Governor Call-In Day & Rally to Stop the WOPR & Protect Our Forests


RALLY Friday, Nov. 14

12 noon – 3pm

Capitol Building steps

(900 Court St.)

Salem, Oregon

Join a diverse and united group of Oregonians from across the state – from rural folks to city dwellers – to encourage Governor Kulongoski to oppose the Western Oregon Plan Revision or WOPR (pronounced “whopper”), which would increase destructive logging in BLM-managed W. Oregon public forests by 436% at the expense of natural beauty, clean water, intact soils, fish and wildlife, and a livable climate.

SPEAKERS

Bill Barton, private forestland owner

Samantha Chirillo, organizer, WOPR & Beyond Coalition

Matthew Hall, ecological forester

Neila & Day Owen, BLM neighbors & organic farmers

Jimmy Schaper, organic farmer

Josh Schlossberg, ecosystem advocate

Peter Sorenson, Lane County Commissioner

Shannon Wilson, former BLM employee & mill worker

And open mic, too!

MUSIC

TBA


MCs-

The Radical Cheerleaders

BUSES TO SALEM LEAVING FROM:

Ashland: Free bus leaving at 6:00am from Shop-N-Cart Parking Lot, Tolman Creek Rd., returning by 8:30pm. RSVP to Carrie Zoll at carriezoll@hotmail.com

Roseburg: RSVP to Patrick Starnes by Tue., Nov. 11 at starnes2002@hotmail.com

Cottage Grove: RSVP to Cristina of Forest Web at forestweb.cg@gmail.com

Eugene: Free bus leaving Growers' Market (4th/Willamette) @ 10:00 am, returning by 4:30 pm. BUS IS FULL! RSVP to Josh Schlossberg at stopwopr@gmail.com in case buses from the South are able to pick up overflow passengers or arrange your own ride.

Portland: Free bus leaving Daily Grind (SE 42nd/Belmont) @ 10:00 am, returning by 4:30 pm. RSVP to Ant at ant@risingtidenorthamerica.org

Find the most up-to-date bus info and Governor contact info at www.epicocity.com/wopr.htm

Stop the WOPR! Rally hosted by Eugene Rising Tide, Cascadia’s Ecosystem Advocates, and Forest Web. Sponsored by WOPR & Beyond Coalition.

Rally contact:

Ayesha Mehren, ayeshinko@yahoo.com

Media contacts:

Samantha Chirillo @ 541-543-1253

Monica Vaughan @ 541-521-1832

Or press@risingtidenorthamerica.org


Call the Governor at 503-378-4582 and urge him to join us in rejecting the Western Oregon Plan Revision (WOPR), BLM's new plans to increase logging on our public forests.

The BLM is waiting for the Governor's review of the WOPR before signing the final decision.

We should be taking steps forward by stopping clearcutting and native (biodiverse) forest logging on public forest lands, instead of the WOPR, which strips away basic protections.

State and local elected officials should be taking action to bring about rural economies that are sustainable in the long-term. With an Obama administration coming very soon, it is more appropriate than ever for the Governor, as well as Oregon’s Congressional delegation (Wyden, DeFazio) to help stop the Bush Administration’s WOPR by stalling the BLM’s final decision or getting the decision suspended after it is made.

Forest Friends, are you ready to rally?

Next Friday, Nov 14, the UMPQUA bus will leave early in the morning heading north to Salem where we can let Oregon's governor know that Bush's WOPR plan is NOT in Oregon or America's best interest. YES we can do better!

First pick-up will be at 7am in Roseburg at the Douglas County Fair Parking lot near I-5. Possible pick-ups in Cottage Grove or Eugene, please REPLY to this email starnes2002@hotmail.com to make reservations.

The Charter bus cost around $500 and can carry 46 people.
So... If we have 40 riders it will cost $12.50 each.
If we have 30 "...................." $16.66 ea.
If we have 25 "..................." $20 each.
You get the idea...The more people we get going the cheaper for each of us. Tell all your friends and bring your friends. the more the merrier.

Forest Rally in Salem

Stop the WOPR!

Date: November 14, 2008

Time: 10:30 am

Location: Salem capitol building

Link: http://www.epicocity.com/wopr.htm (cool event poster!)

