protect our wildlands. Above all, they gave people like me a vehicle to express our love of wild Oregon and to join the effort to protect our clean water, air, and healthy forests. Thank you, Oregon Wild!
How You Helped Oregon Wild supporters and
e-activists have sent in thousands of postcards, written over 10,000 e-mails to Congress, and attended dozens of meetings over the past five years.
Wilderness protection has always been a citizen-powered movement, and Oregon Wild can’t thank you enough for your dedicated action.
To sign up to receive future Wilderness e-alerts go to: www.oregonwild.org/about/take_action. Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 36, Number 1
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Our Plan: What’s next for Oregon Wilderness Steve Pedery
Working on wildlands protection at
Oregon Wild today is like playing for a baseball team that just won the World Series. Over 200,000 acres of new Wilderness is sweet, but what do you do for an encore? Of course, the answer is simple: you keep pushing for more. Before the ink was dry on President Obama’s signature, we were urging Oregon’s elected officials to go further. Though the 2009 Wilderness legislation protects many spectacular areas, it is a modest step forward.
Wilderness that Idaho has, and less than 1/3 of California), and 202,000 acres pales in comparison to the 5 million acres of Wilderness-quality forestlands in the state. Left out of the bill was the spectacular 60,000 acre Wild Rogue Wilderness expansion, an area that faces urgent threats from logging and mining.
turn. After that? It’s time for Oregon conservationists—and Oregon’s Senators and Representatives—to think big. The timing has never been better for protecting Oregon’s Yellowstone— the Siskiyou Wild Rivers. This region in southwest Oregon is the largest contiguous area of wild forests, mountains, and rivers remaining in the entire state, and is renowned for its spectacular whitewater, its prolific salmon and steelhead runs, and diverse wildlife.
Also missing were the old-growth forests and unique waterfalls of the Devil’s Staircase area in the Coast Range—a place that has been proposed for Wilderness protection for over three decades. Closer to Portland, a grassroots campaign to Oregon continues to lag far behind The 500,000 acre region is home our neighbors in protecting wildlands grant Wild & Scenic River protections to over 3,500 plant species, 131 of to the Molalla River is still waiting its which are found nowhere else on (we have half the protected acres of earth. Of course, even Wilderness status for Oregon’s Yellowstone won’t SANDY LONSDALE Rare plant lovers, waterfall enthusiasts, and outdoor adventurers will all find something to like in the next batch of proposed Wilderness. adequately address our deficit of protected wildlands.
NANCI CHAMPLIN Wahclella Falls
Help Us Plan for the Future Allison Oseth
Oregon’s new Wilderness is a gift to
future generations. Each of us will also leave a personal legacy—what will yours be? For 35 years, Oregon Wild has worked tirelessly to protect this special place we call home.
As Oregon’s oldest and largest (and, according to The Oregonian, most effective) conservation group, But, together with places like the Wild Oregon Wild has decades of success Rogue and Devil’s Staircase, it is an behind us and countless conservation ambitious first step on the trail victories in our future. We are the towards protecting Oregon’s natural organization you can trust to protect treasures as a legacy for future and restore our wildlands, wildlife, and generations. Let’s get to work making waters as an enduring legacy, and our it happen. work will be increasingly vital over the coming years. Please consider solidifying your commitment to a wild 9
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Oregon through a planned gift. Your planned gift will further ensure our continued work to protect the best of Oregon. For more information, or to inform us of your intentions, please contact Allison Oseth at (503) 283-6343 ext. 223 or ao@oregonwild.org.
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Wildlife: The real native Oregonians Sean Stevens
Roadless: An advocacy paradox Rob Klavins
As an environmental organizer, most
F R A N CI S E AT H E R I N GTO N These roadless forests are slated for logging in the D - B u g t i m b e r s a l e o n t h e U m p q u a N a t i o n a l F o re st. To f i n d out more about roadless threats and Oregon Wild’s work to p rote ct th ese wi l d l a n ds, g o to w w w.o re g o nwi l d.o rg.
