Oregon Wild Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1

Forest Defense is Climate Defense Working to protect and restore ’s wildlands, wildlife, and waters as an enduring legacy for future generations.

Main Office Western Field Office 5825 N Greeley Avenue Portland, OR 97217 P.O. Box 11648 Eugene, OR 97440 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Phone: 503.283.6343 Phone 541.344.0675 Fax: 541.343.0996 www.oregonwild.org The forests can fight back {4-7} Forest & Watershed Organizer Jason Gonzales The e-mail address for each Oregon Wild Conservation & Restoration Coord. Doug Heiken From the Willamette to the Potomac {8-9} staff member: [email protected] Western Oregon Field Coord. Chandra LeGue (for example: [email protected]) Northeastern Field Office Vive tu propia aventura con Vive NW {12} Outreach & Marketing Coord. Marielle Cowdin x 213 P.O. Box 48, Enterprise, OR 97828 Membership & Event Manager Gaby Diaz x 205 Phone: 541.886.0212 Development Director Jonathan Jelen x 224 NE Oregon Field Coordinator Rob Klavins Wildlife Coordinator Danielle Moser x 226 Finance Director Tony Mounts x 219 Central Oregon Field Office Conservation Director Steve Pedery x 212 2445 NE Division St, Bend, OR 97701 Communications Manager Arran Robertson x 223 Phone: 541.382.2616 Fax: 541.385.3370 Executive Director Sean Stevens x 211 Ochoco Mountains Coordinator Jamie Dawson Wilderness Program Manager Erik Fernandez

Oregon Wild Board of Directors Kate Blazar, President Naila Bhatri Lisa Billings, Vice President Vail Fletcher Clara Soh, Treasurer Megan Gibb Mellie Pullman, Secretary Danielle Grabiel Vik Anantha Jared Kennedy Hillary Barbour

www.facebook.com/OregonWild Oregon Wild is a tax-exempt, non-profit charitable organization. Newsletter printed on Endeavour, 55% recycled with 30% post-consumer content cover photo: Rhett Wilkins The climate conversation has been and FSC certified, printed with vegetable based inks. Oregon Wild is printed dominated by energy and transportation issues, but here in the @oregonwild @oregonwild locally by Environmental Paper and Print, an Oregon Wild donor and business Northwest, our forests hold a key piece of the climate puzzle. partner.

Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1 2 From the Director’s Desk From defense to offense Sean Stevens, Executive Director

• Train budding activists at Bishop) is losing his gavel as the climate fighting tool our monthly Wild Ones chair of the House Natural right in our backyard – gathering; Resources Committee. That Oregon’s forests. means that the unceasing attacks • And meet with allies to on endangered species, National While Oregon Wild has s this issue of Oregon Wild discuss how to keep the Monuments, and almost every fought across five decades goes to print, we’ve got a pressure on King Clearcut single one of our bedrock to safeguard our forests lotA going on. as we endeavor to environmental laws will stop. for wildlife habitat, clean modernize the Oregon water, and recreation, it In just one week, the Oregon Forest Practices Act Wild team will collectively: Taking Bishop’s place is Rep. may be that the most Even though we are a relatively Raul Grijalva – an outspoken important reason to keep • Join forces with our small non-profit, it sometimes champion for wild places and our ancient forests partners at Soul River Inc. feels like we are everywhere at wildlife. With new leadership in standing is to save our to lobby Congress to once – knowing that if we don’t place, it is imperative that our planet from climate protect the Ochoco show up, some part of Oregon’s Congressional delegation seize catastrophe. Mountains National landscape will suffer. That the moment and push through Recreation Area; vigilance has always been part of important protections for It’s time to shift from Oregon’s special places. Oregon defense to offense – to • Host the third in a series of our DNA, and we know we Wild will be there to remind put lines on the map and forums aimed at explaining need it regardless of the political them of the importance of this to strengthen the laws the important connection landscape. moment. that protect our forests, between forest defense and rivers, and wildlife. We climate protection; November’s elections were hugely important for the As you’ll read in our main story can’t just hold the line any • Attend an all-day environment. The much-hyped this issue (pages 4-7), climate longer. Join us in creating stakeholder meeting where “flipping” of the House of disruption continues to wreak a new natural legacy for the fate of Oregon’s wolves Representatives into Democratic havoc across the globe. The the future. is on the line and we must control has many consequences, scientific consensus is clear that be their voice; but perhaps none is bigger than swift action is needed now more Zack Kenney With each election cycle, it is than ever before. Yet, the dawn of new approaches, new angles, this: the most anti-public lands and new challenges to our environmental member of Congress (Rep. Rob policymakers continue to miss w o r k .