Adult Price: free

Organization: WOPR & Beyond coalition

Event Description:
Rally to Stop the WOPR! Join Oregonians from across the state to encourage Gov. Kulongoski to oppose the WOPR, which would increase public lands logging by 400% at the expense of clean water, pure air and a livable climate. Salem, Oregon @ 12 noonCapitol Building steps Friday, Nov. 14 Bus leaving from Growers' Market in Eugene (4th/Willamette) @ 10:30 am, return by 5pm

RSVP: 344-6017, stopwopr@gmail.com

Earthjustic sues BLM over WOPR

Bush Administration, Timber Industry Deal Challenged in Oregon
Conservationists ask judge to uphold law requiring public input on BLM logging plan
October 29, 2008

Portland, OR -- Conservationists filed a legal challenge in federal court today challenging a Bush administration effort to fast track approval for a massive increase in logging on federal land. The legal action comes after the Bureau of Land Management cut thousands of citizens out of the Western Oregon Plan Revisions public process.

"The Bush administration is once again cutting the public out of its decisions and letting private interests determine the fate of our public lands," said Kristen Boyles, an attorney with the environmental legal firm Earthjustice. "It is pretty clear that the Bush administration is dodging the public process because they have a severely flawed plan in their hands."

The Western Oregon Plan Revisions (WOPR) rezones thousands of acres of Oregon forest managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management to make them available to timber companies. These forest lands have been governed under the Northwest Forest Plan since 1994. The WOPR calls for increasing overall logging on these lands by 400 percent while slashing protections for sensitive streams and waterways in half. Seventy-percent of the logging will be executed via clear-cut logging. The WOPR came about after the Bush administration and the timber industry settled a lawsuit aimed at removing these sensitive wild lands from the protections of the Northwest Forest Plan.

Almost 30,000 people commented on the draft plan, with the majority opposing the drastic increase in logging. These comments prompted the BLM to make substantive changes to the original version of the plan. Conservation groups argue that the public should be afforded the same opportunity to comment now that the plan is being considered for final approval so they are asking the court to order BLM to initiate a 30-day public comment period on the final version of the plan.

In addition to the critical public comments, the BLM also received scientific reviews that were highly critical of the logging plan, saying that the WOPR was based on insufficient study, incomplete modeling, and would likely not comply with laws safeguarding fish and wildlife habitat.

The WOPR represents the most far-reaching decision regarding forest management since the Northwest Forest Plan was drafted. WOPR would undermine the science-based guidelines found in the Northwest Forest Plan at a critical juncture. The proposal comes after prior unsuccessful attempts by the Bush administration to strip Northwest forests of critical protections were soundly rejected in a number of court rulings.

Comments from groups:

John Kober, Executive Director, Pacific River Council:
"The BLM apparently doesn't want to hear the truth about its final proposal: their plan to log extensively near rivers and streams will undermine community-based restoration efforts and cause harm to salmon, steelhead and all who depend on clean water."

Dan Kruse, Legal Director, Cascadia Wildlands Project:
"The BLM could have taken the time it needs to listen to the public input and carefully consider its options. Instead of careful consideration, we're seeing a desperate frenzy to push a plan forward while the Bush administration still holds office. This is politics, not science or logic."

Joseph Vaile, Campaign Director, Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center:
"More than 29,000 people took the time to comment on the draft proposal. It is not fair to citizens who engaged in good faith only to shortcut the public process and deny their right to protest. The Bush administration wants to rush this through at the last minute, but that does not make it legal."

Doug Heiken, Conservation and Restoration Coordinator, Oregon Wild:
"With our old-growth forests impacting so much of our lives, from providing clean drinking water to helping stave off global warming, it doesn't make any sense to cut the average citizen out of the process. We all deserve a chance to have our voices heard when it comes to management of our public forests."

Contact:

Kristen Boyles, Earthjustice, (206) 343-7340, ext. 33

Doug Heiken, Oregon Wild, (541) 344-0675

John Kober, Pacific Rivers Council, (206) 778-0883

Dan Kruse, Cascadia Wildlands Project, (541) 434-1463

Joseph Vaile, Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center, (541) 488-5789

Bob Freimark, The Wilderness Society, (206) 624-6430, ext. 228

Information provided by http://www.earthjustice.org/

This does not bode well - this is our LNG fight!