Sadly, that last bit isn’t true. of my experience has been “in the belly of the beast.” Since I came to Oregon Oregon Wild played a key role in the Wild as the Roadless Advocate, I have genesis of the 2001 Roadless Area been struck by a paradox. Conservation Rule, but we didn’t have much time to celebrate. Almost On one hand, this is the easiest camimmediately, we began defending the paign on which I have ever worked. rule against attacks by the Bush Roadless protections have the support administration and its proof everyone from hunters and development allies. Though only 7 environmentalists to businesses and miles of roads were built in inventoried religious leaders. On the other, this roadless areas across America, federal has been one of the most difficult. protections have been weakened and remain unclear. Roadless is old news. Roadless areas are protected and, especially with Based on that uncertainty, faulty President Obama in office, they’re science, and a changing political not under threat. landscape, projects are being proposed Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 36, Number 1
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from coast to coast — even here in Oregon — that threaten roadless areas and are clearly disallowed by the Roadless Rule. We recognize that we can’t afford to just play defense and fight for these places when they are under direct attack. That’s why Oregon Wild is working proactively to clarify and reinstate strong protections for our pristine roadless wildlands. These places represent the last unprotected, undeveloped lands in our National Forests. They are the places that support our quality of life and make our state unique. They deserve protection.
NPS/RON NIEBRUGGE A keystone species, sea otters are returning to Oregon after a 100-year absence.
Y
our Oregon wildlife quiz of the day: prized fur. Then, in February of this year, sea-gazers spotted a playful Which ocean creature do sea otters creature with a crab on its chest, feast on? snacking away. Later news reports revealed that the new resident of A. salmon Depoe Bay was not, in fact, the first to B. sea urchins return to Oregon in a century. C. Beluga whales For those of us born in the last hundred years (which I’m guessing is most of us), sea otters along the Oregon coast have been confined to the history books. They were hunted to near extinction (and exterminated in Oregon) as traders pursued their
As the Eugene Register Guard reported, local wildlife biologists had kept earlier reports under wraps, fearing for the otter’s safety. The reason for that fear is what brings us to our quiz answer: b) sea urchins.
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s Sea otters dine on sea urchins and in turn keep kelp forests healthy from overfeeding by the spiny echinoderms. In so doing, they compete with sea urchin harvesters who sell their catch to overseas markets. It’s another instance where conflicts between humans and wildlife come down to dollar signs. Meanwhile, a human/wildlife conflict with a higher profile is playing out in eastern Oregon. In April, the first livestock depredation linked to gray wolves was confirmed outside Baker City. Oregon Wild worked with the local media to put wolves, livestock, and the broader ecosystem into context.
The continuing struggles to return sea otters and gray wolves to their native habitats amidst human competition for resources and space highlight the need for effective wildlife advocates like Oregon Wild. Take Action! Follow the Oregon WildBlog to keep up with the latest wildlife news across the state at www.oregonwild.org/about/blog.
A N GI E M OO R E Ani Kame’enui describes the lay of the land in the Klamath Basin.
Touring the Everglades of the West Ani Kame’enui
On Friday afternoon, the last car
ODFW
kicked up dust as it rolled along the Mazama pumice into the driveway of Wendell Wood’s Klamath Marshfront property. Rustic, charming, and a wonderful retreat for a dozen women from the Portland Garden Club, the cabin features a recovered sucker fish skeleton above the doorway, dried kelp along the windowsill, found birds’ nests on the mantle, and a new set of solar panels.
environment through programs and action in the fields of conservation and education.” In the fall 2008, PGC’s Conservation Committee hosted an Oregon Wild presentation about the beauty and challenges of the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges. The photography and stories inspired a trip this April, during peak waterfowl migration.
The group also caught a glimpse of thousands of Ross’ geese as they rested in the last of the basin’s shallow lakes. As the weekend came to a close and the group made their way north, they left with a reverence for the basin’s invaluable wetlands and the remarkable early morning whoop of a Sandhill Crane.
