KS Wild Newsletter, Summer 2005 ~ Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center

8/9/2019 KS Wild Newsletter, Summer 2005 ~ Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center

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KS WILD NEWS The Journal of the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center

Summer 2005

KSWI

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Klamath-SiskiyouW il

dlandsCenter

POBox3

32,Williams

OR.97544

541-846-9273-www

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KS WildStaff Lesley AdamsOutreach Coordinator

Erin MaddenStaff Attorney

David LevineAdministrative Director

George SextonConservation Director

Stephanie TidwellExecutive Director

Joseph VaileCampaign Director

Board of Directors:

Jim Bowne

Susan Jane Brown

Shannon Clery

Liz Crosson

Stuart OʼNeill

Keith Quick

Laurel Sutherlin

Derek Volkart

OfficesMembership:

P.O. Box 332Williams, OR 97544541-846-9273

Conservation:

P.O. Box 102

Ashland, OR 97520541-488-5789

Legal:

917 SW Oak St.Portland, OR 97205503-796-7811 www.kswild.org

Cover Photo: The Scott BarSalamander was recentlydiscovered in northernCalifornia. This new sala-mander, and its close rela-tive, the Siskiyou MountainsSalamander (pictured here)only exist in the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains. Photoby William Flaxington

Many thanks to all our supporters:Volunteers, Collaborators, Artists and Musicians:Ralph Bloemers, Susan Jane Brown, Grady Boyd, Cascadia Wildlands Project, GingerCassady, Regina Chichizola, Sharon Duggan, Francis Eatherington, Sarah Elvington,EPIC, William Flaxington, Evan Frost, Scott Greacen, Noah Greenwald, David Grimes,Kyle Haines, Scott Harding, Spencer Lennard, Jay Lininger, Ivan Maluski, SusanMennano, Kim Mericle, Jasmine Minbashian, Alliyah Mirza, National Forest ProtectionAlliance, NEST, Oregon Natural Resources Council, Oregon Sierra Club, OxygenCollective, Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center, Sam, Stephanie Parent, Sarah

Peters, Lauren Regan, Luke Rudinger, India Savoie, Siskiyou Project, Rolf Skar, BarrySnitkin, Amaroq Weiss & many others.

Special thanks to our hardworking canvassers:Gina Lutz (Canvass Director), Nurelle Hillman-Harrigan and Talena

Please support these businesses because they support us: Ashland Food Co-op, Ashland Mountain Supply, Buckhorn Springs, Carey Massage,Claudia Beausoleil Mediation Service, Dan the Backhoe Man Excavation Service, FullCircle Sports, Geppetos, Green Springs Inn, Greenleaf Restaurant, Heartsong Chai,Herb Pharm, Inc., Horizon Herbs, Kalb Chiropractic, Morningstar Healing Arts, NorthCoast Chiropractic, Northwest Nature Shop, Plant Oregon Nursery, Sunshine NaturalFoods, Trillium Natural Foods, Williams General Store.

Deep gratitude goes to:Scott Allison, Elizabeth Coker, Joy Cotter and Larry Soll, Lake and Steve Connelly,Astrov Fund, Michael and Linda DuBose and Aftermarket Technologies, Walter andConny Lindley, Rex and Deanna Bell, Shannon Clery, James Grey Hecht, BradHorwitz, Sally Mackler and the Suzan R. Mackler Fund, Margaret Purves, Red ButtesWilderness Council, Fredric & Lundy Reynolds, Matt Riley, Peter and Karen Salant,David and Jonathon Tourzan, Carrie Ward, Jerard and Carol Weigler.

Thanks to the following foundations for supporting KS Wild:444S Foundation, A Territory Resource, Burning Foundation, Deer Creek Foundation,Richard and Rhoda Goldman Foundation, Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation, HellerCharitable and Educational Fund, Outdoor Industry Conservation Alliance, Patagonia, Inc.,Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Inc., Ralph L. Smith Foundation, Wilburforce Foundation.

141

Recovering the WolverineIn an effort to save one of the rarest wilderness wildlife speciesin the lower 48 states, KS Wild petitioned a federal court inJune to overturn the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceʼs (USFWS)refusal to protect the wolverine.

