Announcement Text
March 10, 2020
Wild beavers are an important part of a healthy watershed. Watch this short video to learn about our beaver reintroduction project.
We want to extend a huge thank you to the Wildlife Conservation Society for their help funding the Cascade Beaver Project from 2017-19 and to Balance Media for putting together this video!
March 5 2020
Despite the hard work of environmental groups, tribes, state agencies and dedicated volunteers, salmon and steelhead populations have declined or failed to show significant gains in Washington State during recent years. But today, in a bipartisan vote of 37–10, the Washington State Senate passed a bill that may help change that.
ESHB 1261, which had the support of the Cascade Forest Conservancy and more than 160 other businesses, faith-based organizations and nonprofits, will ban suction dredge mining in critical habitat for salmon, steelhead and bull trout across 11,000 miles of streams and rivers beds throughout the state.
Suction dredge mining is a recreational technique that uses gas-powered dredges to vacuum up rocks, sediment, gravel and from creek and riverbeds in search of gold or precious stones. A single suction dredge can move up to 17 cubic yards of gravel every hour. While miners have argued that the practice is harmless, scientific studies have shown that suction dredge mining degrades water quality and destroys important habitat for salmon, steelhead and endangered bull trout. Dredging a river or creek disrupts habitats, harms fish eggs and other animals, and releases sediment that makes streams shallower and warmer–bad conditions for spawning fish. Dredging can also stir up and release toxins and heavy metals trapped under streambeds.
Until now, Washington has been the only Western state to allow suction dredge mining without effective oversight, and as a result, had become a destination for recreational miners from across the region. The bill, which Governor Jay Inslee is expected to sign, will bring Washington’s laws closer to those in neighboring states. This is a big win for struggling fish populations, anglers, and all of us who want to keep the forest, streams and rivers in Washington’s Cascades healthy and wild for future generations.
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The National Wildlife Federation, a nonprofit conservation organization with over six million members and 51 affiliated organizations, passed a resolution against the proposed Mount St. Helens mine at their 82nd annual meeting in Virginia, June 6-9, 2018. This resolution speaks to the critical importance of the Green River valley to fish, wildlife, and communities, and asks our elected officials to withdraw this area from mining and protect it for the enjoyment of future generations. We thank Conservation Northwest and the Association of Northwest Steelheaders, NWF’s Washington and Oregon affiliates, respectively, for their support making this resolution possible. Resolution text is below and at NWF’s website:
Resolution 2018-08
WHEREAS, the Methow River headwaters and Green River Valley in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, both of which drain into the Columbia River, are ecologically rich and are at risk of large industrial open-pit copper and gold mining, and attendant development, because both of the regions are subject to mineral entry under the General Mining Act of 1872 and the Green River Valley is subject to mineral leasing under the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands of 1947; and
WHEREAS, the risk to these watersheds can only be eliminated by withdrawing both areas from mineral entry under the General Mining Act of 1872, and by withdrawing the Green River Valley from the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands of 1947, and there is significant public support for these withdrawals; and
WHEREAS, the Methow Headwaters is a region in Washington’s North Cascades with immense conservation value, designated as one of fourteen Treasured Landscapes by the National Forest Foundation, containing a major migration corridor for the state’s largest mule deer population, habitat for seven federally protected fish and wildlife species, Critical Habitat for five species, and the highest population density of lynx in the western U.S.; and
WHEREAS, the Green River Valley of Washington’s South Cascades lies in one of the most unique ecosystems in the world, containing old growth forests that escaped the Mount St. Helens eruption of 1980 and other areas recovering from the blast, providing habitat at various levels of succession for diverse species and one of the state’s largest elk herds; and
WHEREAS, the cold, clean headwaters of the Methow River are designated Class AA (extraordinary) in the state and are vital to salmon recovery efforts in the upper Columbia basin; and
WHEREAS, the headwaters of the Green River are pristine and the area is a proposed Wild and Scenic River and a Washington state designated Wild Stock Gene Bank for the long term conservation of wild steelhead; and
WHEREAS, the Methow Headwaters is a region with unique and nationally significant trails and recreational resources, bringing more than one million visitors and $150 million annually via the North Cascades Highway into the county economy, 70% of which is tied to tourism; and
WHEREAS, the Green River flows through the treasured Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, with over 500,000 visitors per year, and provides a source of clean drinking water for downstream communities and municipalities; and
WHEREAS, the Methow Headwaters landscape is world-renowned for hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, Nordic skiing, mountain biking, climbing, wildlife watching, and horseback riding, and offers two national scenic trails – the Pacific Crest Trail and the Pacific Northwest Trail; and