The caravan observed the good and the bad in the Klamath; from the wetlands of the upper basin and a bald eagle The Portland Garden Club, founded nest on Lower Klamath to the harmful in 1924, is a diverse and fascinating group of women, whose collective goal early-season commercial agricultural activity on refuge lands leased to is, among other things, “to improve private commercial outfits. and protect the quality of the 11
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Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 36, Number 1
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New President, Old WOPR
Charity Can Begin at Home Allison Oseth
Chandra LeGue
We may have a new administration
in Washington, D.C., but Bush’s legacy has been hard to shake. On the last day of 2008, less than a month before leaving office, the Bush administration gave a parting gift to the timber industry by finalizing the WOPR. This plan increases logging of our carbon-storing old forests, reduces stream protections, and shrinks habitat for threatened wildlife species. Because the BLM did not consider the best science and failed to work with federal wildlife agencies to look at the negative impacts of the plan,
Oregon Wild, and our conservation partners, immediately filed suit to stop the WOPR. Also acting quickly, the BLM used WOPR to initiate plans to clearcut several thousand acres of mature and old-growth forests in the Oregon Coast Range. The Edson, Fairview, and Ginger Creek timber sale projects all contain beautiful old forests, in some cases, the only habitat for miles around. However, the future of these logging projects is already in question, as the BLM plan stands on shakier legal ground every day.
CH A N D R A L EG U E Tre e s u p to 1 6 0 y e a rs o l d a re o n t h e c h o p p i n g b l o c k i n s a l e s l i ke t h e Ed s o n R e g e n s h ow n h e re.
One of the cornerstones of WOPR is the “recovery plan” the Bush administration commissioned for the threatened northern spotted owl. This plan, universally assailed by scientists, was challenged in court as well. In early April, recognizing the flaws in the plan, the Obama administration decided to not defend the Bush plan in court. This throws a huge question mark at WOPR’s legality, and is good news for the threatened owl — in need of more, not less, old-growth forest habitat. Unfortunately, not everyone seems to recognize the WOPR’s failings. Despite the fact that the plan is mired in controversy and would damage western Oregon’s quality of life, the Oregon Legislature considered a resolution to support it. Thanks to hundreds of concerned citizens like you speaking out against the resolution and the WOPR, the proposal died before a vote. With Oregon Wild and thousands of activists continuing to defend our forests from the WOPR, we can ensure that the Bush legacy becomes a thing of the past.
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Help to support the important conservation programs of Oregon Wild by hosting an informal house party fundraiser of your own. As one of our supporters, you’ll help us get the word out to a roomful of your friends, family, neighbors, coworkers—anyone who wants to help keep Oregon a great place to live, work, and raise a family. Our goal is to raise $1,000 at each event—money that helps Oregon Wild protect the state you love! Hosting an Oregon Wild house party is easy, and we can help! For more information on what’s involved, look for our House Party Planning Kit online at www.oregonwild.org/houseparty, or contact Director of Development Allison Oseth at ao@oregonwild.org or 503-283-6343 ext 223.
Take Action! Our local elected officials aren’t the only ones falling for the WOPR scam. Senator Wyden’s recently released Old Growth Protection Act would allow western Oregon BLM trees up to 160 years old—older than the State of Oregon—to be logged.
Call Senator Wyden today at 503.326.7525 or head to www.oregonwild.org to tell him to protect all mature and old-growth forests.
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New Membership Levels
Oregon Wild is excited to announce the unveiling of our new tiers of membership. At each level of giving you can increase your commitment to our special state and receive great benefits. (All tangible benefits may be waived for full tax-deductibility.)
$35+ Individual member ($15 is not tax-deductible)
$55+ Household (2 adults + any children 17 and under) ($17 is not tax-deductible)
$100+ Friend member ($27 is not tax-deductible)
$250+ Public Lands member ($27 is not tax-deductible)
$500+ Monument member ($82 is not tax deductible)
• A one-year subscription to Oregon Wild, our conservation newsletter. • A copy of our publication Oregon Wild: Endangered Forest Wilderness. • Exclusive invitations to members-only hikes, excursions, and workshops. • A 10% member discount on Oregon Wild merchandise. • Timely alerts and news about legislation and other actions that threaten the places you love. • The knowledge that your gift directly protects Oregon!