The largest member of the weasel family, the wolverine is a bearcub-sized forest predator that persists in small numbers in thelast remaining big wildlands of the lower 48. The powerful wol-verine once ranged across the northernmost states from Maine

to Washington, and as far south as New Mexico, the SierraNevada Range and the Siskiyou Mountains into California.Although sporadic, unconfirmed wolverine reports continuein Oregon and California, today the species is known to existonly in the northern Cascades of Washington and the RockyMountains of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

Recognizing growing threats to the wolverineʼs survival, con-servation groups submitted a petition to the Fish and WildlifeService in July 2000 asking for protections under the EndangeredSpecies Act. However, in October 2003 the USFWS rejected arequest for a scientific review of the wolverineʼs status - the firststep in the listing process - citing a lack of data.

Whittler Timber Sale CanceledThe Klamath National Forest (KNF) announced in April thatit canceled the Whittler Timber Sale. KS Wild was poised toprotect the forests targeted in this sale because the loggingwould have removed old-growth habitat and harmed waterquality with tractor logging on rocky soils at high elevations.

Located between the Trinity Alps and Russian WildernessAreas in northern California, the Whittler timber sale would havelogged in a roadless area adjacent to Wilderness. The KNFplanned to log around the high mountain lakes on Craggy Peak

in the East Trinity roadless area. The headwaters of the ScottRiver flow from this area down into the Klamath River. Whilethe Scott River is a stronghold for Coho salmon, it is highlyimpacted by extensive logging and farming in the Scott Valley.

KS Wild welcomes the decision of the KNF to step back fromthis destructive old-growth timber sale and hopes to work withthe KNF on forest restoration in the future.

KS Wild’s Mission: The Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center works to protect and restore

the outstanding biological diversity of the Klamath-Siskiyou and south

Cascadian Ecoregions of southwest Oregon and northwest California.

We use environmental law, science, education and collaboration to

defend healthy ecosystems and help build sustainable communities.

Summer Hikes with KS Wild

July 21 - Evening Hike on the Siskiyou Crest

August 5&6 - Kelsey-Whisky Camp-out

September 3 - Ashland Watershed

September 24 - Mt. Ashland Ski Expansion

For more information, visit www.kswild.org or call Lesley at 488-5789

KS WILD NEWS is produced by the KS Wild staff. All photos are taken by KS Wild unless otherwise noted.



Focus on our KS Wild Family

13 2

Phoebe CohenMany people were struggling to findsolace after the November 2004 presi-dential election. It was easy for KS Wildbecause Phoebe Cohen showed up atour door. A recent graduate of KenyonCollege in Ohio, Phoebe worked with

the League of Conservation Voters inFlorida for months before the election.While in Florida, Phoebe met formerKS Wild Executive Director SpencerLennard, who told Phoebe about KSWild and the outstanding beauty ofthe Klamath-Siskiyou region. A fewmonths later Phoebe arrived to volun-teer for KS Wild for two months prior to leaving for the Peace Corps. Phoebe was anenthusiastic and quick learner who donated many hours for our Medford door canvassand tabled at several grocery stores and community events in Ashland. Phoebe left inJune for Mongolia where she will work in the Peace Corps for two years. We thank herfor her contributions to the KS, and wish her luck on future journeys.

California Ground cone(Boschniakia strobilacea) An unusual member of theKlamath-Siskiyous, the groundcone gets overlooked by manybecause they are true to theirname, looking like fallen cones onthe forest floor. These plants areabout the size of a fir cone, brownwith inconspicuous brown topurple flowers that poke out fromtheir scale-like bracts. They are

not green, being root parasitesthat attach directly to the rootsof members of the Ericaceae, or

Heath family, to sap their food. The abundance of madrone and manzanita in our regionmakes for excellent habitat for ground cones, which can be found in early summer ordried up all year. Look for them in bear scat too, as they are a favorite spring and earlysummer food before berries get plentiful.

Comments Needed on Ashland Watershed Project

A large forest man-agement projectin the AshlandWatershed - onethat could log largetrees, build loggingroads and enter thepristine McDonald

Peak RoadlessArea - is movingforward under theBush administra-tion-backed HealthyForest RestorationAct.

In late June, theRogue RiverNational Forestreleased draft plansfor “Ashland Forest Resiliency” in order to reduce fire hazards in the watershed.There may be a need to thin small diameter federal forests in the Ashland Watershed,particularly where Forest Service land abuts the community. However, many residentsare increasingly concerned that this project will needlessly log older forests and thewatershedʼs invaluable roadless area.