3 Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1 Enlisting our forests to fight climate change Alexander Harris, Public Lands Fellow

lobal climate change presents perhaps the most profound andG complex challenge the human species has ever faced. As the planet continues to warm at an unprecedented pace, we will continue to see significant impacts to Oregon’s economy, communities, and ecosystems. Today, there is roughly 50% more CO2 in the atmosphere than pre-industrial levels, and the amount of carbon in the atmosphere continues to increase at an alarming rate.

Fortunately, it appears that the State of Oregon is finally ready to take meaningful climate action in 2019. In November’s pivotal election, Governor Kate Brown was re-elected and Democrats expanded their majorities in the State House and Senate. Democrats now hold supermajorities in both houses of Oregon’s State Legislature, which means they don’t need a single Republican vote to pass climate legislation that charges corporations for their greenhouse gas emissions.

Indeed, the legislature is primed to pass the Clean Energy Jobs

Wes bakerWinter/Spring Oregon's 2019 native Volume forests 46, Number hold 1 a wealth of carbon storage 4 and continued sequestration - but only if we protect them. Let the trees grow! Arran Robertson, Communications Manager

This fall, the world’s leading climate scientists warned that we have only twelve years to ward off the most dramatic impacts of global warming. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) urged world leaders that urgent action is necessary to head off bill, a cap and trade bill that Oregon can take to combat an increase of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. While we’re already seeing the impacts of would be similar to the programs climate change is to modernize rising global temperatures, the scientists warned that continued increases would result in in and Canadian our weak logging laws. If we do mass coral die-offs, coastal flooding, extreme weather events, ecosystem collapses, and provinces. The Oregon this, alongside better protection of other global disasters. Legislature’s six-month session our public lands, the sprawling begins in January and this bill is forestlands that blanket half of The report provided policy recommendations to curb carbon emissions, including a section one of the top priorities. our state could become an on forests. Maintaining (or increasing) forest area and canopy cover, fighting forest invaluable asset in mitigating and The bill must pass if we want to adapting to climate change. degradation, and increasing carbon density in forests and soil were the report’s leading avoid catastrophic climate change. mitigation measures. However, notably absent from the How do trees store carbon? bill is Oregon’s largest source of The IPCC report is a wakeup call for policymakers in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest to carbon emissions: logging. Recent Carbon is a building block of life. get serious about protecting our native forests and modernizing forestry laws. Basically, research, including a As forests grow, trees take in we can help by just letting the trees grow! Climate change is a global crisis, and we have an carbon from the atmosphere, groundbreaking study from opportunity to step up and do our part. Fortunately, looking to our forests to help combat Oregon State University, shows building living structures by storing it in their trunks, bark, climate change has the added benefit of cleaner water, better wildlife habitat, and that Oregon’s logging industry preserving the spectacular Oregon forests and landscapes we all love! emits more carbon into our branches, and extensive root atmosphere than any other sector. networks. This natural process, known as “carbon sequestration” The destruction and converts carbon dioxide from its mismanagement of Oregon’s gaseous state into a solid that native forests over the past remains safely stored for long century has transferred massive periods of time. amounts of stored carbon to the atmosphere, contributing Forests are among the largest significantly to the warming of stores of living carbon on the the planet. But if we improve our planet, and it turns out that the Steve Hansen forest management practices, forests of western Oregon have a Oregon’s forests can actually be higher carbon density than almost part of the solution to climate any other forest type in the world. growth appears to have slowed. carbon; however, research shows creates a “carbon debt” that takes change, not the problem. Oregon’s oldest forests are that old forests store far more. many decades or centuries to particularly good at capturing and The logging industry has falsely Logging older trees and replacing repay. storing carbon, and they continue claimed that fast-growing young them with younger ones emits It’s becoming increasingly clear 2 that the single biggest step to absorb carbon even after tree forests are better at absorbing tremendous amounts of CO and