All of the above, plus; • An Oregon Wild logo decal and logo patch.
All of the above, plus; • An Oregon Wild t-shirt. • A copy of our 2008 report: Climate Control: How Northwest Old-Growth Forests Can Help Fight Global Warming.
All of the above, plus; • Access to exclusive VIP events. • Recognition in the Oregon Wild newsletter and annual report and on the website.
All of the above, plus; • A hardback copy of one of our favorite conservation books. • One complimentary ticket to one of our paid hike events.
$1,000+ Refuge member ($142 is not tax-deductible)
$2,500+ Roadless member ($222 is not tax-deductible)
$5,000+ Wild & Scenic member $10,000+Wilderness member ($1,800 is not tax-deductible) ($247 is not tax deductible)
All of the above, plus; All of the above, plus; All of the above, plus; All of the above, plus; • A gift membership at the • A gift membership at the • A personal conservation field • A fourth complimentary ticket Individual level for the recipient Household level for the tour into Oregon’s Wilderness to one of our paid hike events. of your choice. recipient of your choice. for up to 10 people, led by an • One two-night, Klamath Basin • A second complimentary • A third complimentary ticket Oregon Wild conservation tour for up to 8 people, led ticket to one of our paid to one of our paid hike events. campaign staff member. by Oregon Wild staff naturalist hike events. and biologist Wendell Wood and an additional Oregon Wild CHANDRA LEGUE Rogue River rafters conservation staff member. Trip includes canoeing or kayaking, a birding excursion, and rustic cabin lodging adjacent to and overlooking Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge.
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SCOT T BOWLER Evergreen donor Scott Bowler doesn’t just support protection of Oregon’s wildlands; he gets out and enjoys them.
Protecting Oregon—once a month Alaina Smith
Oregon Wild greatly values its
between $5 and $15. These gifts have already totaled more than $2,000. Evergreen Society members, donors who use automated giving by bank account or credit card to give monthly A self-described “life-long nature nut,” Scott earned the nickname “Captain or quarterly to Oregon Wild. LongEcology” and started the first largeterm, consistent giving provides scale recycling center in Los Angeles reliable income to help protect our County. He spent his post-college wildlands, wildlife, and waters. years hiking, climbing, and cycling People like Scott Bowler help us reach throughout North and Central our goals. Since 1996, Scott has been America. Even now as Scott teaches science, he still finds time to hike, giving modest monthly donations to canoe, and take trips dedicated to Oregon Wild (and to Oregon Wild service of wilderness areas. Conservation Leaders Fund) of Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 36, Number 1
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as likely to let it slide for a month and thus skip renewing some membership for a year or more. I am sorely tempted to drop a few renewal notices in the recycling when times are tough, but I never think about canceling the majority of those renewals that He loves the convenience of automated giving. “It’s so much easier than are automatic.” remembering to write checks!” he says. Automated giving also means Scott “I just budget for the amounts I can is regularly helping protect and preafford and have as many as I can set up for monthly giving. That way I can serve the places he loves. “It’s so vital also ‘just say no’ when I can’t afford to to have fresh, pure, safe water and a contribute to another group, nor am I place nearby to play,” says Scott. Scott donates to multiple charities, but says, “I still contribute only to environmental groups, because if we screw up our planet too badly, nothing much else will matter.”
“Campaigns that protect the water supply, food sources, and places to play and relax are at the core of why I support the groups that I do.” Oregon Wild is proud to have Scott among our supporters. To join the Evergreen Society, contact Cheryl, our Membership Coordinator, at (503) 283-6343 x 213 or cbl@oregonwild.org.