Ashlandʼs drinking water originates in the McDonald Peak Roadless Area, and flowsthrough the forested lands managed by the Forest Service on its way to the tap ofAshland residents. The project proposes treatment of 1,500 acres in the roadless areawhere the Forest Service says that large trees could be cut. Elsewhere in the watershed -which is protected as an Old-Growth Reserve - thousands of large trees may be logged.

Please let the Forest Service know that you value the roadless areas and old-growthforests in the Ashland Watershed. Ask them to thin brush and small trees, and pileand burn fuels, instead of logging precious older forests. While the Bush-backed lawleaves us with little ability to protect old-growth trees, the Forest Service can choose todo the right thing.

Comments are due August 8th. Mail to Linda Duffy, Ashland District Ranger, RogueRiver-Siskiyou National Forest, 645 Washington Street, Ashland, Oregon 97520

DON’T MISS THIS EVENT!

Klamath-Siskiyou Forest Revue July 29 at 7pm, Pioneer Hall in Ashland

Join us for a beautiful slideshow of our beloved region and a virtual tour of

current threats - accompanied by music, snacks, local beer and good people.

SAVE THIS DATE

KS Wild’s First Annual Dinner October 22 at 7pm in Ashland, Location TBA

Join us for dinner, drinks and live music in support of KS Wild!Please contact us if you have something to donate for our auction.

Ashland Wildland Urban Interface



Please Join KS Wild Today!a Yes, I want to support KS Wild’s efforts to protect the remaining wild forests of

the Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion with a tax-deductible membership donation of:

o $20 o $50 o $100 o Other $

Name Date

Addres

City State Zip

Email Phone ( )

Mail this form along with your membership donation to: KS WILD, P.O. Box 332, Williams, OR 97544

123

Secrets of the Klamath-SiskiyouNew species highlights the biological riches of the regionby Joseph Vaile

Chatting with my fatheris always insightful. At77 he has been aroundthe block a few timesand has much to teach

me. In the same way, theancient Klamath-SiskiyouMountains have muchto reveal, and a hiddensecret was unlocked justthis spring.

Researchers working innorthern California dis-covered a new species,one that has likely livedin the Klamath-Siskiyou for several million years. The newly discovered critter,called the Scott Bar salamander (Plethodon asupak ), is closely related to theSiskiyou Mountains salamander (Plethodon stormi ).

One reason why new species can still be discovered in the Klamath-Siskiyouhas to do with geology. The Klamath and Siskiyou Mountain ranges are some ofthe oldest in North America. The rock has been here for over 200 million years.This age, and the fact that the rugged mountains guarded the area from ice-ageglaciers, means that evolution has been unimpeded for a very long time andbiological diversity is off the charts. More secrets could be hiding in the ripplesand folds of these primeval mountains.

The newly discovered Scott Bar salamander lives in rocky slopes. Because it islungless, it must breath through its skin. The moist, mossy covered talus (rockfields) and rock outcroppings where it was discovered are usually near streams orsupport a dense tree canopy helping to conserve moisture and humidity.

When it is too hot or cold, or too dry, the salamanders must keep moist so theybury themselves in the rock fields. Talus slopes must have enough space betweenrocks to allow the salamanders to move toward moist, mild conditions deep in theearth. During wet weather, salamanders come to the surface and can be foundunder bark, limbs or logs on the forest floor.

KS Wild petitioned the Siskiyou Mountains salamander and any distinct popula-tions (including those that now represent this new species) for listing under theEndangered Species Act in June of last year. The Bush administration missedthe one-year requirement for responding to the petition. KS Wild may be forced

to petition a federal court to protect these two species. These salamanders aretwo of the rarest species in the northwest, because of limited range and lownumbers. These qualities along with very specific habitat specialization make

The Siskiyou Mountains and Scott Bar salamanders are

rare species that only exist in the Klamath-Siskiyou.

into Mexico. Oregon has 5 million acres of unprotected roadless land in the publicdomain, while California has more than 7 million acres. The Bush administrationʼsrecent repeal of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule again puts these areas at riskfrom logging, mining and road-building activities.

Defending the Last Big Wild

Numerous attempts to weaken environmental safeguards have been successful in thepast several years, and more attacks are foreseen, particularly on the EndangeredSpecies Act and native forests. KS Wild maintains hope that the Klamath-Siskiyou

region will forever function as a refuge for wild nature - for all species for generations tocome. We believe that a visionary Wildlands Network can and should be implementedin this globally renowned region. In the meantime, KS Wild is working tirelessly todefend the watersheds that imperiled species like wild salmon, Pacific fisher, and wehumans call home.