WHEREAS, the Green River Valley is a backcountry recreational paradise, containing the Green River Horse Camp, which is a launching point for many camping, hiking, hunting, and fishing expeditions along the 22-mile Goat Mountain and Green River loop trails, which travel past diverse habitats and scenic vistas; and
WHEREAS, the Methow Headwaters has had significant public and private investments in protecting this landscape for conservation, recreation, and restoration actions including nearly $100 million for salmon recovery, $125 million for conservation and recreation efforts through the state’s Recreation and Conservation Office, and more than $30 million in private investments for conservation and restoration projects with the local Methow Conservancy; and
WHEREAS, United States Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell from Washington State have introduced S5666, Methow Headwaters Protection Act, to prevent through a process known as mineral withdrawal industrial mining in the Methow Headwaters in the U.S. Senate where it awaits action, and similar legislation for the Green River Valley is being considered for introduction; and
WHEREAS, protecting the Methow Headwaters from industrial mining threats has the support of over 140 local businesses representing outdoor recreation, agriculture, education, hospitality, real estate, health and construction along with bipartisan support from county commissioners, state and local legislators, tribal nations, including the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce, the Twisp Town Council, more than 40 nonprofit and conservation organizations from the local to national level, representing overwhelming citizen support; and
WHEREAS, protecting the Green River Valley from industrial mining threats has the support of downstream communities and 30 recreation and conservation groups in the region, as well as tens of thousands of local concerned citizens who have sent in comments opposed to exploratory mining proposals in this valley over the past decade; and
WHEREAS, the Methow Headwaters and the proposed drilling site on Flagg Mountain have been used for millennia and are still in use by the native Methow people for hunting, fishing, food gathering, ritual, spiritual and cultural activities that would be degraded by large scale mining; and
WHEREAS, the Green River Valley and the proposed drilling site near Goat Mountain have been used for millennia and are still in use by the native Cowlitz Tribe for hunting, fishing, food gathering, ritual, spiritual and cultural activities that would be degraded by large scale mining; and
WHEREAS, industrial-scale mining operations require infrastructure and activity such as construction or use of mining and haul roads for heavy machinery traffic, mineral processing plants, toxic tailings piles and settling ponds, power plants and transmission lines, and heavy equipment fueling facilities; and
WHEREAS, some of the lands in the Green River Valley were purchased with funds under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965 (LWCF) for recreation and conservation, and mining activities are inconsistent with these purposes, threatening the integrity of other conservation lands protected under LWCF across the country; and
WHEREAS, mineral withdrawal would preserve existing mining rights and land uses, while precluding large-scale industrial or open-pit mining; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation has a strong interest in protecting cherished landscapes and wildlife that help define and shape our national character and identity for generations.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation at its annual meeting assembled June 6-9, 2018 in Chantilly, Virginia, supports the withdrawal of lands within the Methow River Headwaters in Okanogan County, Washington, and the Green River Valley in Skamania County, Washington, from the operation of the General Mining Act of 1872 and Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands of 1947, as applicable, and requests the United States Secretary of the Interior and Congress to use their established authority to withdraw such lands from location and entry under the General Mining Act of 1872 and Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands of 1947.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type=”normal” color=”#444444″ thickness=”3″][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_separator type=”normal” color=”#444444″ thickness=”3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”yes” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=”” css=”.vc_custom_1465592094531{background-color: #96d1ae !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space height=”125px”][latest_post_two number_of_columns=”3″ order_by=”date” order=”ASC” display_featured_images=”yes” number_of_posts=”3″][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”94″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_separator type=”normal” color=”#444444″ thickness=”3″][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_column_text]At the end of March Congress passed an appropriations bill over 2,200 pages long that allocated $1.3 trillion dollars to many government programs and agencies. This massive bill also included legislation that directly impact our public lands by addressing funding for wildfires and a new categorical exclusion (CE) that allows some timber sales to move forward with less environmental review. This new CE and other policy changes in this bill are attempts to weaken our environmental laws and limit public input on our federal forests, and we must remain ready to oppose further harmful riders in future bills.