5 Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1 eliminated most of have otherwise remained stored with tree plantations (logged on a The timber industry often argues Oregon’s original in the forest for many more years. 40-year cycle), they created a they should be exempted from old-growth forests and There are also significant carbon carbon debt that we may never carbon regulation because disrupted this natural emissions from the fossil fuels fully repay. More than 1.5 billion industrial logging is “carbon- carbon cycle. Logging burned by logging equipment and metric tons of net carbon was neutral.” According to their kills trees, stops them log trucks. Once logs reach a mill, removed from western narrative, the trees they replant from growing, and even more carbon is lost as the and Oregon forests after clearcutting eventually accelerates the transfer wood is processed and cut into in the 20th century by converting re-capture the carbon that was of carbon from the lumber. By the time wood old-growth forests into short originally emitted, and therefore forest to the products reach their end rotation plantations. This debt the entire operation balances atmosphere. Our destination, only a fraction of the significantly alters the carbon emissions and sequestration. carbon-intensive original carbon from the forest balance our forests found with logging practices make remains. the atmosphere over millennia, But this narrative is the timber industry further exacerbating climate fundamentally flawed, as it fails Oregon’s largest source The industrial forestry change. to recognize the historical of global warming carbon debt emissions. Fully understanding the carbon How significant are emissions To understand where consequences of industrial all this carbon comes forestry means understanding the from wildfire? from, you need to look concept of “carbon debt.” Before the chainsaw was invented, our Despite their impressive smoke plumes, Oregon’s wildfires at the entire lifecycle are not major sources of carbon emissions. Researchers with of wood products. forests kept vast amounts of Eric Debord (cover photo) O r e g o n W i l d carbon out of the atmosphere, Oregon State University have estimated that between recently released a report called “Forest When a forest is 2011–2015, forest fires only accounted for 4% of Oregon's Defense is Climate Defense,” which gives a clearcut, the branches, which helped stabilize the succinct overview of how forests sequester climate. But during the 20th total carbon emissions each year, whereas logging accounted carbon and how industrial logging emits it. tree tops, and other You can find the report and our works cited logging residue left century, the rampant clearcutting for roughly 35%. In fact, forests hold on to the majority of at: www.oregonwild.org/climatereport. behind is usually of our old-growth forests their stored carbon even after severe wildfires, as long as burned or left to transferred much of that carbon the standing dead trees (snags) are not targeted by so- Logging: Oregon’s biggest decompose. This from our forests to the called “salvage” logging. The reality is that wildfire has always climate polluter process, accelerated by removing atmosphere. been an essential and unavoidable element in our forest

the protective forest canopy and ecosystems, so eliminating emissions from these fires is both Unfortunately, a century of When timber corporations drying out soils, releases large unattainable and ecologically harmful. Instead, we must focus industrial logging practices has replaced Oregon’s ancient forests amounts of carbon that would our efforts on anthropogenic carbon emissions such as clearcut logging and rampant fossil fuel use, which are the Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1 6 actual causes of climate change. Take Action The policy choices we make today will either continue to make Oregon’s forests a part of the climate problem, or capacity of carbon storage in Put simply, industrial forestry Climate resilience ensure that they are part of the solution. Two of the best Pacific Northwest forests. Today, inflames the underlying cause of ways Oregon can act on climate change are to modernize our National Forests are only climate change: excess levels of CO2 Expanding protections for our our weak logging laws and to better protect our National storing two-thirds of their carbon in the atmosphere. The good news public lands and reforming our Forests and other public lands. storage potential. And the is that, unlike carbon from fossil outdated forest management practices not only would help us amount of carbon stored on fuels, forest-carbon can be 1. Modernize Oregon’s outdated logging laws to reduce reduce excess carbon emissions, industrial timberlands is just a recaptured and stored where it clearcutting and encourage climate-smart practices fraction of their historical levels, belongs. By protecting and but also would help make Oregon’s forest ecosystems more Oregon’s timber industry adds more carbon pollution into because timber corporations restoring our public forests and the atmosphere every year than any other sector. continue to clearcut these forests improving the management of resilient to the impacts of a Oregon’s state and private forest lands can only reach every 40 years. If the rotation age Oregon’s private timberlands, we changing climate. By defending increased to 60 or 80 years, then can begin to repay our carbon and restoring our forests, we can their potential to combat climate change if state logging we would be begin to repay a debt and help stabilize our safeguard clean drinking water laws are reformed and incentives are created to portion of the carbon debt we climate. and help plants and animals encourage climate-friendly practices. Read more about have incurred. adapt to climate change. the grassroots movement to modernize Oregon logging laws at oregonwild.org, and take action by asking Sage Brown Willamette National Forest. Governor Kate Brown to support stronger logging rules: 503-378-4582

