Friends of the Columbia Gorge Protecting the Gorge Since 1980 Spring 2009 Newsletter Inside: Wilderness at Last! Page 4 Protecting Fragile Wildflowers Page 8 Featured Hike: Indian Point Page 11 Friends of the Columbia Gorge The Gorge Face BOARD OF DIRECTORS wilderness stretches Cynthia Winter* CHAIR to the ridgeline, Angie Moore VI C E CHAIR Stop a Mega-casino beyond the proposed Dick Springer SE C RETARY casino site (foreground). Karen Johnson TREA S URER Adjacent to New Ken Denis AT-LARGE ME M BER Photo: Kevin Gorman Rick Ray* AT-LARGE ME M BER Wilderness !( T. VIENTO 3 olumbia . C R. r (!14 !( N. Chris Beck C n S V 84 s i ¨¦§ WYETH t e o y a r n . !( r t a v t r a o H . C g G r 4 t i C !( a C 1 o m C n r 4 n r. a a p t 4 1 C i b Broughton H. Bishop 3 h h i . 7 r i r r a r m n !( h . e 3 !( n C C m s 4 Su C P E C n n . 6 r r a 4 e . 0 2 o 4 4 r 2 r 4 t 4 7 CASCADE . C 1 r r 8 y 1 a W o e Bowen Blair, Jr. LOCKS£ 0 s ¤ W 30 4 G d A n 7 000 amp Cr. i !( 2 C L 1 D 476 ! 4 ry T. !( COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE C R r 2 Susan Crowley* ud . 0 o r. !( 0 l y C 17 N. p Case 4 NATIONAL SCENIC AREA 4 h r. C r. C B r. C Slide Ditch C ! x C 412 3 3 (14 r i n 1 1 . Mulli 4 4 8 4 1 . 0 Maria Hall 5 r 40 E 6 4 . 3 B C 43 F 2 9 5 n k 4 R 0 a !( Ea uc 4 . g kel Cr. m H !( BONNEVILLE le r e C e P !( r r i !( Bob Hansen* . G n m H e C a r 00 a 41 S . 4 n 0 t . r. e D P C 0 e in Tish C C a e Cr. !( 1 r d M r . 6 P o o 4 in Aubrey Russell f 4 f N t e 0 . F C t k t . r G . !( C 4 Gorge ree r n 3 . Po 4 i nt C !( . r Priscilla Turner (!14 r Ridgeline . T C u 448 d m r . r 0 9 . o 9 R §84 0 a ¨¦ C l 2 0 a 4 C 4 i t l b c 4 6 !( C a m 8 0 Gr u 1 p ee Pat Wall l H r M 4 n Po 2 i o . 0 nt Cr. C O o 4 4 rs 1 B e 3 6 t 4 E. Fk. Eagle Cr. ai l C MARK O. 4 4 0 r. r. 40 r. C Mark Waller !( 4 T Wahtum ng B 425 30 a Lo n HATFIELD 4 n S M 3 h e Lake ing BULL RUN 5 ul r le C t C r no 4 WILDERNESS . T. m 4 2 r T. ah r. Charlie Webster C 27 4 WATERSHED 1 1 1 Bell N. 4 Cr. N. 4 ! MANAGEMENT Multomah Hood River . !( . In D r r d i 6 i v Ý a Ý 9 er 13 . C C 5 n 4 r 1 s C C Courtesy U.S. Forest Service C County County 4 r. y Polly Wood* 6 a Us NIT r d R. !( . 4 t l o n !( l o o 4 n a H o . T e F k Larch . F N r. n r 4 F 0 o a 3 3 N C . !( O B a l 0 m l !( . l e C e W C !( !( Ý s r r Ý15 0 . Mountain . W u a 4 C 2 4 a m 4 R r L R. 6 E. R. 7 E. R. 8 E. p R. 9 E. n C u r New Gorge wildernessR areas are outlined in purple. !( l l u Mark O. HB atfield Wilderness - Gorge Ridgeline FRIENDS OF THE COLUM B IA GOR G E !( . Prepared ak t the request of U. S. Senator Wyden - September, 2006 F . Additions N Existing US Forest Service Base Data LAND T RUST !( !( riends celebrates President Obama’sGorge Ri dgeline Mt. HoodThe NF DEIS is awaitingCounty Lines approvalO Rfrom E G O N !( !( Wilderness Areas Wilderness Other Ownership Lakes Highways £ (!14 BOARD OF T RUSTEES recent signing of the Omnibus Public Secretary of Interior Ken¨¦§84 ¤3 0Salazar. But the q River Other Paved Roads “This product is produced from information prepared by the USDA, Forest Service, or from other suppliers. The Forest Service can not assure the Aubrey Russell PRE S IDENT Creeks reliability or suitability of this information for a particular purpose. The data and product accuracy may vary due to compilation from various sources, !( Lands Act. This Act creates0 026,000.5 currentPacific Crest Tra iDEIS,l PCT: 2000 written before the Wilderness !( including modeling and interpretation, and may not meet National Map Bob Hansen* SE C RETARY /TREA S URER All Other Trails Other Trails: 023 Accuracy Standards. This information may be updated, corrected, or !( Miles otherwise modified without notification. For more information contact: USFS Ý PNW Region 6. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.” acresF of new wilderness in the Columbia billPave dpassed, Roads Arteria lsdoes: 20 not consider any casino impacts Bowen Blair, Jr. Jim Desmond !