What is the appropriations bill?
A bill that is over 2,200 pages long, concerning over a trillion dollars, and written in complicated legislative language, can seem overwhelming to many of us. This large bill specifies how much money will go to different government programs and agencies for fiscal year 2018.
Congress is required by law to pass twelve appropriations bills allocating discretionary spending for each fiscal year, which starts on October 1. However, since Congress was unable to come to an agreement on these bills in 2017, they
extended the process through March 23 through “continuing resolutions” which provide temporary funding for federal agencies and avoid a government shutdown while Congress works through the appropriations process. This spending bill is large because it is an omnibus bill that combines the twelve funding areas.
Appropriations bills must be passed because without them, many government agencies and programs go unfunded and must shutdown. The importance of these bills makes them a target for riders, provisions that are unrelated to federal spending but are often added onto federal spending bills. Riders are a tactic used to enact legislative changes that would be difficult to pass on their own.
How does this bill impact our public lands?
For our public lands, some of the best news comes from what is not in the bill. Thanks to the dedication of concerned citizens throughout the country, some of the worst forest management provisons were not added to the bill. Portions of the Westerman Bill, including new categorical exclusions allowing timber harvest with little environmental review, had the potential to be added to this bill as riders. Another rider would have allowed reckless logging and road-building in roadless areas in Alaska’s national forests by exempting these forests from the 2001 Roadless Rule. Exempting millions of acres of public lands in Alaska from the Roadless Rule could have set a dangerous precedent for developing roadless areas throughout the U.S.
Although several harmful environmental riders did not make it into the bill, one that did is a new categorical exclusion (CE) for hazardous fuels reduction projects up to 3,000 acres. These are projects where the agencies propose reducing wildfire risk through commercial timber harvest. New CEs for timber harvest projects are concerning because CEs limit public input and environmental review. Instead of going through the normal public input process, which involves preparing an environmental assessment and multiple public comment periods, the agencies would only have to provide public notice and one comment period. To use this CE, the Forest Service must maximize the retention of old-growth and large trees and use the best available science to maintain and restore ecological integrity. Also, these projects must be developed collaboratively, not include permanent road construction, and be located outside wilderness and other protected areas. Commercial timber harvest to reduce fuels is potentially controversial in areas with mature forest and large trees. New CEs such as this one risk cutting short public input and conversations that address these difficult topics. In our view, controversial projects necessitate a thorough public input process, where stakeholder concerns can be addressed early on, if these projects are to move forward without future challenges.
The appropriations bill also includes funding for fighting wildfires. Intense wildfire seasons over the last years have rapidly depleted the Forest Service’s budget because of “fire borrowing.” Fire borrowing occurs when the Forest Service maxes out on funds allocated for fighting wildfires and the agency uses money from other accounts. By taking money from other accounts to fight fires, the Forest Service delays other projects, including those that support recreation and restoration. The wildfire funding fix passed as part of the appropriations bill includes a cap on the Forest Service’s wildfire suppression budget and establishes a $2.25 billion emergency fund for the agency to use instead of borrowing from other programs. These changes will go into effect in fiscal year 2020, and will help the Forest Service retain funds for ecological restoration and recreation services in future years.