What You Can DoPlease write a letter to the editor of your local paper in support of strong road-less area and endangered species protection. Be a voice for the voiceless!

Organic Cotton T-Shirts Now on Sale

Keep the KS WILDSupport KS WILD’s work by purchasing a t-shirt for only $15!

Front design features the Siskiy ou Mountains Salamander, while the

back features the rare and threatened Port-Orford Cedar.

Women’s cut: Sage or white, S-XL

Men’s cut: Purple, dark green or grey, S-XL

Please mail t-shirt order and money to:

KS WILD, ATTN: Lesley - PO Box 102 - Ashland, OR 97520

Photo by William Flaxington



11 4

KS Wild Protects More Klamath Old-Growth

Westpoint Timber Sale in the Range of New Salamander In early May, a federal district court ruled in favor ofKS Wild and EPIC and saved threatened forests inthe Westpoint old-growth timber sale on CaliforniaʼsKlamath National Forest. According to the court,the Forest Service canʼt ignore science warning thatcutting big trees can increase fire risks.

The Westpoint sale would have logged 1,026 acres in53 units spread over two separate areas, one on ScottBar Mountain east of the Lower Scott River, the otherin the headwaters of Middle Creek, near the northeast

corner of the Marble Mountains Wilderness. Scott BarMountain is an area where scientists recently discov-ered a new species - the Scott Bar salamander.

The Klamath National Forest Salmon-Scott RangerDistricts continue to pursue a reckless old-growthlogging program, but Judge William Shubb of the Eastern District wrote that theForest Service needs to acknowledge science highlighting the danger of old-growthlogging on fire risks; canʼt change Critical Habitat designations for the NorthernSpotted Owl to allow logging; downplay risks to sensitive species including thegoshawk, wolverine, fisher, and marten; and refuse to consider an “obvious, viablealternative” that would not log in sensitive speciesʼ habitat.

KS Wild staff attorney Erin Madden and Sharon Duggan of EPIC handled the litiga-tion for conservation groups.

A Lifetime of Hope Lives in the Klamath-Siskiyouby Lesley Adams

Sometimes its hard to find goodnews about the state of theworld. News reports aboundon war, poverty, record levelsof species extinction, climatechange, pollution and defores-tation. However, the Journal

Science offered a lifetime ofhope in April 2005 when itreported the discovery of abird long assumed extinct - theIvory-billed woodpecker. TheIvory-billed is the third largestwoodpecker in the world andhistorically lived in bottom-land swamps and old-growthforests of the southeast U.S.and Cuba. The bird was lastseen in 1944, but recently dis-covered on the eastern edge ofArkansas.

We had our own slice of hope here in the Klamath-Siskiyou when a new species ofsalamander was discovered in northern California earlier this year. The discovery of theScott Bar salamander (see pages 3-4) is in contrast to the drastic decline of amphibianpopulations worldwide. The fact that new species are still being discovered in thisrugged region is a testament to the wild refuge that the Klamath-Siskiyou remains.The old-growth forests, salmon-bearing streams and high elevation meadows of theKlamath-Siskiyou support an unusual diversity of rare plant and animal communities,and we intend to keep it that way.

A Wildlands Network Can Save the KS Refuge

Public lands preservation historically followed a model that simply drew a circle aroundan area and activities were restricted within that boundary. We have since learnedthat in order to protect plants and animals over time, core areas must be connected by“wildlife corridors” so that wildlife can travel from place to place rather than be isolatedto islands of habitat. Here in the Klamath-Siskiyou, we enjoy a large amount of desig-nated Wilderness and even more land is unprotected, but remains roadless and wild.These roadless areas and the lands that connect them are crucial for species migrationand long-term survival.

Conservationists believe that we can curtail species extinction by protecting the landsand waters that all plants, animals and people rely on to stay healthy. This hefty,but attainable goal can be achieved by protecting networks of land that consists of

“linkages” or pathways that tie natural places together. The Klamath-Siskiyou is animportant area within the Pacific Coast “mega-linkage” which runs from Alaska down

I-5

Grants Pass

Highway 96

OR.

CA.