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Donor List Current members giving $250 and above are listed here. All member support is greatly appreciated. To upgrade your membership, call our Membership Coordinator at (503) 283-6343 ext. 213. (List as of 4/23/09)
Alex Brown Amy Marie Benjamin Ann Kloka and Daniel Eggleston Ann Macrory Anonymous
Elizabeth Tilbury-Marquard Eric Abrams Ethan and Vicky Medley
Jim and Dory Delp Jim and Judy Baker Jim Bernau John Graeter John and Robin Gage John and Sandy Potter John Crabbe and Jeri Janowsky John Harland and Janet Hoffman Judy Fiestal Julie Sterling
Mary and Thomas Verhoeven Mary Jo Wade and John “Jack” Gray Megan Gibb and Kurt Maier Michael and Gloria Marlowe Michael and Janey Wiederhold Michael Greenstreet Molly O’Reil y and Stephen Lockwood Monica Rodal
Tamara Smith Terry Hohner The Zephyr Fund of Schwab Charitable Fund Thomas Ward Tom Giese and Nora Lehnhoff
Nigel Jaquiss and Margaret Remsen
Ursula and Charles Le Guin
Franklin and Joanne Cleland
Katherine and Vern Bensching
Pat Clancy and Beth Caruso
Victor Buenzle
Katherine Cameron Kathleen Lewis Kathryn Staples Kathy Jubitz and Steve Hawley Kirsten Sommer Kristen and Bil Conwell
Patrick O’Herron and Diana Rempe Paul Pearson
David Johns Dean Boyd and Sue Wickizer Diane Lancon Dick and Jeanne Roy Doug Spiro and Lynn Brown
Edward Cleary Jr.
Gary Clarke Barbara Galbreath Barbara Manildi Barbara Bastian Wagner Bart Eberwein and Jil Collins Bob and Shelley Everhart Brenda Kame’enui Brian and Liz Maguire Brian and Rebecca Davis
Carol and Jerard Weigler Family Carole Most and Leon Laptook Chris and David “Mike” Helm Christine and David Vernier Christopher Parsons Conny and Walter Lindley Craig and Susan Markham Darcia Morgan Dave Whitaker and Kristin Lensen David and Nancy Hall
Gary Guttormsen Genevieve Reid and Mark Schulein George and Fanny Carroll George and Margo Earley Glen Guttormsen Glenn Merritt Gordon Feighner Greg Swanson Gregory Petras
Helen T Kennedy J. Michael Moody Jack Lyford James Kawakami James Scott and Elaine Robin Jane Beckwith Janet Danforth Janet Riganti Jeff Dresser
Lauren Esserman and Jon Kart Laurence and Pat Serrurier Leslie and Patrick Logan Lia Saroyan and Michael Knapp Lisa Brenner and Tom Stibolt Lloyd Slonecker Lucy Mead and Rick Robertson Lynn Cross
Malcolm Marquis Margaret Purves and Patricia Kellogg Marietta and Earnest O’Byrne Marilyn Couch and David Axelrod Mariner Orum Martha and Robert Gamblin 15
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Rand Schenck and Valerie Strickland Randall Sprick Rebecca and Brewster Crosby Reed Wilson and River Jewelry Regna Merritt Renata Wilson Rex Burkholder and Lydia Rich Rich and Charlene Clark Robert and Mary Holmstrom Robert Mil is & the Anne Mil is Fund of OCF
Susan Kem Susan Meade Mates
Wil and Mabel Pool Wil iam and Barbara Harris Huge thanks go to Chris Glad at www.pdxtex.com who donates many hours of excellent IT service to Oregon Wild each month.
Sally Cross and Mark Hahn Sandra Polishuk Sarah Root Sarah Wetjen Scott and Joy Linn Scott Lewis and Laura Rose-Lewis Spencer Krueger and Mary Lefevre Steve Lambros and Laurie Gerloff Spring/Summer 2009 Volume 36, Number 1
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NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID Portland, OR Permit No. 1694 Draft_4_Iss2_ORWILD.indd 16
Printed on recycled paper with soy based ink.