Secure Rural Schools (SRS) payments to counties were also extended for two more years. The Secure Rural Schools Act, passed in 2000, provides funding to rural counties and schools located near national forests. Prior to SRS, rural counties and schools received 25% of revenues generated from timber sales on national forest lands. Unfortunately, SRS payments have not always been consistent due to delays in reauthorization by Congress, forcing small communities to operate on smaller budgets. Extending SRS payments for two more years fixes the immediate problem, but a long-term solution is needed for this program that benefits local communities, forests, wildlife, and recreation.
Additional provisions impacting public lands in the appropriations bill include overriding a Ninth Circuit Court decision that required the Forest Service to re-initiate Endangered Species Act consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service for land and resource management plans. Also, the bill does not include separate funding for the Legacy Roads and Trails program, which was previously funded at $40 million. The Legacy Roads and Trails program has funded road decommissioning, road maintenance and repairs, and removal of fish passage barriers. LRT has benefited aquatic wildlife throughout our national forests, and we are concerned that this program will not be utilized to its full potential without a budget separate from other Forest Service road programs.
Appropriations and other must-pass legislation can become a battleground for public lands, and we will continue to oppose under-the-radar attacks on our bedrock environmental and public participation laws. For further information about the appropriations bill and related public lands issues visit the links below.
• 2018 Appropriations Bill: “Is This Any Way To Drive An Omnibus? 10 Questions About What Just Happened” –NPR
• Wildfire Funding Fix and new Categorical Exclusion: “The Energy 202: Congress finally found a new way to fund wildfire suppression” – The Washington Post
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[vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_separator type=”normal” color=”#444444″ thickness=”3″][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_column_text]FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 23, 2017
CONTACTS:
Nicole Budine, Policy and Campaign Manager, Cascade Forest Conservancy, 607-735-3753
Matt Little, Executive Director, Cascade Forest Conservancy, 541-678-2322
Tom Buchele, Managing Attorney, Earthrise Law Center, 503-768-6736
Steve Jones, Board Member, Clark-Skamania Flyfishers, 360-834-1265
Kitty Craig, Washington State Deputy Director, The Wilderness Society, 206-473-2523
Mining Exploration Approved Near Mount St. Helens
Conservation and Recreation Groups Oppose Due to Impacts on Fish, Water Quality and Recreation.
Portland, OR – On August 22, 2017, the Forest Service issued a draft decision consenting to exploratory drilling in the Green River valley, just outside the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. A coalition of over 20 conservation and recreation groups opposes the project, claiming mining exploration and development will significantly harm wild steelhead populations in the Green River, destroy recreational opportunities in the area, and pollute the water supply of downstream communities. The draft decision begins a 45-day objection period.
“Tens of thousands of people have expressed opposition to this proposal due to its impacts on clean water, native fish, and recreation in and around our most treasured National Monument. Yet the agencies continue to advance this dangerous proposal,” said Matt Little, Executive Director of the Cascade Forest Conservancy. “Allowing mining activities in a pristine river valley alongside an active volcano is simply ludicrous. We will do all we can to stop it.”
Drilling permits would allow a Canadian mining company, Ascot Resources Ltd., to drill 63 drill holes from 23 drill pads to locate deposits of copper, gold, and molybdenum. The project would include extensive industrial mining operations 24/7 throughout the summer months on roughly 900 acres of public lands in the Green River valley, just outside the northeast border of the Monument. The prospecting permits allow for constant drilling operations, the installation of drilling-related structures and facilities, the reconstruction of 1.69 miles of decommissioned roads, and pumping up to 5,000 gallons of groundwater per day.
Some parcels of land in question were acquired to promote recreation and conservation under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act (LWCFA). In a previous lawsuit filed by the Cascade Forest Conservancy (then the Gifford Pinchot Task Force), a federal judge invalidated Ascot’s drilling permits and held that the agencies violated the LWCFA by failing to recognize that mining development cannot interfere with the outdoor recreational purposes for which the land was acquired. The decision by the BLM and Forest Service to once again issue Ascot drilling permits follows the release of a modified EA earlier this year, prepared in response to this prior court decision.