( Gorge, including ancient forests on Larch to the newly designated wilderness area. !( Dustin Klinger !( Mountain, the landscapes around Eagle Please urge Secretary Salazar to require Christine Knowles* Creek Canyon,!( and the spectacular ridgeline a supplemental EIS that considers the casino’s Angie Moore !( above Cascade Locks. !( !( impact on new Gorge wilderness. Comment !( STAFF !( But a massive casino is still proposed points!( and an action form are on our website !( Nathan Baker STAFF ATTORNEY !( almost adjacent to this new Gorge at www.gorgefriends.org!( . Or contact Secretary ON S ER V ATION RGANIZER !( Kelley Beamer C O !( wilderness area. The Draft Environmental Salazar !(directly: Justin Carroll EXE C UTI V E Ass I S TANT Peter Cornelison* FIE L D RE P RE S ENTATI V E Impact Statement (DEIS) for the project Interior Secretary Ken Salazar !( Kevin Gorman EXE C UTI V E DIRE C TOR finds a casino would harm fish and wildlife. Department of the Interior !( Jane Harris DE V E L O pm ENT DIRE C TOR Vehicle noise and pollution from three 1849 C Street, N.W. TEWARD S HI P OORDINATOR Merrit Hoeh S C !( Michael Lang CON S ER V ATION DIRE C TOR million annual visitors, plus bright 24-hour Washington DC 20240 !( Marilyn Lipko DE V E L O pm ENT Ass I S TANT lighting, would have a significant adverse Phone: 202-208-3100 !( Kate McBride* LAND T RU S T MANAGER impact on this new wilderness. E-Mail: [email protected] Rick Till LAND US E LAW CL ERK Renee Tkach* OUTDOOR PROGRA ms COORDINATOR * Gorge residents !( !( Your actions for ADDITIONAL SUPPORT Active citizen support makes the difference! Legal Counsel: Gary Kahn Gorge protection are crucial to our success. Contact your Senators and Representatives using Newsletter Design: Kathy Fors and the information below, or check www.senate.gov or www.house.gov for other offices. !( Kathleen Krushas (To the Point Publications) !( Editor: Betsy Toll Oregon Washington PORTLAND OFFICE Sen. Ron Wyden, (202) 224-5244 Sen. Patty Murray, (202) 224-2621 522 SW Fifth Avenue, #720 http://wyden.senate.gov/contact/ http://murray.senate.gov/email/index.cfm Portland, Oregon 97204 Sen. Jeff Merkley, (202) 224-3753 Sen. Maria Cantwell, (202) 224-3441 (503) 241-3762 [email protected] http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/ GOR G E OFFICE Rep. David Wu, (202) 225-0855 Rep. Brian Baird, (202) 225-3536 205 Oak Street, #17 Hood River, Oregon 97031 Rep. Earl Blumenauer, (202) 225-4811 Rep. Doc Hastings, (202) 225-5816 (541) 386-5268 Rep. Greg Walden, (202) 225-6730 Rep. Norm Dicks, (202) 225-5916 www.gorgefriends.org Rep. Peter DeFazio, (202) 225-6416 Email your Congressional Representative by Rep. Kurt Schrader, (202) 225-5711 logging on to www.house.gov/writerep/ 2 Cover photo: St. Peter’s Dome at sunset, in the new wilderness area. Photo: David Jensen, www.agpix.com/djensen Director’s Letter hese days, it seems almost every nonprofits are often lauded as effectively and volunteerism and activism are at all- conversation anywhere turns to run organizations, due to low overhead. time highs. our dreary economy. A recent But only a strong membership can Without a deep root system, the Thike in the eastern Gorge offered me a demonstrate to elected officials that beautiful old oak tree I saw on my hike fresh perspective on our organization the public cares about an issue. Now, likely would have fallen long ago in the as we weather these tough times. That with foundation assets tumbling off an Gorge’s harsh winds. As our country now perspective came in the form of an economic cliff, foundation-dependent faces a stiff economic headwind, I give expansive oak tree standing tall against the groups find themselves without money thanks that with Friends’ deep roots— Gorge’s winds. and without a base of public support. our members—we are able to continue Friends of the Columbia Gorge was Friends isn’t immune to the standing strong for the Gorge.