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
5825 N. Greeley Ave. Portland, OR 97217
GREG BURKE
BRETT COLE
Oregon Wild Summer June 13 – August 16
5th Annual Outdoor Photo Contest
Get outside and enjoy Oregon’s wild areas this summer with the experts at Oregon Wild! Come explore our newly protected Wilderness, towering old-growth forests, and much more. Sign up at www.oregonwild.org.
Our ever-popular contest is back with a brand new category just for kids. We’re giving away great prizes for winning photographers in the wildlands, wildlife, and waters categories.
Send us your photos by September 15
The grand prize will be awarded to the winner of the Endangered Places category, this year featuring Oregon’s Yellowstone— the Siskiyou Wild Rivers. To see more details and submit your photos, go to:
www.oregonwild.org/photo_contest.
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Oregon Wild Proudly Presents
Oregon Wild Summer 2009 Visit the places you want to see with the people who know them best! Look for the hikes marked to head out to areas newly protected by Oregon Wild. Register for hikes and outings at www.oregonwild.org or call 503.283.6343 ext. 210 All outings are guided by experts and require online reservations. Please leave pets at home. For your comfort and safety, wear appropriate attire and bring plenty of water, snacks, and a lunch. Children are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult.
Special thanks to The Mazamas and Willamette Week!
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Sunday, June 21
Wahclella Falls Family Hike Leader: Rob Klavins (Easy, 2.0 miles, elevation gain 222 feet, Columbia River Gorge) Follow boulder-strewn Tanner Creek to thundering Wahclella Falls on this short but memorable hike in the spectacular Columbia River Gorge. (Members Only)
Metolius River Hike Leader: Tim Lillebo
(Moderate, 5-6 miles, elevation gain 150 feet, Deschutes National Forest)
J O N AT H A N J E L E N M e m a l o o s e La ke h i ke FRONT COVER: CHARLES RENEAU Baldy Mountain
Saturday, June 13
Sunday, June 14
Saturday, June 20
(Easy-Moderate, 4 miles, elevation gain 500 feet, Mount Hood National Forest)
(Moderate, 5-8 miles, elevation gain depends on length, Umpqua National Forest)
Hike through one of Mount Hood’s most diverse old-growth forests to a unique area featuring both wetwestside and dry-eastside ecosystems. (Free and open)
(Moderate, approx. 7.0 miles round trip, elevation gain 500 feet, Mount Hood National Forest)
Enjoy the scenery and the season Gaze up at towering old-growth along the famed North Umpqua River. forests and look down upon the (Free and open) shimmering waters of the Clackamas River on this stunning hike. (Free and open)
Fifteenmile Creek North Umpqua Tree ID Hike Trail Hike Leader: Erik Fernandez Leader: Doug Heiken
Enjoy the stunning beauty of this central Oregon gem as you hike along the pristine Metolius River. (Free and open)
Saturday, June 27
Cloud Cap Saddle Hike Devil’s Staircase Hike Clackamas River Leader: Margo Earley Leader: Chandra LeGue Trail Hike Leader: Jonathan Jelen (Strenuous, 6.0 miles, elevation gain 2,200 feet, Mount Hood National Forest) Hike through sub-alpine virgin forests to treeline with a spectacular view of Mount Hood’s entire northeast face and its largest glacier. (Free and open)
(Strenuous, 4.0 miles round trip, up and down over steep terrain with no trail, Coast Range near Reedsport) Be one of the few to venture into one of the last untamed wild places in the Oregon Coast Range, the proposed Devil’s Staircase Wilderness area. (Free and open)
To become a member, visit our website or call 503.283.6343 ext 213 Oregon Wild Summer 2009
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Sunday, June 28