“This project would severely impact recreation opportunities due to noise, dust, exhaust fumes, lights, vehicle traffic, the presence of drill equipment, and project area closures,” said Tom Buchele, Managing Attorney of the Earthrise Law Center. “I cannot fathom how the Forest Service could legally conclude that drilling would not interfere with recreation without violating the LWFCA.”
The pristine Green River flows through the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, passing through old growth as well as a unique post-eruption environment that provides habitat for a variety of native fish and wildlife. The Green River flows into the North Fork Toutle River and Cowlitz River, which provides drinking water to thousands of people in downstream communities. The city of Kelso recently passed a resolution against the mine because of impacts from leaking mine effluent and failed toxic tailings ponds that would result from locating a mine in an active volcanic zone.
“This prospecting is a threat to wild steelhead in the Green River and the rest of the Toutle and Cowlitz River system,” said Steve Jones, Director, Clark-Skamania Flyfishers. “Washington fisheries managers made the upper Green River a Wild Steelhead Gene Bank in 2014 because this habitat offered the best hope for sustaining wild fish in that system. This river drainage needs to be conserved, not exploited.”
“Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is a national treasure that offers a unique recreational and educational experience for visitors in the Pacific Northwest,” said Kitty Craig, Washington State Deputy Director of the Wilderness Society. “Its borders are no place for an industrial mine that will jeopardize the free-flowing Green River, the drinking water of downstream communities, and the wide range of recreational opportunities these lands and waters provide.”
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PROPOSAL DOCUMENTS:
Modified EA: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/52147/66795/72638/Goat_Mountain_MEA_20151217_FINAL.pdf
Cascade Forest Conservancy (GPTF) et al modified EA comments: https://cascadeforest.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/FINAL-Goat-Mountain-MEA-Comments_2-4-16.pdf
Forest Service FONSI/Draft DN: http://a123.g.akamai.net/7/123/11558/abc123/forestservic.download.akamai.com/11558/www/nepa/101692_FSPLT3_4050107.pdf
Senator Cantwell Letter to the Forest Service: https://cascadeforest.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Cantwell-letter-to-Forest-Service-Goat-Mountain-Project_3-18-16.pdf
LEGAL DOCUMENTS:
Judge Hernandez’s Opinion: https://law.lclark.edu/live/files/17566-gifford-pinchot-mining-decisionpdf.
MAPS/PHOTOS:
Map of the Project Area: https://cascadeforest.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Map-of-Mt-St-Helens-mine-area-zoomed-in.jpg
VIDEO:
Cascade Forest Conservancy “Mount St. Helens: No Place for a Mine” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjVk78cVNCk
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By Nicole Budine
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_column_text]Lush, old-growth, conifer forests are an iconic feature of the Pacific Northwest. Large, magnificent trees and brilliant shades of green bring people from near and far to these forests to recreate. Pacific Northwest old-growth forests are beautiful backdrops for recreation, but they also have an important role in mitigating climate change impacts. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which has several areas of low elevation mature and old growth forests, is ranked fourth in the nation for carbon storage. Old forests absorb more carbon than young forests because there is a complex ecosystem, with each plant, animal, and fungi playing a role in carbon storage. As part of our climate resilience blog series, this article highlights information on old-growth forests and carbon storage presented in our Wildlife and Climate and Resilience Guidebook.
Northwest Forest Plan
Decades of clearcutting left a legacy of young plantations and fragmented old forests. Logging old-growth forests releases a lot of carbon by cutting old trees and disrupting the diverse ecosystem working to store carbon. Thankfully, old-growth logging on our federal public lands in the northwest was mostly halted by the Northwest Forest Plan, created in 1994 in response to the impact of large-scale clearcutting on the federally-protected northern spotted owl. One way the Northwest Forest Plan changed logging on federal lands was by allocating land for the future development of old-growth characteristics, called Late Successional Reserves, or “LSRs.” Management of LSR forests should encourage the future development of old-growth characteristics including downed logs, standing dead trees called “snags,” and diverse understory plants. By encouraging the development of old-growth characteristics in reserves throughout the region, the Northwest Forest Plan protected entire old-growth ecosystems, not just individual trees.