To find out what you can do see the links at the end of the article.

Court strikes down LNG project appeal

By Alexander Rich, Coos Bay, The World Staff Writer Thursday, October 23, 2008

The Oregon Court of Appeals sided with Jordan Cove Energy Project on Wednesday in a ruling that validated Coos County’s zoning policy. It also removed one more legal barrier for the proposed liquefied natural gas terminal.The case stemmed from a Land Use Board of Appeals decision regarding the LNG terminal’s land use application with the county.The appellant, Eugene activist Randy Prince, suggested LUBA failed to consider safety standards recommended by the Department of Land Conservation and Development.The court dismissed the argument, affirming the LUBA decision without issuing an opinion.Prince said he wasn’t surprised by the court’s ruling, and plans to appeal.None of Oregon’s coastal counties have properly evaluated the threat of tsunamis, he said, which he believes was mandated by a revision to a statewide planning goal. A court ruling would force counties from Brookings to Astoria to revise their county land-use policies, Prince said.“We recognize it’s the kind of issue that goes to the Supreme Court,” he said. “The stakes are high.”The Jordan Cove project provided Prince an opportunity to take the issue to Salem. The Appeals Court wasn’t swayed.Jordan Cove proposes to build an LNG terminal on Coos Bay’s North Spit. The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries identifies the land as a tsunami inundation zone, though county floodmaps show no risk of tsunamis. The county hasn’t adopted regulations to specifically address tsunami dangers.“We address it anyway, even if the county doesn’t,” said Jordan Cove Project Manager Bob Braddock.The LNG terminal will be designed with the threat of tsunamis in mind. Jordan Cove would build berms up to 55 feet above sea level around its LNG tanks. No one is sure how a tsunami would behave upon entering Coos Bay, though recent tests suggest water would reach 21 feet at Jordan Cove’s site.Prince said it is his goal to have the case heard before the Oregon Supreme Court.“Jordan Cove is just a shining example of how wrong it is to overlook a well-intentioned law,” he said.The state’s Supreme Court won’t necessarily hear the case, even if Prince pays the $212 to file a petition for review.Appeals Court spokeswoman Lora Keenan said the court has discretion over which cases it hears.Prince alternatively could request the appeals court to re-hear his case.The deadline to file a request for re-hearing is the first week of November. Prince has until the end of next month to petition the Supreme Court.Prince was surprised the court didn’t issue an opinion with its ruling, though Keenan said it is fairly common. In 2007, the Court of Appeals issued rulings in 1,900 cases. Of those, 1,300 were decided without an opinion.Both Prince and Braddock also were surprised at how quickly the court reached its decision. The two sides made oral arguments in the case Oct. 3. Prince thought it might be months.The decision came down much more quickly than the LUBA decision, which the state agency postponed several times before finally issuing its verdict July 15.In its ruling, LUBA dismissed Prince’s argument because the Department of Land Conservation and Development never notified the county of the planning goal revision involving tsunamis.The land-use agency did find several faults with the LNG terminal application regarding wetland mapping and archaeological preservation. Once Prince’s legal question is resolved, the other issues will be remanded to Coos County.


For more information

http://www.nocaliforniapipeline.com/

http://www.lngpollutes.org/

http://www.nolng.net/

NOAA Fisheries says FERC violates species act in LNG approval

This bods well for our fight with LNG in Douglas County.

The Oregonian
Friday October 17, 2008, 9:31 PM

The nation's top fisheries agency on Friday told U.S. energy regulators that their Sept. 18 decision to issue conditional approval of the controversial Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas terminal was illegal under the Endangered Species Act.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was out of line in issuing its license without necessary state and federal permits in hand. Before FERC can issue a license, NOAA Fisheries Service says it must be formally consulted on how to minimize the project's impact on endangered species.
The agency stopped short of asking FERC to withdraw or redo its decision, instead asking it to halt any proceedings on the project, proposed for 20 miles east of Astoria on the Columbia River.
"We feel FERC has come to a final decision without the benefit of the critical pieces of information they need to make that decision," said Cathy Tortorici, branch chief for NOAA Fisheries Service in Portland. "We're saying, 'Stop what you're doing until you've consulted with us ... cross out that effective date of Sept. 18th.'"

