1 Introduction – Oregon’s Wilderness deficit The lore of the American West persists. From the creation stories of native peoples to the first accounts of white explorers, the American frontier has always been viewed as a wild, untamed, and bountiful land. Today, writers, artists, and reporters still view the Pacific states as “the West” – a place where wilderness is plentiful and the people value their natural heritage. Sadly, few places actually reflect this mythologized vision of the West. In Oregon, extractive industries and other forms of development have persistently encroached on the pristine character of the land. Only 4% of Oregon’s 63 million acres are permanently protected from further development and degradation. An ever- expanding population highlights the dual needs of safeguarding areas from industrial expansion and preserving special places for a growing population to benefit from and enjoy. Future generations will need protected landscapes for clean drinking water, outdoor recreation, global warming mitigation, and spiritual renewal. Among the millions of acres of wild, scenic, and unique land deserving of protection in Oregon, one special place stands out. It is vast, diverse, and beloved. It is Oregon’s Yellowstone – the Siskiyou The carnivorous cobra lily Darlingtonia Wild Rivers. The following pages make the case for its permanent californica grows in bogs throughout the protection. Siskiyou Wild Rivers. 3 KAREN PHILLIPS “I think this is probably the most important, the most biologically significant, unprotected landscape in the American West” – Secretary of the Interior under President Clinton, Bruce Babbitt The Siskiyou Wild Rivers represents the largest intact coastal Wilderness between the Olympics and San Francisco. Light green = existing Wilderness Dark green = proposed Wilderness 4 What makes this Oregon’s Yellowstone? When Congress established Sugarstick A trip down the Pacific the world’s first National (Allotropa virgata) coastal mountains from DON JACOBSON Park in Wyoming in 1872, the southern edge of the Yellowstone became the Olympics to San Francisco symbol of a previously Bay will reveal a fragmented untested idea – forever landscape: the towns protecting wildlife and a and cities of southwest large expanse of habitat Washington, a spider web on which they depend. of logging roads, clear-cuts Wildlife was such a central in the Oregon Coast Range, idea that the first paid staffer and a fraction of our ancient at the Park was appointed Redwoods still standing tall in as “gamekeeper” to control northern California. The only poaching. exception of significant size in this scene of development Today, Yellowstone National and resource depletion is the Park is known as a haven for Siskiyou Wild Rivers. As the elk, grizzly, bison, and wolves. largest intact area of wildlife It is also home to over 1,000 over 100 of which are found habitat in the state of Oregon, plant species. nowhere else on Earth – and a the Siskiyou Wild Rivers is Nearly one thousand miles far-reaching network of uniquely Oregon’s Yellowstone. Nowhere away, the Siskiyou Wild Rivers healthy salmon watersheds, in the coastal mountains from area in southwestern Oregon Oregon’s own Yellowstone is the Olympics to south of San is one of the few regions in the well known as an ecological ark. Francisco will you find a larger lower 48 that can compare to It is the most botanically diverse contiguous wilderness. This Yellowstone’s biodiversity. With coniferous forest in North spectacular region is Oregon’s 1,400 known plant species – America, if not the world. most unique natural treasure. 5 In addition to native plants, of the Illinois River. Whitewater Oregon’s Yellowstone is home rafting adventure hot spots in to a collection of critical the Siskiyou Wild Rivers help to salmon rivers, due in part to bolster Oregon’s reputation as an the absence of large dams. The outdoor recreation destination result is wild salmon runs that and boost local economies in are healthier than those in towns like Grants Pass and Gold many other western rivers, like Beach. the Klamath, Sacramento, and The diverse array of plants and Cliff Maid (Lewisia cotyledon) Columbia. The free flowing wildlife found in the Siskiyou WENDELL WOOD Siskiyou rivers welcome coho, Wild Rivers face an uncertain chinook, steelhead, and even future in the face of climate green sturgeon. These healthy Plant diversity change. We know that some fish populations provide the As a result of the region’s unique degree of climate change is geological history, the Siskiyou Wild economic underpinnings for inevitable. For wildlife to survive Rivers area is host to highly evolved commercial and recreational plants and wildflowers. Without the transition, they will need geologic disruption, plant life evolved fisheries and provide a link to a system of habitat reserves. If over a longer time span than most a natural cultural heritage long plant communities in the Pacific protected, the Siskiyou Wild Northwest, allowing the region to valued by the inhabitants of