Recovering the Landscape
Although many old-growth forests are safe from clearcutting today, we still have a long way to go to recover from the mistakes of the past. Connectivity between large, biodiverse areas is important to support long-term ecosystem stability in the face of a changing climate, but decades of clearcutting fragmented mature and old-growth forests. By protecting roadless areas and expanding wilderness areas, we can preserve the high carbon storage potential of remaining old-growth forests and improve connectivity across the landscape. The Northwest Forest Plan provides a framework for encouraging the development of future old-growth forests, but it only applies to federally-owned lands. Various landowners working in partnership to promote the development of mature forests will increase carbon storage potential throughout the region.
Mature forests, well on their way to developing old-growth characteristics, are at-risk in controversial clearcutting projects. Forests that are 80 years or older are often already developing the diversity needed to be valuable habitat and climate refugia. Logging these areas, if done at all, should focus on the development of old-growth characteristics. Commercial logging should focus on thinning plantations to improve diversity, as plantations offer little value for either habitat or carbon storage. Management of forests should look beyond their financial value for timber production and also consider their immense value in mitigating the costly impacts of climate change.
To learn more about the Northwest Forest Plan and forest management in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, visit: https://cascadeforest.org/our-work/forest-management/[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”yes” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=”” css=”.vc_custom_1465592094531{background-color: #96d1ae !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space height=”125px”][latest_post_two number_of_columns=”3″ order_by=”date” order=”ASC” display_featured_images=”yes” number_of_posts=”3″][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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By Darvel and Darryl Lloyd
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_separator type=”normal” color=”#444444″ thickness=”3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_column_text]My twin brother, Darryl, and I have always loved big trees and old forests. We grew up at our family’s Flying L Ranch near Glenwood, Washington, where we hung out at the ranch’s only old-growth ponderosa pine that we named “The Council Tree.” We always loved to explore the lovely old-growth ponderosa pine stands above the Glenwood Valley and fish in the creeks shaded by big cottonwoods, cedars and firs.
So after we sold the ranch in 1997 and settled down a bit in this new millennium, we began taking trips together throughout the west, always seeking out big trees wherever possible. We especially love the remaining old-growth stands in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, getting to know the area quite well after so many years climbing its peaks and driving its back-roads. Throughout our lives we were always awed by the “Trout Lake Big Tree,” just inside the GPNF and one of the state’s largest ponderosa pines until it died last year).
Our passion for hunting giant trees in the GPNF has increased, especially over six years when we’ve made some significant “discoveries” and brought along a steel measuring tape to measure diameters at average breast height (dbh). We’ve held off purchasing an accurate laser height-measuring instrument because of the cost. In some cases, it has taken Internet sleuthing and difficult bushwhacking with map and compass to find some of the giants. Darryl finally bought a GPS device—hooray!