Bradwood's backer, Houston-based NorthernStar Natural Gas Inc., characterized the fisheries service filing as a purely procedural matter that would have no impact on its permitting schedule. A NorthernStar spokesman, Joe Desmond, said the filing was a placeholder that preserves the fisheries service's right to appeal FERC's decision later. The company, he said, agrees that more environmental work needs to be completed before the project can go forward.
NOAA Fisheries Service's step, however tenuous, delighted opponents because they believe it will provide better grounds for a possible legal challenge of FERC's process.

"It's a powerful document, despite the fact that it sounds like it was neutered by someone in D.C.," said Brent Foster, executive director of the environmental group Columbia Riverkeepers.
Meanwhile, the state of Washington filed a more forcefully worded request for rehearing, asking FERC to withdraw its approval of the project. The state went beyond process issues and suggested the facility would directly harm fish and the fishing industry.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski is expected to pile on Monday, asking FERC to both withdraw the conditional license and redo its environmental analysis. Oregon maintains the approval was unlawful because it was issued before state agencies had approved water-quality, air-quality and coast-zone permits. The state also contends FERC has failed to adequately address conservation plans for fish as well as safety and security threats.

FERC attached more than 100 conditions to its approval that dealt with environmental, engineering and public safety concerns. It concluded, however, that the project would do limited environmental harm.

FERC must respond to the state and federal agency filings within 30 days.

Ted Sickinger; mailto:tedsickinger@news.oregonian.com

Supersize the Cut!

BLM rewrote the rules so they could log more trees on public land!

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management released today an environmental impact statement on its plans to ramp up logging in Western Oregon. The Western Oregon Plan Revisions will supersede the Northwest Forest Plan as the agency’s guiding document for timber management on 2.6 million acres. The revisions stem from a lawsuit filed by the timber industry and timber-dependent counties calling for logging to reach levels promised by the Northwest Forest Plan and the O&C Lands Act of 1937.

Information: www.blm.gov/or/index.php

BLM Commonly know as the Bureau of Land Management is now the bureau of land MIS management. Some recent history....

How could they cut these trees ancient trees?
Illegally! That's how.
Umpqua Watersheds http://www.umpqua-watersheds.org/ along with other organizations in southern Oregon, took the BLM to court last year to stop the logging of this old growth forest.
BLM lost the legal battle but cut the road through illegally before the court decision. We won the decision, the court sided with us. Hey, wait, put back the trees....
So now they revise their management plans for western Oregon to get around the law. The Western Oregon Plan Revisions (WOPR) is the BLM's process of removing and weakening important environmental protections. The BLM wants to log the last of the old-growth in Oregon's heritage forests. "BLM Draft plan released, and its a whopper!

The BLM released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the "Western Oregon Plan Revisions (WOPR)" on August 10, 2007. The preferred alternative would increase logging of trees 200 years and older sevenfold over the next decade. Yes, you read that correctly, a 700 percent increase in logging Oregon's last old-growth forests!"
Quoted from http://www.oregonheritageforests.org/

Wow - supersize the cut.

Some background: the BLM lands, also known as “O&C” lands, are in a square-mile checker-board land ownership patterns. 2.6 milllion acres of public land.

The federal government took these lands back from the Oregon and California (O&C) Railroads in the early 20th century because of fraudulent land deals.
In 1995, the BLM set aside reserves for endangered species like owls and salmon as part of a way around the Endangered Species Act when owls were listed. Somehow the recovery plans mandated by law for endangered species was only held to public lands. Private timber lands got away with murder.
Still the timber industry was not pleased, sued for a bigger cut on public lands (after there was no more big timber on private land ) and Bush "settled" with them by making a deal to let them eliminate wildlife reserves on BLM land, using an old 1937 O & C law of timber production.
I am reading the Draft Environmental Impact Statement so that I can make "comments" on the document and supposedly these public comments are taken into consideration. It is a 1,500 page tome and the planning process must have cost them a fortune already. The law says they have to have alternatives, so what, they are all terrible. Increase old growth logging by 700% - are they nuts. You can't pay for the expenses of the twenty first century with the resource extraction of the 18th century. Hello, does this look like 1937?
Only 18% of the northwest's ancient forests remain. Some sources say as little as 13%. Most of it now on public land, the private land cut theirs a long time ago. This is sustainable? We should cut what, more?
Check out Oregon Heritage Forests
http://www.oregonheritageforests.org/old_growth_giveaway
for more information and ways you can become involved - it's your public land, let them know how you want it managed. Even just caring helps on an energetic level.