Rivers will play a key role as we produce an exceptional portfolio of southwest Oregon. native plants and wildflowers. With cope with climate change. As the over 100 plant species growing in the area found nowhere else on Not surprisingly, many of climate warms over time, both earth, including one of the rarest these great salmon rivers are plant and animal species will plants in all of North America, the Kalmiopsis Leachiana, the World also perfect waters for rafting, be forced to adapt in order to Conservation Union has designated kayaking, and canoeing. survive. Warming temperatures the Siskiyou Wild Rivers an Area of Global Botanical Significance. Thousands flock every year cause habitats to shift, likely Likewise, the region hosts an to the world class rapids and requiring wildlife to move up astounding 28 different types of conifer trees, including Oregon’s scenery of the Rogue River, while in elevation and/or north to only redwood forests. only the most skilled boaters find suitable habitat. Protecting attempt the Green Wall rapids habitat corridors will allow for 6 fluid migration and flexibility. The World Conservation Union has The Siskiyou Wild Rivers area designated the Siskiyou Wild Rivers an provides quality habitat at an elevation range from sea level “Area of Global Botanical Significance.” to over 5,000 feet as well as a in Yellowstone. While the large existing Kalmiopsis Wilderness north-south corridor range of Yellowstone fire in 1988 was and surrounding roadless forests. 55 miles. No other unprotected portrayed in the media as a While at the time of the fire expanse of wild land in Oregon disaster, time has shown it to be some claimed it was a disaster, can compare. a great success story of nature’s scientists and naturalists saw it The Siskiyou Wild Rivers area restoration and recovery. The differently. Today, natural recovery has a long history of resiliency Siskiyous share a similar history. is evidenced by wildflower and adaptability much like In 2002 the “Biscuit” fire burned blooms and new growth of what scientists have observed through large portions of the diverse tree species in burned Geological luck The Siskiyou Wild Rivers area has a truly unique geological history. By a stroke of geological luck, the area avoided glacier-cover in the last ice age, allowing the region’s plants and animals to evolve while life in other areas was frozen. Similarly, the Siskiyou Wild Rivers area also dodged geologically recent volcanic activity. Much of Oregon was heavily influenced by volcanic eruptions such as the one that occurred at Mount Mazama – forming Crater Lake. Additionally, one of the more rare soil types in the country is found here, called serpentine. Serpentine soils have evolved over the millennia with unique combinations of soil nutrients (low amounts of calcium, nitrogen and phosphorous) that led to an unusually high number of endemic plants (species found nowhere else on Earth). Illinois River serpentine RENE CASTERAN/USFS 7 areas. The forests in the region Whitewater rafting is just one recreation activity that brings tourists (and their dollars) to the Siskiyou Wild Rivers. This have long been adapted to fire. intrepid rafter takes on the epic “Green Wall” on the Illinois River. Periodic disturbance events like DAN THURBER/oregonrafting.org fire have helped shape the flora and fauna over millennia. The knobcone pine is a classic case of fire playing a major role in the evolution of the area’s vegetation. The tree’s cones will only open at 200 degrees Fahrenheit and thus require fire to naturally release their seeds. The Siskiyou Wild Rivers area has historically burned in a mosaic pattern approximately every 150 years. An economic driver While Wilderness areas certainly deserve protection for their If protected as Wilderness and intrinsic value, Oregon’s wild places also provide important allowed to recover naturally, economic benefits ranging from ecosystem services to local job opportunities. Only in the last 20 years have economists the Siskiyou Wild Rivers will calculated the monetary value of Wilderness and protected share the same success story as natural areas. In that time, numerous studies have illustrated that a Wilderness designation boosts nearby property values and is Yellowstone National Park. a major factor in drawing businesses and jobs to communities by increasing the quality of life. Nationally, the outdoor recreation industry contributes well over $700 billion to the American Forest recovery after economy, and supports nearly 6.5 million jobs. Aside from the fire starts small and direct benefits of increased property value and job creation, Wilderness protections protected areas provide a whole host of ecosystem services. for Oregon’s Yellowstone Our roadless forests provide inexpensive and high quality drinking would ensure healthy, natural regeneration. water for communities downstream of protected watersheds. MEGAN REDFIELD The Forest Service estimates that 60 million Americans get their water from a source that originates on federal forest land.