2. Permanently protect our remaining old-growth forests and encourage forest restoration on our public lands Over the past few years, there have been numerous efforts to sell off our public lands and increase the scope and scale of logging in our public forests. One of the best ways to ensure that our forests continue to capture and store carbon is to reduce the rate of logging and permanently protect our forests as Wilderness. Call your Senators and your Congressional Representative today (look up your reps in Congress and their numbers at www.govtrack.us.)

7 Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1 From the Willamette... Danielle Moser, Wildlife Coordinator

est we forget Salem. While Agriculture and Natural national politics – the new Resources and the Ways and LDemocratic majority in the Means Subcommittee on Natural House and, of course, our Resources. A change in troubling President – command committee chair(wo)manship much of the public’s attention, could have a positive benefit for the state legislature still remains our issues. a place where critical policies are Take Action: enacted that affect our wildlands, Oregon Wild’s priorities wildlife, and waters. Be sure to sign up for our Wild Ones list in • We will be working with our order to receive details about future In Oregon, the results of this conservation and business partners to support opportunities to participate in lobby day year’s election give Democrats a efforts in Salem. Lobby days are a great supermajority in both the House legislation to stop aerial way to tell your legislators why you care and Senate (plus Kate Brown is spray on public lands, back in the Governor’s seat). implement new pesticide about wildlands, wildlife, and waters. More individuals were elected to restrictions, and to provide local and statewide offices who better notification systems www.oregonwild.org/wildones have outspokenly criticized that will help communities Oregon’s logging practices and protect themselves from the echoed the urgent need to tackle impacts of industrial climate change. Yet the question clearcutting and aerial spray. remains: does a supermajority • For all things wildlife, we necessarily mean a green will be tracking and Christopher Washtok majority? We plan to put them continuing to provide input to the test! for Oregon Department of program, which we support, • Last session, the Senate hit 2019), we fully expect to Fish & Wildlife’s biennium insofar as any additional the pause button on spend a majority of our time The 2019 session is sure to be budget, especially on matters taxpayer dollars are used to approving two Fish & in Salem advocating for filled with as much excitement, related to conservation, deploy non-lethal measures Wildlife Commission non-biased, scientific- challenges, and outright anti-poaching, and wolves. and continue research and appointments. Now that the supporting candidates to be ludicrous bills as every legislative ODFW is asking the monitoring, not hiring more election is over (and two approved for the go-around. Soon, leadership will legislature to add 5 full-time staff to kill more wolves more seats are opening up Commission. decide who receives the gavel for employees to the wolf quickly. on the Commission in key committees like House

Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1 8 To the Potomac Erik Fernandez, Wilderness Program Manager