This is not timber, it's a forest of grandfather trees.

Almost all of these awesome photos were taken UW's, Francis Eatherington, Conservation Director seen here counting the rings on this over 300 year old tree.
Will they ever let a tree grow that long again?
It's so short sighted to cut these giants. It's like selling your family jewelry to pay the water bill. What are you going to do next month?

I hope in the future humans will understand that live trees are much more valuable to them than dead ones. You can't even begin to match the power of these forests, with an industrial tree farm. Which do you want to take your grandchildren too?

And that's what I think. Please leave a comment, I'd love to know what you think.

No Public Disclosure of Old Growth Logging!

The Umpqua National Forest has begun clearing cutting 24 acres of old growth trees in the Lemolo Lake area. The unit is supposedly being cut for a Pacific Orp building.

There was not Environmental Assessment (EA), there was no wildlife surveys nor was there any public disclosure.

It took the agency over a month of regular prodding by Umpqua Watersheds Conservation Director to even answer questions as to what and why they were logging.



Contact - Cheryl Caplan, Public Affairs Officer, Umpqua National Forest
Office -- 541/957-3270; cell -- 541/430-5124, fax -- 541/957-3495
ccaplan@fs.fed.us
Centennial Website -- http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/umpqua/100

Tell her how disgusted and disappointed you are, as once the trees are down, they can not be put back. Make them think twice in the future about cutting old growth trees.

Thanks Francis for the information and photos.

Aftermath of the Rattle Fire along Highway 138

Online Video

http://apps.nrtoday.com/slideshows/media.htm

Wilderness Report #221: September 19, 2008

Mt. Hood, Oregon

House Natural Resources Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Two Wilderness Bills
Background:

To date, nearly 30 wilderness bills have been introduced in the 110th Congress. It is hoped that a large number of these pending wilderness bills will finish making their way through the legislative process and to the President’s desk for his signature before the end of this year. It is estimated that the 110th Congress could designate wilderness in as many as 10 states adding between one and two million acres to the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Update:

On Thursday, September 11, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held a hearing on nine bills. Two of these bills would designate new Wilderness areas in California and Oregon. More specifically, the Subcommittee chaired by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), heard testimony on:

H.R. 6156 - the Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wild Heritage Act is sponsored by Representatives Buck McKeon (R-CA),Howard Berman (D-CA), and Brad Sherman (D-CA). From the White Mountains, America's highest desert mountain range, to the Amargosa River in Death Valley, this bill would conserve some of the region's most treasured natural wonders. These include the proposed Owens River Headwaters Wilderness and Wild & Scenic River which would protect the headwaters of the Eastern Sierra's most important river system, the proposed White Mountains Wilderness and the specially-designated Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, which contains the world's oldest living trees. The proposed legislation preserves over 470,000 acres of spectacular lands as wilderness, adds 52 miles to the National Wild and Scenic River System, and creates a winter recreation area outside Bridgeport in Mono County. In addition to preserving wilderness areas and wild rivers, the bill will enhance other recreational opportunities and serve as a boost to the region's tourism-based economy. Leading conservation groups joined business owners, sportsmen and community leaders in their support of McKeon's legislation.