Siskiyou Mountain Salamander

Scott Bar “Asupak” Salamander

General Range for Siskiyou Mountainand Scott Bar Salamanders

Rogue River National Forest

KlamathNational ForestP

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Klamath-Siskiyou Region

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Grants Pass

Redding

Crescent

City

them extremely vulnerable tothreats like logging.

The Shasta Indian name for theregion known as Scott Bar isasupak, the name given to thenew species. The Karuk Tribe,which still lives in the area, viewsalamanders as water purifiersand omens of good luck.

More great stories might still behidden in the ancient rock of theKlamath-Siskiyou region. Justlike when I am listening to thewisdom of my father, we needto be patient and listen carefullyso we can learn from these wisemountains.



5 10

Forest Service Targets Medford’s Water Supply For Loggingby George Sexton

Big Butte Springs: Pure Water

Big Butte Springs, on thewestslope of Mt. McLaughlin,

provides some of the highestquality municipal drinking wateron Earth. The 26.4 milliongallons of water that flow fromBig Butte Springs every day isso pure that Medford currentlydoes not need a filtration systemfor this water source. RogueValley residents are extremelyfortunate to have bottled-waterquality drinking water availablestraight from the tap.

Unfortunately, during thesummer months when lawnsare watered and cars arewashed, demand on the BigButte Springs water sourceexceeds supply, and the City isforced to supplement the springwater with much lower quality water pulled from the Rogue River.

Massive Timber Sale Planned For the Big Butte Springs Watershed

The Forest Service is currently planning to log 8,725 acres in the Big Butte Springs

Watershed. This is one of the largest green timber sales ever offered in SouthernOregon. Such large scale logging would require that tractors drag trees along 913miles of skid trails and that the Forest Service punch 10 miles of new logging roads intothe forest. The Forest Serviceʼs “proposed logging alternative” for Big Butte Springswould also log 430 acres of old-growth and 1,774 acres of intact roadless forests. Suchaggressive logging practices would be illegal if they were proposed in the protectedforests that provide Portland or Seattleʼs municipal drinking water.

In addition to calling for logging practices known to harm water quality, the ForestServiceʼs “proposed logging alternative” is a death sentence for threatened northernspotted owl populations. The current old-growth logging plan would directly harm 748acres of suitable nesting habitat and 5,118 acres of dispersal habitat for the owl.

Tremendous old-growth in unit 151 proposed forlogging. Great example of what the watershed looked

like before industrial logging.

Widespread old-growth logging continues in the burned forests surrounding the Kalmi-opsis Wilderness Area. The old-growth reserves at the Fiddler, Berry and Steed por-tions of the Biscuit timber sale are being turned into stump-fields and fiber plantations.Trees within the Kalmiopsis Wilderness were “accidentally” logged by the Silver CreekTimber Company, the same logging outfit that recently purchased the controversialMcGuire timber sale. The McGuire sale calls for salvage logging old-growth alongthe scenic Illinois River Road close to the Wild and Scenic Illinois River. Emergencyappeals to the 9th Circuit have thus far not succeeded in stopping the Biscuit loggingfrenzy while the complicated litigation winds its way through the legal system.

Silver Hawk Timber Sale-Medford BLM; 3 million board feet-Fishhook/Galice old-growth reserve on the North Fork Silver Creek.-Susan Jane Brown of the Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center represents KS Wild.

KS Wild recently obtained a temporary restraining order preventing logging of thisold-growth timber sale while the Court considers the merits of our litigation. We expectto prevail and protect the fragile old-growth forests of the wild North Fork Silver Creekwatershed in the northeast portion of the Biscuit fire area.

Sims Timber Sale-Six Rivers National Forest; 6.1 million board feet-Grouse Creek old-growth reserve on the South Fork Trinity River

-KS Wild is represented by Erin Madden and Sharon Duggan.

The Six Rivers National Forest is attempting to salvage log spotted owl critical habitaton steep slopes with unstable soils, in “impaired” watersheds without even writing anEnvironmental Assessment. The Forest Service is attempting to use a “CategoricalExclusion” to rush through the logging without meaningful analysis or the opportunityto appeal their decision. KS Wild and our friends at the Environmental Protection andInformation Center (EPIC) are committed to ensuring that doesn t̓ happen. We filedlitigation in Federal District Court in California in early June to protect the soils, waterand wildlife threatened by the Six Rivers National Forestʼs rush to log. Just as we wentto press, we received an injunction on this sale - keeping the forests standing for now!