fter the midterm elections, Oregon hasn’t protected any new meadows, fishing, and views everything and nothing has Wilderness areas in Oregon in that stretch from Mount changedA with the politics of 10 years, one of the longer Rainier to Mount Shasta. protecting Oregon’s public lands. droughts in state history, which While we are cautiously we hope to remedy. • Crater Lake: a proposal to optimistic that the new Congress protect the recreational and will be friendlier to the values Ripe for a vote in Congress wildlife corridors leading Oregon Wild and our members The Oregon Wildlands Act into and out of Oregon’s hold dear, it’s not going to be all includes Wilderness protections only National Park. rainbows and unicorns. for the Wild Rogue and Devil’s Currently, the Forest Service Staircase, and 250 miles of Wild plans to log in these The national congressional and Scenic River designations for corridors right up to the landscape changed significantly, the Molalla, Nestucca, and other edge of the park. but Oregon’s delegation didn’t waterways. As of press time, this change at all. Senator Ron package of conservation bills is • Mount Hood: spectacular Wyden has long been influential on the short list for what will be potential Wilderness areas on public lands issues, and a chaotic end-of-year run in like Tamanawas Falls and Senator Jeff Merkley is quickly Congress. If it doesn’t pass in the Salmon River remain gaining influence. On the House 2018, it will be primed and ready open to logging, as do side, our Democratic for passage in the new Congress. hidden treasures like Representatives should be able to Boulder Lake. advance significant conservation Works in progress measures. Republican Oregon Wild and our allies will Defense

Congressman Greg Walden advocate for key conservation The forces of extraction will Cheryl Hill remains a challenge on public proposals in the new Congress, continue to advocate for more lands. A decade ago, he voted in including protections for: clearcutting of our National defense will be easier but not a In a split Congress deals will be support of Oregon Wilderness, Forests and weakening bedrock walk in the park. We have held cut, and we will need to be but more recently he has • The Ochoco Mountains: a environmental laws like the off some of the worst bills of the vigilant to ensure that Oregon’s expressed sympathy for the central Oregon gem, home Endangered Species Act and the Trump era thus far, but the wildlands, wildlife, and waters Bundy movement. to old-growth ponderosa National Environmental Policy threats remain active. are not bartered away. pine forests, wildflower Act. With the House flipping,

9 Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1 Heeding the call Gaby Diaz, Membership & Event Manager

Mortgage, and Rhiannon Wood!

Our success is also due in part to a generous community of folks who either provided funding or ontest winners 2018 donated goods, services, and time to make this our biggest event of the year. Many thanks to our Clockwise from top left: business sponsors Trailhead WILDLANDS Credit Union and KEEN! Alvord Desert,Daniel Gomez WATERS We’re also thankful for our Shino Yanagawa Oregon Brewshed® White River Canyon, James Armstrong WILDLIFE Alliance partners who

armed us with tasty Short-eared owl, Wendy Duncan his year’s Call of the Wild submitted a photo to our annual ENDANGERED PLACES was another celebration for photo contest, or supported the libations for the evening C O utdoor P h oto Tthe books. Old friends and new event from afar, thank you for and for our friends at La Owyhee River, James Parsons gathered around the “campfire” making this event so special. Bonita, Dick’s Kitchen, and inspiring many of our to protect places across the state at Leftbank Annex in a Devil’s Food Catering for supporters to give generously, like the Ochoco Mountains, powerful display of support for We’d like to thank our providing delicious camp our roaming Bear and Wolf, Cascade-Siskiyou National our work across the state. supporters who bring the party inspired bites. A big thanks to photographers Kelli Pennington Monument, and the Nehalem Backed by local businesses, - our Tent Sponsors! Thanks to Something Borrowed for and Shino Yanagawa, and stellar River (just to name a few!). partners, and YOU, we raised Hillary Barbour, Lisa Billings, transforming the space with volunteers. over $60,000 to continue our Rex Burkholder and Lydia Rich, their rustic décor, XRAY.fm for All in all, thank you to everyone work to keep Oregon wild! Oregon League of Conservation the on air promotion, ProPhoto Last but not least, thank you to who made Call of the Wild such Voters, Outdoor Project, Curt Supply for our photo contest the dozens of businesses who a success. We look forward to Whether you bought a wildlife- and Julie Stevens, Clara Soh, winner prints, and the Steelhead provided items for our silent seeing you at next year’s Call of inspired raffle ticket, tried your Mellie Pullman, Seth Prickett Stalkers Duo for serenading us. auction. This wide ranging the Wild on Friday, October hand at the ring toss, gave with Mahonia Realty, JJ A special thank you to our community supports our efforts 11, 2019 at Leftbank Annex! generously during the program, Lee-Kwai with Two Rivers board president Kate Blazar for

Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1 10 Join Lindsay in supporting Oregon Wild! Vive tu propia aventura Jonathan Jelen, Development DIrector Mackenzie Martinz & Jorge Guzman, Vive NW (Live your own adventure)