H.R. 6290 - the Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Act of 2008 is sponsored by Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Darlene Hooley (D-OR), and David Wu (D-OR). Mount Hood and the Columbia Gorge symbolize the natural beauty of Oregon. The proposed legislation would give wilderness protection to over 130,000 acres and designate approximately 79 miles of rivers around Mount Hood and in the Columbia Gorge as Wild and Scenic Rivers. Some of the areas included in the Mount Hood bill are recreation favorites like Mirror Lake and Columbia River Gorge. Additional protections would also be extended to prime elk habitat found in the Big Bottom area of the Clackamas River watershed. The new designations would also protect the cleanest sources of drinking water for many communities such as Oregon City, West Linn, and Lake Oswego. The bill is supported by a broad coalition of local organizations including the Oregon Nordic Club, the Friends of Tilly Jane (historic preservation group), local jurisdictions and residents, and environmental groups (e.g Portland Audubon, Oregon Wild and the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club).
Representatives Buck McKeon (R-CA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) testified in support of their respective bills.

Testifying on behalf of the Bush Administration were Daniel Wenk, Deputy Director National Park Service and Joel Holtrop, Deputy Chief of the Forest Service. Deputy Director Wenk expressed support for H.R. 6156 and said the agency would like the opportunity to work with the bill’s sponsor and the Committee on possible minor boundary adjustments to ensure efficient manageability.

Deputy Chief Holtrop stated, “The Department supports the many aspects of H.R. 6156 that are consistent with relevant Forest Plans. We would like to work with the subcommittee and the bill’s sponsors on our many specific concerns.” In addition, Deputy Chief Holtrop spoke about H.R. 6290. He stated, “the Department has significant concerns with H.R. 6290 as presently written. We believe we can accomplish the bill’s objectives using existing authorities as well as some of the provisions outlined in the bill. We strongly support negotiated agreements on land management and we are committed to continuing to work on the sections where we have concerns.”

While written testimony was submitted on behalf of both wilderness bills, there was only one non governmental witness who testified at the hearing. Mr. Ralph Bloemers, representing the Hood River Valley Residents’ Committee, testified in support of H.R. 6290. He stated, “HR 6290 offers the promise of a visionary solution to community concerns by creating Wilderness and Wild & Scenic River protection, supporting the thriving agricultural and recreational economies of Oregon.”

Read the witness testimony.
Contacts:
Sally Miller, The Wilderness Society: California Office, 415.398.1111, sally_miller@tws.org Bob Freimark, The Wilderness Society: Pacific Northwest Office, 206.624.6430, bob_freimark@tws.org

So maybe it wasn't the environmentalist that shut down the forests, like they tell us here in Douglas County, there just finally wasn't any forests left.

Deforestation in the US from 1620 to 1992

Source of 1620, 1850, and 1920 maps: William B. Greeley, The Relation of Geography to Timber Supply, Economic Geography, 1925, vol. 1, p. 1-11. Source of TODAY map: compiled by George Draffan from roadless area map in The Big Outside: A Descriptive Inventory of the Big Wilderness Areas of the United States, by Dave Foreman and Howie Wolke (Harmony Books, 1992). Source from the English Wikipedia.

Any comments??

Rattler Fire Update for Monday, September 15, 2008

Idleyld Park, OR --- Fire crews continued to hold and secure fire lines under difficult weather conditions yesterday. Record high temperatures and low humidities created good burning conditions especially in the afternoon when the inversion layer lifted. A large column of smoke was visible for most of the afternoon when the fire became active in the northern part near Onion and Spring Creeks in the Boulder Creek Wilderness. Air tankers and helicopters cooled down hot spots and the head of the main fire, where possible. Fire managers were monitoring the fire activity and were channeling the spread towards the higher and wetter vegetation which is away from populated areas.

Today, conditions are expected to be slightly hotter and drier with a Red Flag Warning from 6:00 a.m. until midnight on Tuesday. Isolated thunderstorms are expected on Tuesday with a slight chance of thunderstorms and unstable air on Wednesday.

Timber falling crews were busy at the east end of the Highway 138 closure felling danger trees so that road crews could safely clean fallen debris on the highway and make the road safe for public travel. All efforts are being made to re-open Highway 138 as quickly as possible.

Highway 138 remains closed to all traffic on a four-mile stretch between the Copeland Creek road junction and the confluence of Slide Creek with the North Umpqua River due to large rocks and logs falling off the steep embankment along the highway. For further information on road closures motorists are advised to check the Oregon Department of Transportation website (www.trip check.com) for current conditions on the status of Highway 138. To contact ODOT within Oregon, dial 511, or toll-free at (800) 977-ODOT, or (503) 588-2941.