Fiddler Timber Sale Defenders

-Josephine County, Oregon-60 arrests for non-violent civil disobedience-Green Bridge over the Wild and Scenic Illinois River-Forest defenders are represented by Lauren Regan of the Civil Liberties DefenseCenter

In order to log the old-growth forests in the Biscuit burn, the Forest Service has ignored23,000 letters from the public asking for protection of these unique wildlands, has cir-cumvented the roadless rule and the Northwest Forest Plan, has ignored the requestsof Governor Kulongoski, and has made 60 arrests of forest lovers whose consciencesdemanded that they stand in the way of the destruction.

The acts of civil disobedience range from sitting in the road accessing the Fiddler old-

growth reserve, to locking down to trucks on their way to the timber sale. All of theseforest defenders have been charged with misdemeanors by the Josephine CountyDistrict Attorney. Their jury trials in Grants Pass are likely to occur in late summer.

Rogue Valley residents are extremely fortunate to have bottled-water quality drinking water available straight from the tap.



What You Can Do

Please take a moment to write to the Forest Service requesting that they:

-Protect all old-growth and roadless forests in the Big Butte Springs Watershed,-Refrain from building more logging roads in the planning area,

-Protect the soil and water resources of this municipal watershed from tractorlogging.

Joel T. King, Rogue River National Forest, Cascade Zone Ranger47201 Highway 62 - Prospect, OR 97532

Logging With Restraint: A Better Way

Not all of the loggingproposed by theForest Service in thistimber sale wouldtarget irreplaceableold-growth and road-less forests. A littleover 4,000 acres oflogging would focuson thinning white firtrees that have grownup in previouslylogged stands. Priorto clearcut loggingconducted around theturn of the century,many of these forestsconsisted of large old-growth Douglas fir andponderosa pine trees.It is likely that the second-growth white fir trees that currently occupy the cut-over forestlands would not be as prevalent as they are today if the stands had not been loggedand then subjected to decades of fire suppression.

Under “alternative 3” of the Big Butte Timber Sale Environmental Impact Statement, theForest Service would leave the old-growth and roadless forests alone while thinningthe second growth white fir stands. This thinning proposal would not require any newlogging road construction and would focus thinning on those white fir stands that havegrown up in the former clearcuts.

While KS Wild is very skeptical of the commercial timber sale program on federalforests, we acknowledge that small diameter thinning in previously logged stands mayaid forest health in some instances. In the Big Butte Springs Watershed, the Forest

Service has the opportunity to demonstrate that they can responsibly thin previouslylogged stands while exercising the restraint to leave the remaining old-growth androadless forests intact.

Very dense white fir stand in unit 119.

Standing Up For Snagsby George Sexton

“Salvage logging of large snags and down boles does not contribute to recovery of late-successional forest habitat; in fact, the only activity more antithetical to the recov-

ery process would be removal of surviving green trees from burned sites. Large snags and logs of decay resistant species, such as Douglas-fir and cedars, are critical as early and late-successional wildlife habitat as well as for sustaining key ecological pro- cesses associated with nutrient, hydrological, and energy cycles.” -Dr. Jerry Franklin,Professor of Ecosystem Analy-

sis, College of Forest Resources, University of Washington

KS Wild continues to challenge illegal salvage logging operations throughout Oregonand California. While the Forest Service and BLM see burned forests as piggy banksto be raided for short-term profit, scientific consensus is telling us that salvage loggingoften severely harms soils, water quality, nutrient cycling and wildlife habitat.

Salvage Logging Legal Update

Timbered Rock Salvage Timber Sale-Medford BLM; 25 million board feet-Elk Creek Late-Successional Reserve

-Susan Jane Brown of the Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center represents KS Wild.

In November of 2004, Federal District Judge Ann Aiken held that the BLM had brokena number of laws and regulations in its push to log old-growth snags in the TimberedRock burn. The proposed logging would have illegally harmed sensitive watershedsrecovering from past logging and road construction by targeting important wildlife snagsfor logging in the Elk Creek old-growth (“late-successional”) reserve. Rather than re-examine their lawless logging proposal, the timber industry and their friends in the BLMhave elected to appeal the District Court decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. KSWild looks forward to presenting our case to the Appellate Court and hopes that this casewill provide precedent to protect old-growth reserves from industrial salvage logging.