Friday, July 10 – Saturday, July 11 Saturday, July 18 Big Bottom Old Memaloose Lake Three Pyramids Hike Memaloose Lake Hike Growth Hike Sunday,July 12 Family Hike Leader: Chandra LeGue Leader: Erik Fernandez Leader: Jonathan Jelen Iron Mountain and Echo Leader: Jonathan Jelen Basin Wildflower ID (Moderate-Strenuous, 5.0 (Easy, 2.6 miles, elevation gain 650 (Moderate, 2.5 miles round trip, miles round trip, elevation gain: 1,700 elevation gain 500 feet, Mount Hood feet, Mount Hood National Forest) Hikes and Campout (Moderate, approx. 2.6 National Forest) miles round trip, elevation Leader: Wendell Wood feet, Willamette National Forest) A quick trip down this stunning gain 500 feet, Mount Hood National Forest)
(Moderate, 3 hikes, Saturday 3.0 miles Hike through the heart of the spectacular Old Cascades in the total, Sunday 4.0 miles total, Middle Santiam watershed. Bring the kids along on this short hike Willamette National Forest) (Free and open) to a beautiful lake filled with Explore the Old Cascades, with salamanders. (Members Only) its stunning wildflower blooms, ancient rock formations, and towering old growth on this one-of-a-kind Wendell Wood camp out. (Reserve with hike fee)
Christine making a point
“Big” is the operative word here. Marvel at huge Douglas fir, grand fir and 1,000-year-old cedar trees. (Members Only)
old-growth forest trail takes us to a lake teeming with salamanders. (Members Only)
Sunday, July 12
Thursday, July 23
Roaring River to Serene Lake Hike Leader: Ani Kame’enui
Mirror Lake Wildflower Hike Leader: Wendell Wood
(Moderate-Strenuous, 7.7 mile loop, elevation gain 1,500 feet, Roaring River Wilderness, Mount Hood National Forest)
(Easy-Moderate, 3.5 miles, elevation gain 780 feet, Mount Hood National Forest)
Come see the footprints of glaciers as we explore the deep, green Serene Lake of the Roaring River valley. (Free and open)
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Hike to scenic Mirror Lake for views of intricate wildflowers and the grand vista of Mount Hood. (Reserve with hike fee)
Oregon Wild Summer 2009
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Saturday, July 25
Saturday, August 1
Saturday, August 15
(Moderate, 5-7 miles round trip, minimal elevation gain, Medford BLM)
(Moderate, 5.0 miles round trip, elevation gain 1,000 feet, Umpqua National Forest)
(Moderate, 5.0 miles, elevation gain 1,100 feet, Mount Hood National Forest)
Explore the spectacular Wild and Scenic Rogue River canyon’s unique geography, plants, and wildlife. (Free and open)
Explore the divide between the Willamette and Umpqua watersheds with a tour of Bullpup Lake and beyond. (Free and open)
Discover the aquamarine waters of one of the Mount Hood National Forest’s best-kept secrets! (Free and open)
Crabtree Valley Hike Leader: Sean Stevens
Saturday, August 8 Sunday, August 16
Rogue River Trail Hike Bullpup Lake Hike Boulder Lake Hike Leader: Chandra LeGue Leader: Chandra LeGue Leader: Erik Fernandez
(Moderate, 2-6 miles depending on access point, elevation gain 600-800 feet, Salem District BLM) Experience one of the oldest forest groves in Oregon on a day-long expedition to this out-of-the way wonder. (Members Only)
Bald Mountain Wildflower Hike Leader: Wendell Wood
Hunchback Mountain to Great Pyramid Hike Leader: Ani Kame’enui
Mount June/Sawtooth Rock Hike Leader: Chandra LeGue
(Strenuous, 9.0 miles, elevation gain 2,900 feet, Mount Hood National Forest)
(Moderate, 5.0 miles round trip, elevation gain 1,000 feet, Willamette National Forest)
Cruise the ridge of Hunchback Mountain for perfect views of both Salmon-Huckleberry and Mt. Hood Wilderness areas. (Free and open)
Take in the views from forested Mount June and ridgetop meadows as you explore Eugene’s backyard wilderness. (Members Only)
(Moderate-Strenuous, 4.5 miles, elevation gain 1,000 feet, Mount Hood National Forest) Summer wildflowers make this hike a memorable one as you walk along the famed Pacific Crest Trail to a viewpoint of Mount Hood. (Reserve with hike fee) DAVI D T VEDT Devil’s Staircase
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