Oregon Wild Spring/Summer 2014 Volume 41, Number 2
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Oregon Wild Spring/Summer 2014 Volume 41, Number 2 Wilderness is Oregon OREGON WILD SUMMER HIKES INSIDE Working to protect and restore Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife, and waters as an enduring legacy. Main Office Western Field Office INSIDE THIS ISSUE 5825 N Greeley Avenue Portland, OR 97217 P.O. Box 11648 Eugene, OR 97440 Phone: 503.283.6343 Fax: 503.283.0756 454 Willamette, Suite 203 We are the things we share {4-7} www.oregonwild.org Phone 541.344.0675 Fax: 541.343.0996 The e-mail address for each Oregon Wild Conservation & Restoration Coord. Doug Heiken x 1 Oregon Wild Summer — staff member: [email protected] Western Oregon Field Coord. Chandra LeGue x 2 40 years, 40 hikes {8-9} (for example: [email protected]) Wilderness Campaign Organizer Bridget Callahan x 203 Northeastern Field Office Picture Wilderness in 2014 {back cover} Outreach & Membership Coord. Marielle Cowdin x 213 P.O. Box 48, Enterprise, OR 97828 Phone: 503.551.1717 Wilderness Coordinator Erik Fernandez x 202 Development Director Jonathan Jelen x 224 NE Oregon Field Coordinator Rob Klavins Finance Director Laura Mears x 219 Office Manager Christie Moore x 200 Southern Field Office COVER PHOTO: ERIC NOMURA Wilderness benefits all Oregonians – the quality of life it Conservation Director Steve Pedery x 212 brings from protected watersheds for clean drinking water to countless opportunities for P.O. Box 1923 Brookings, OR 97415 outdoor recreation and benefits to local economies is unparalleled. It is crucial we protect Wildlands & Wetlands Advocate Quinn Read x 226 Phone: 541.366.8623 what is left to ensure a future and a bright legacy for generations to come. Executive Director Sean Stevens x 211 Wildlands Interpreter Wendell Wood Oregon Wild Board of Directors Daniel Robertson, President Brett Sommermeyer, VIce President Pat Clancy, Treasurer Vik Anantha, Secretary Kate Blazar www.facebook.com/OregonWild Megan Gibb Leslie Logan Patrick Proctor @oregonwild William Sullivan Jan Wilson Oregon Wild is a tax-exempt, non-profit charitable organization. Newsletter printed on New Leaf 100% recycled, 50% post-consumer, FSC certified paper with soy based inks. Oregon Wild is printed locally by Environmental Paper and Print, an Oregon Wild donor and business partner. Spring/Summer 2014 Volume 41, Number 2 2 From the Director’s Desk It’s not easy being green Sean Stevens, Executive Director deeper meaning of green. You see it memorial and in a flood of Oregon Wilderness Conference for generations. Somehow, Kermit had when you’re out hiking. You feel it correspondence from those he the first time in ten years (see back Oregon in mind when he sang: when you step into a mountain inspired during his nearly 40 years of cover for details). I hope to see you But green’s the color of spring When green is all there is to be stream. You hear it if you’re lucky advocacy for a wild Oregon I was there. And green can be cool and friendly-like It could make you wonder why, enough to encounter the far off howl reminded of the seismic difference As you have no doubt heard by now, And green can be big like an ocean, but why wonder why of a wolf. one dedicated, passionate, and 2014 marks two distinct milestones or important Wonder, I am green and it’ll do fine, unyielding individual can make. Looking at a map of Oregon, it is for Oregon conservationists – the Like a mountain, or tall like a tree it’s beautiful th those deep green spots that call out Tim’s memorial was also a poignant 50 anniversary of the 1964 And I think it’s what I want to be th to us – the special places that have reminder of the need for those of us Wilderness Act and the 40 In this Year of Wilderness, and in this – Kermit the Frog been permanently protected as who care about our remaining anniversary of Oregon Wild. These time when the value of all things wild Wilderness. But Kermit was right. wilderness to gather together, share landmark anniversaries are all the is more important than ever, we know that it might not be easy being green. st This kind of green – the Wilderness our stories, and inspire each other to more meaningful when we think of n 21 -century culture and green – ain’t easy. continue the fight. We have a great how hard those who came before us But it sure is worth it. Icommerce, “green” doesn’t always opportunity to do just that on June fought to pass on a legacy of mean what it used to. Wilderness areas are remote. The 5-7 in Portland as we bring back the wilderness to this and future trails are steep. These places do not Kermit probably wouldn’t have easily reveal their wonders. They also expected the likes of Waste can be hard as heck to protect – Management Inc. to encourage him taking decades of grassroots