Northwest focused on weekend started with a 4-mile we headed over to the Painted increasing diversity in loop at Lookout Mountain in the Hills to catch the incredible the outdoors and Ochoco Mountains. During this breathtaking sights. It was an outdoor industries beautiful hike we saw old-growth amazing trip and Vive NW looks through outdoor ponderosa pines and caught forward to continuing to experiences, research, incredible views. After the fun collaborate with Oregon Wild and workforce hike in Ochocos, we headed over for years to come. Find out more diversity. Jorge to Spoke’n Hostel for our at www.vivenw.org. Guzman, founder of overnight stay. Oregon Wild, both Hispanicpros Vive NW, and our members, Lea este artículo and Vive NW, serves ended our Saturday night with a en español: as the Executive group dinner, bonfire and www.oregonwild.org Director. stargazing. On Sunday the 21st,

Vive NW and Oregon Wild have partnered in the past to create ounded in 2016, Vive NW unbelievable was created to connect the Vive NW evolved from the outdoor experiences for our FLatino/a community and other highly-successful Hispanicpros, a Vive NW members. The most diverse communities to the networking and mentoring recent trip together was on outdoors by providing powerful organization with 4,000+ October 20th where both and enriching experiences offered members, founded in 2008. organizations visited one of through nature. Our mission is to Hispanicpros is geared towards Oregon’s 7 Wonders: The culturally diversify participation the development of Latino/a Painted Hills! The fun weekend in the outdoors and empower all students, professionals, and getaway consisted of a hike in communities to live a more entrepreneurs. Headquartered in the beautiful Ochoco engaged and active lifestyle while downtown Portland, Oregon, Mountains and then an creating a sense of ownership and Vive NW is the only overnight stay near the Painted stewardship towards nature. organization in the Pacific Hills. The action packed Vive NW

11 Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1 Oregon's sleeping economic giant - outdoor recreation Sean Stevens, Executive Director

While politicians may forming to speak louder for the conversation in the state capitol collect big campaign outdoors. where logging lobbyists and contributions from oil and other extractive industries have gas companies, the trade The three-legged stool long held sway. Protecting show move alone is Recognizing their shared public lands has always been the estimated to cost their actual interests and a lack of strategic right thing to do for so many constituents $45 million in coordination, leaders from the intrinsic reasons. It just so lost economic activity every outdoor industry, recreation happens that it is also the right year. groups, and conservation thing to do for Oregon’s bottom non-profits came together in line. The awakening of the 2018 to form Oregon outdoor recreation industry Outdoors – a coalition is happening all across the dedicated to the preservation of country – and with recent Oregon’s outdoor assets for developments, Oregon is future generations. www.oregonoutdoors.org now set to lead the way. With over 30 members and Industry data tells a big part growing, Oregon Outdoors has of the story. In Oregon already weighed in to support alone, outdoor recreation federal legislation like the accounts for 172,000 direct Oregon Wildlands Act and the marielle Cowdin jobs and $16.4 billion in re-authorization of the Land consumer spending. and Water Conservation Fund. n January 2018, the country’s The move stood out as a Nationally, spending on Closer to home, we’ve identified largest outdoor-industry trade high-profile political statement camping gear, birding trips, and priorities around increasing showI opened for the first time from an increasingly activist bike racks is a bigger part of the funding for equitable access to in after 20 years in industry. It wasn’t just economy than pharmaceuticals the outdoors and protecting Utah. The big move followed traditionally eco-minded and automobiles. state forests from excessive years of feuding between show companies like Patagonia and logging. organizers and Utah politicians KEEN speaking out, but an Thankfully, industry leaders who had grown increasingly entire industry rejecting attacks recognize that the strength of Oregon Wild has served on the hostile to public lands on National Monuments and those economic numbers is built steering committee of Oregon protection. pushing back against public on the foundation of public Outdoors since its inception lands privatization schemes. lands. Here in Oregon, an and we are excited to see how unprecedented coalition is this coalition can change the Outdoor Industry Association

Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1 12 Conservation roundup Steve Pedery, Conservation Director