Biscuit Timber Sale

-Siskiyou National Forest; 370 million board feet-Located in the Siskiyou Wild Rivers old-growth reserves and roadless areas-KS Wild is represented by Marc Fink of the Western Environmental Law Center

Concerned citizens bring their voice to Forest

Supervisor Scott Conroyʼs office in Medford.



7 8

Featured Hike:

Tin Cup and the Pacific Crest Trailby Lesley Adams

There are two continentaltrails in the United States – theAppalachian Trail, which runsfrom Maine to Georgia, and

the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT),which travels from Mexico toCanada. Hundreds of peoplewalk the length of these trailsevery year, and countlessothers hike small and largestretches.

I have met several “thru-hikers” up on the SiskiyouCrest who were traveling the entire length of the PCT. They expressed a pleasantsurprise that the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains existed. They seemed to think the PacificCrest consisted of only the Sierra and Cascade Ranges. Lucky for us, we have excel-

lent access to the PCT via the Tin Cup trail along Nabob Ridge and Black Mountain.Tin Cup is a forested trail 1.6 miles up to the Siskiyou Crest where it meets up with thePCT. The views of the Red Buttes from Tin Cup are breathtaking, and the arrival at highmountain meadows is stepping into a wildflower wonderland.

From this spot you are strad-dling the divide between theKlamath and Rogue Riverbasins. These massivewatersheds offer endlessviews of the Cascade andKlamath Mountains in Oregonand California. Whichever

direction you choose from thispoint on the PCT, the wonderof the Siskiyou Crest is intrigu-ing and deeply satisfying.

You can head west on thePCT towards the old sea floorrocks of the Red Buttes and

Kangaroo Mountain and thepicturesque Lily Pad and Echo

Lakes. The white swath of rock on the Red Buttes is marble formed from seashells.

You can head east on the PCT into the 20,000-acre Condrey Mountain Roadless Areaand see a rare green schist rock, alder-strewn meadows and diverse ancient forests as

View of the Red Buttes from the Tin Cup Trail.

Wildflower meadow at junction of PCT and Tin Cup.

you head towards Dutchman Peak, Monogram Lakes and eventually Mt. Ashland.

At any point you can dip down off the PCT and discover forested jewels, or hike to the topof various peaks for epic views. One rare trip is into the ancient forests and wet seeps onBlack Mountain at the headwaters of Dutch Creek, which flows into Elliot Creek and theApplegate River. Fruit Growers Supply intends to log more than 200 acres of primevalold-growth this summer in the headwaters of Dutch Creek (see box below).

How to Get There

From the town of Ruch, head south on Upper Applegate Road for approximately 15miles. After passing Applegate Reservoir, turn left Forest Service Road 1050. Drivefor approximately three miles (you pass into California when the road changes to dirt,then splits up Elliot or Middle Fork Creeks) and turn right on FS Road 1060. This roadfollows Joe Creek to the top of Nabob Ridge. After about 8 miles you reach FS Road600 on your right. FS Road 600 is a rough 4WD road that should be decommissioned.Park here and walk Road 600 about 1 mile to the Tin Cup trailhead. If you go up on ahot day, surely stop on your way back for a swim in Elliot Creek. When hiking, alwaysbring a good map, water, food, good shoes and clothing layers!

A Race Against Time: Condrey Roadless Area

Ancient cedars like the ones in this photo couldbe logged this year on the Siskiyou Crest.

What You Can DoContact your Senators and ask that they appropriate funds to acquire the FGS

parcel before it is logged. This legacy deserves to be held in the public trust andsafeguarded for future generations. Visit www.kswild.org for a sample letter.

Dianne Feinstein - One Post Street, Suite 2450, SF, CA 94104 - (415) 393-0707

Barbara Boxer - 1700 Montgomery, Suite 240, SF, CA 94111 - (415) 403-0100Ron Wyden - 310 West 6th St., Room 118, Medford, OR 97501 - (541) 858-5122

KS Wild has been working foryears to protect the CondreyMountain Roadless Area andwe need your help now morethan ever. Fruit Growers Supply(FGS) intends to log a 240-acreprivate parcel this summer inthe middle of this 20,000-acreroadless area. This privateinholding should be purchasedimmediately and KS Wild iscurrently seeking funding for abuyout of this amazing forest.

If the parcel were to becomepublic land, Senator Boxerʼs

California Wild Heritage bill could be expanded to include the entire Condrey Moun-

tain Roadless Area for wilderness designation. You can help us protect this land!

Documents

KS Wild Newsletter, Summer 2005 ~ Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center