activism, to “think green” or for General political arm-bending, no small Electric to praise his song as an measure of luck, and indomitable example of “Ecomagination.” spirits to see legislation through to Heck, you can dump a few billion the finish line. barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico It is the spirit of one such and still claim your green and yellow environmental hero that we carry logo represents your effort to move with us this year – and forever – as “Beyond Petroleum.” we strive to better safeguard the But I’m not here to talk about Oregon we love. In February, our greenwashing. As an Oregon Wild dear friend and colleague Tim supporter you already know the Lillebo passed away – gone from this SCOTT SMORRA Rowena Crest landscape far too soon. At his 3 Spring/Summer 2014 Volume 41, Number 2 Wilderness is Oregon – we are what we share Chandra LeGue, Western Oregon Field Coordinator “Oregon is home to some of the most “cleanness of air and water,” “green Perhaps not surprisingly, a common amazing coastline, rivers, and forests on landscape,” “forests and mountains,” thread in this campaign is Earth. These treasures define where we and “open spaces” as things they value Wilderness. Of the “7 Wonders” live, providing outstanding recreational about our state. chosen by Travel Oregon – Crater opportunities, clean drinking water, and Lake, the Oregon Coast, the economic benefits for our communities as I, for one, am not surprised. As a Columbia River Gorge, the Wallowas, we attract tourists from all over the transplant from the Midwest (yes, Mount Hood, Painted Hills, and world.” another one of those), Oregon’s Smith Rock – all are found on public landscapes and natural wonders both lands, five of them with designated – Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley attracted me and kept me here. Wilderness or an active campaign to Oregon’s people have long been protect them as such. ere in Oregon, we share many leaders in working to protect the The living’s easy things: a love/hate relationship wildlands, wildlife, and wild rivers we withH rain; a love/hate relationship for all value. In 1902, Crater Lake The outstanding quality of life the Ducks and Beavers (depending became one of the country’s first associated with our state’s wild lands on your affiliation); a love of craft National Parks. In the 1970s, and waters brings both people and beer, local wine, and sustainable food; Oregonians led efforts to conserve businesses to Oregon. Pristine and maybe most unanimously, an farmland and other resources. Today, drinking water and phenomenal appreciation for the outdoor Oregon has more than 600 outdoor recreation factor particularly environment that makes this state environmental-related non-profit heavily. such a special place. While not organizations working to protect land One of our most basic needs as everyone is a sports fan, microbrew from development, restore wetlands humans is clean water to drink. In drinker, or public transit user, and streams, advocate for wildlife, Oregon, two-thirds of our tap wherever you live in Oregon, we share provide environmental education, and water comes from surface waters and enjoy our natural legacy. save old-growth forests. – much of these from watersheds In the 2013 Oregon Values & Beliefs located either completely or partly in 1 Oregon’s outdoor cultural identity is Project survey, a strong desire to so strong in fact, that the state’s public forestlands, including protect the environment for future official tourism organization, Travel designated Wilderness. These intact generations was one of the unifying Oregon, has invested $3 million to forests serve as natural reservoirs: JOHN WALLER Wilderness is a shared value in values found across Oregon’s “promote the scenic splendor of absorbing, storing, filtering, and Oregon. Our state’s diverse landscape is intrinsic geographic and political divides. The to our quality of life and brings us together with Oregon” with its 7 Wonders of Oregon gradually releasing water to forest unmatched opportunities for outdoor adventure. poll found that 78% of Oregonians campaign (see sidebar page 6). streams. This protects the purity of identified “natural landscapes,” Spring/Summer 2014 Volume 41, Number 2 4 the water and consistency of its outdoor recreation. The most popular from any major highway pass to flows. forms, by a 2:1 margin, fall into the venture into five different Central “quiet recreation” category according Cascades Wilderness areas. A 20 These forests do such a great job that to a survey of National Forest users minute drive from Bend gets you to a two of Oregon’s protected drinking in Oregon. Hiking, fishing, hunting, trailhead in the Badlands watersheds - greater Portland’s Bull backcountry skiing, kayaking, and Wilderness.