Information on closures around the fire area can be found on the Umpqua National Forest website at www.fs.fed.us/r6/umpqua.-- Tom Lavagnino ORCA Public Information Officer (866) 534-9681

FOREST CONSERVATION NEWS TODAY - Untouched Natural Forests Store Three Times More Carbon!

Forests.org and Climate Ark projects of Ecological Internet, Inc. http://www.climateark.org/ -- Climate Ark, Climate Change Portal http://forests.org/ -- Forests.org August 4, 2008

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY by Dr. Glen Barry, Ecological Internet.

"An important new Australian study finds that "untouched natural forests store three times more carbon dioxide than previously estimated and 60 percent more than plantation forests" and that first-time "logging resulted in more than a 40 percent reduction in long-term carbon compared with unlogged forests." They conclude that "in Australia and probably globally the carbon carrying capacity of natural forests is underestimated and therefore misrepresented in economic valuations and in policy options."This resoundingly confirms Ecological Internet's forest campaign's key principle: sustaining intact ancient primary forests, by virtue of their holding of carbon and species, is a requirement for global ecological sustainability. This Earth Action Network's shared commitment to ending ancient primary and old-growth forest logging has been validated by the emerging ecological science. And we hope this motivates you to continue taking action at http://www.ecoearth.info/alerts/ and to participate regularly in future email protest campaigns."

Thanks for the information Wendy!

Meanwhile in Douglas County

BLM proposes first old-growth clearcut sale in years.
Believing they can once again clearcut the nesting habitat for the northern spotted owl, Roseburg BLM is now targeting the Days Creek watershed for 236 acres of clearcutting in mature and old growth forests on public BLM lands.
Write or call the BLM to tell them what you think of this project on your public lands.

Ralph Thomas Field Manager, South River Field Office Roseburg District, BLM 777 N.W. Garden Valley Blvd Roseburg, Oregon 97471 Call them up 541.440.4930.
Or, Email your comments to: OR100MB@or.blm.gov

Tell the BLM to leave the old growth alone.

Above: Unit 25G, on the edge of Coffee Creek roadless area. BLM wants to clearcut this public forest!

Written on grave: “Carmella. 5-5-06 to 7-6-07. Little One”

Tell the BLM to leave the old growth alone. There's not much left and all the critters that depend on the diverse, old forests need it. Public forests is all they have left. Tell the BLM to just log in the forests that have already been clearcut (40 to 60 years ago), and replanted to be thick, fiber farms.

Information and Photos thanks to our dedicated Conservation Director, Francis Eatherington

We'd love to have your comments. Check back on Mondays for updates.

North Umpqua River

Photo by Francis Eatherington

WELCOME TO Umpqua Watersheds first blog site ever!

We intend this blogsite to be a place you can get updated information on environmental issues in Douglas County, Oregon, the Pacific Northwest and beyond. In addition it is a place for you to comment and carry on a dialog with us and others who are interested in participating in protecting our local environment.

Umpqua Watersheds is a grassroots, community based non-profit organization, dedicated to the protection and restoration of the ecosystems of the Umpqua Watershed and beyond.

Our goals are to:

1. Promote sound stewardship practices that sustain biodiversity and restore degraded lands and waterways.

2. Create permanent wilderness protection for the backcountry areas of southwestern Oregon.

3. Educate the public on ecosystem management issues in the interest of informed consent and increased participation in decision making,

4. Celebrate the natural beauty and majesty of the native forests and free flowing waters of the Umpqua and beyond,

5. Create a stable organizational structure to achieve our mission,

6. Continue to nurture a stable and growing base of support in our local communities.

Check us starting this Monday for weekly updates.

Thanks, it's for the trees.

- Deborah D Michel, Interim Executive Director, deborah@umpqua-watersheds.org

- Betsy Dean, Office Coordinator, uw@umpqua-watersheds.org

- Seth Kirby, Outreach/Education Coordinator, seth@umpqua-watersheds.org

- Francis Eatherington, Conservation Director/Consultant, francis@umpqua-watersheds.org

for more information http://www.umpqua-watersheds.org/