Brown’s re-election and larger over the Cascade-Siskiyou Democratic majorities in the National Monument (which state legislature should, in theory, logging interests and the Trump open the door to a stronger administration wish to shrink) environmental agenda. The 2019 and the Klamath Basin National legislative session will likely focus Wildlife Refuges (where on budget shortfalls, education agribusiness drains wetlands and funding, and passing a climate displaces wildlife). change bill. A key question is how Democrats will view the We are also working to reform – logging companies and polluting or block – a variety of destructive industries who gave nearly $1 logging proposals stretching from million to Brown’s opponent, and the Lostine River in Northeast spent heavily against Democrats. Oregon to the east slope of Will the governor and legislative Mount Hood. leaders finally stand up to them? Svitlana Imnadze Taking Trump to court And we are gearing up for a fight over the BLM’s plans to log the Elections 2018 House Natural Resources years have seen occasional The Trump administration is Thurston Hills Project near Committee. He will be replaced pro-environment bills sneak keeping our attorneys busy. Eugene, which includes popular Most of the November elections by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), through. With the change in the Hearings are scheduled in recreation trails. news coverage focused on the an environmental champion who House, there is again the January in both the legal battle “Trump effect” and the huge plans oversight hearings to look potential to win conservation swing in the House. The results into the potentially criminal gains through compromise have big implications for behavior of Interior Secretary “omnibus” bills that package Americas’ environment and Ryan Zinke. With Grijalva multiple measures together. public lands. chairing the committee, the door Senator Ron Wyden will be key is open for Oregon Reps Earl on both advancing conservation In the U.S. House of Blumenauer and Peter DeFazio and blocking efforts to include Representatives, the incoming to advance Oregon Wilderness poison pills into new Wilderness Democratic majority means and wildlife protection bills. and Wild & Scenic Rivers anti-public lands, anti-wildlife legislation. zealot Rob Bishop (R-UT) is The Senate will remain a tough losing his chairmanship of the place for conservation, but recent At the state level, Governor Kate

13 Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1 Drew Watson Twelve months of wild Jonathan Jelen, Development Director

he threats facing Oregon’s Day film screening with Soul the invaluable leadership of wildlands are as varied as the River Inc. highlighting the need women throughout the Tlandscapes themselves. But one for more diversity in the conservation community! thing they all have in common is conservation movement. We that The Oregon Wild Evergreen hosted our 3rd annual Oregon October brought the release of Society plays an essential role in Brewshed® Alliance Brewfest in our “Forest Defense is Climate helping us fend them off - each May showcasing its 60+ brewery Defense” report, kicking off a and every month. Evergreen industry partners advocating for series of statewide public forums members’ monthly support allows clean watershed protections. In highlighting the climate impacts us to more effectively plan out our June, we halted industry efforts to of logging and how managing our campaigns and provides the allow rampant salvage logging in forests for carbon storage can slow flexibility to respond to urgent the Rogue River-Siskiyou climate change! In November, we threats. Here are some successes National Forest. celebrated the 50th anniversary of we achieved thanks to our the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act Evergreen members: In July, Devil’s Staircase got one with events statewide. December, step closer to permanent well, it’s too early to tell. But In January, we secured a victory protection as Rep. DeFazio defeating a dangerous effort by for wildlife in the Malheur reintroduced our bill (Senators this lame duck Congress to roll National Forest through our Wyden and Merkley reintroduced back protections for wolves and public lands monitoring program. the Senate companion bill, the significantly weaken the In February, we dealt a blow to Oregon Wildlands Act, shortly Endangered Species Act is atop the timber industry’s anti-public thereafter). In August, we scored our wishlist. lands agenda by convincing the a victory to protect wildlife state’s most populous county habitat and clean water when a If you’re already an – Multnomah – to withdraw from judge ruled overwhelmingly in Evergreen member, thank the Association of O&C our favor, rejecting a reckless you for standing with us! If Counties. In March, we launched OHV plan in the Ochoco not, please consider joining the “Clearcut Express” in Portland National Forest. That same - for the cost of one lunch a – MAX trains and Trimet buses month, we partnered with Soul month, you can rest carried our message exposing the River, engaging youth and assured that, no matter timber industry and calling for veterans in exploring and the threat, you’ll be helping modernizing our forest practices. advocating for the Ochocos! In us keep Oregon wild! September, we hosted a special www.oregonwild.org April featured a special Earth “Wild Women” event celebrating Sean Haselden

Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1 14 Migrations Oregon Wild Winter Outings

hen the Bundys brought coming to an end. We’ll miss his stepping up and to Vik Anantha their brand of anti-public ever-present passion and the for his years of service as the landsW extremism to Oregon, we amazing example he sets for truly preceding board president. quickly realized that we needed to enjoying work and life. We hope organize and push back. Thanks he finds some “juicy” (a favorite to the Wyss Fellowship program, adjective of Alex’s) old-growth we were able to do just that by wherever his future adventures hiring Alex Harris in 2016 as a take him! Thank you Alex! Public Lands Fellow. Now, after two years of grassroots events, In September, we bid farewell to activist trainings, challenging two Oregon Wild board members county politicians with cozy ties – Nathan Kennedy and Brett Nachiket.Rajderkar to the timber industry, and Sommermeyer. Both Nathan and highlighting the connections Brett helped see us through the Saturday, January 12 Sunday, February 10 between forest protection and development of our last strategic Walton Lake Cross- Walton Lake Cross- climate defense, Alex’s two-year plan and served in leadership. A Country Ski Adventure Country Snowshoe Hike fellowship with Oregon Wild is special thanks goes to Nathan for (BEND) Easy-Moderate, 4.5 miles (BEND) Easy-Moderate, 4.5 miles Alex Harris his financial acumen in the Treasurer role and to Brett for Nathan Kennedy stepping into the Vice President Brett Sommermeyer Saturday, January 12 Date TBD role before (and exciting Upper McKenzie River Twin Lakes Snowshoe

opportunities with Sea Shepherd Snowshoe Hike (EUG) Hike (PDX) Moderate, 4 miles Legal) called. Moderate, 4.3 miles

Also at the board level, we are Sunday, February 3 Oregon Wild guided outings are free and welcome all excited to announce that Kate Diamond Creek Falls ages and abilities. Find your Blazar has taken the reins as our Snowshoe Hike (EUG) newest board president! Kate’s wild. To sign up or learn more, years of experience in the Moderate, 4 miles check out: oregonwild.org environmental non-profit field will be a huge asset in her new protected national rec area drinking role and she will be surrounded by wilderness with proposed watershed an all-female executive team on wilderness the board. Big thanks to Kate for

15 Winter/Spring 2019 Volume 46, Number 1 5825 N. Greeley Ave. Portland, OR 97217

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Printed on recycled paper with vegetable based ink. Caleb J 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. missing ordiminished voicesinourstate. movement, givingrisetothecritical representaive, andequi table conservation communityaninclusive, In supportofoureffortstomakeOregon’s growth forests. wildlife andourlast-remainingold- To beastrongvoiceforimperiled National Monumen. in thecountry:Cascade-Siskiyou one ofthemostecologicallydiverseplaces the TrumpAdministration,especiallyin To preventprivatizationofpubliclandsby outdated forestmanagementlaws. help FIGHTclimatechange–reformour To advancethe#1thingOregoncandoto habitat tothrive. enough cleanwater,openspace,and To ensurefuturegeneraionshave Ac S obson tarting at just $10amonth,tarting our work. it's the bestway tosupport Top 10reasns pport oregonwild: to support Become anE Become Find out how at www.oregonwild.org. vergreen Memb er today!vergreen 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. wildlife, andwaterscould belong-lasting. its negativeimpacton Oregon’swildlands, strong advcacyf or cnservatin, Administration istemporary, without Because althoughtheTrump and wildlifehabitat. impacts onourpubliclands,cleanwater, each yearthatcouldhavesignificant approximately 200projectsproposed To helpuscontinuewatchdoggingthe entire westcoast. Wilderness –thelowestamounton state’s small(4%)percentageofprotected Ochocos asWilderness–improvingour Staircase, theWildRogue,and To protectCraterLake,Devil’s connecting toandexperiencingnature. To honoryuruniquewayof Wild &ScenicRiversAct. In honorofthe50thanniversary