Here are what we believe to be the GPNF’s largest known western redcedar, two Douglas firs, and noble fir by girth and volume, with a caveat: only a tree climber and/or a forest expert (with an accurate height measuring device) would be able to determine these trees’ exact heights and volumes. Of course, there may be larger trees out there, but someone has to find them.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_single_image image=”3092″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”right” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_column_text]1. A giant western redcedar (Thuja plicata) 14’ 3” in diameter at breast height (dbh) and maybe 150 feet tall. We dubbed it “Trinie’s Cedar,” after a young lady who helped us discover and measure the brush-surrounded tree. The huge tree is located off FR 25 in the Cedar Flats Research Natural Area in GPNF, on a terrace of the Muddy River. We challenge anyone to find a larger “cedar” in the GPNF![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_single_image image=”3095″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_column_text]2. An equally-giant Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) 11 ft.,10” dbh and about 160’ tall to the shattered top, only around 5 miles from of Randle in an unlogged area of the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District. We called it the “Bob Pearson Fir,” a spotted owl expert who discovered the tree and showed it to us. It’s certainly must be one of the largest-diameter Douglas firs still alive in the Cascade Range.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_single_image image=”3097″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_column_text]3. An immense “stove pipe” of a Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), 10’ 3” dbh, maybe 250-275 tall. Its the largest tree in the Quartz Creek Big Trees Preserve and probably the GPNF’s largest tree in volume, located not far off FR 26, just outside of the Mt. St. Helens blast zone and inside Lewis County. Unfortunately, the Forest Service is no longer maintaining the loop trail through this very impressive grove, and FR 26 is vulnerable to washouts from strong winter storms.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_single_image image=”3098″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_column_text]4. The world’s largest known Noble fir (Abies procera) is located in the Goat Marsh Research Natural Area of the Mount St. Helens NVM, in a magnificent 70-acre stand of very large noble firs and Douglas firs (said to contain the highest wood volume per acre of any research plot in the world outside the California coast redwoods). Discovered by Robert Van Pelt in 2001 and named “The Goat Marsh Giant”, the tree measures 8’3” dbh and approximately 265 ft. tall, with a dead top reducing the height since Van Pelt measured it. It has almost reached the end of its life (age around 300-350 years).[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_single_image image=”3099″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” qode_css_animation=””][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”yes” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=”” css=”.vc_custom_1465592094531{background-color: #96d1ae !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space height=”125px”][latest_post_two number_of_columns=”3″ order_by=”date” order=”ASC” display_featured_images=”yes” number_of_posts=”3″][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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[/vc_column_text][vc_separator type=”normal” color=”#444444″ thickness=”3″][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]You can help protect our national forests by speaking out against the so-called “Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017” (HR 2936). Unfortunately, this bill recently passed the House Natural Resources Committee, and will soon come up for a vote before the House. Now is the time to make public opposition to this bill known, please contact your representative and urge them to vote NO on HR 2936!
Representatives to contact:
–Jaime Herrera-Beutler (WA-3rd District)
–Kurt Schrader (OR-5th District)
–Greg Walden (OR-2nd District)
–Find your representative
This is one of the worst pieces of federal forest legislation in recent history, and favors logging at the expense of other public land values such as recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and drinking water for local communities. Here are three ways this bill would harm public lands.
(1) Allow logging up to 30,000 acres without consideration of environmental impacts
If this bill passes, it will exempt many logging projects up to 10,000 acres from complying with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and up to 30,000 acres if the projects were developed in a “collaborative process.” By exempting these projects from NEPA, large areas of the forest could be cut without in-depth consideration of the environmental impacts. This would undermine decades of work to ensure diverse public land values are considered and protected on federal forests.
(2) Weaken Endangered Species Act protections
The Endangered Species Act requires the Forest Service to consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service and/or the Fish and Wildlife Service whenever they propose a project that could harm a listed species. These agencies are the federal experts on the Endangered Species Act, and the consultation requirement helps the Forest Service consider potential impacts to listed species. This bill would eliminate the consultation requirement, allowing the Forest Service to decide whether or not to consult or not on a project, and completely exempt other forest management projects from the Endangered Species Act.
(3) Limit public input and judicial review of agency decisions.
Public input is essential to creating projects that balance diverse values on federal forest lands. HR 2936 would disrupt this balance by restricting the ability of citizens to comment on projects and the ability to challenge agency decisions in court. The bill would limit public comment periods to only 30 days and allow the Forest Service consider only two alternatives – no action or intense logging. The bill also forces citizens to challenge decisions through a binding arbitration process, which means that the agency can escape litigation even when they clearly violated the law. It also would prevent courts from temporarily stopping salvage logging projects while deciding a case and prevent plaintiffs from recovering attorney’s fees, even if they are successful in court.
This bill would increase logging without considering environmental concerns, directly threatening public lands and the many values they provide. Please contact your representative and ask them to vote NO on HR 2936.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner][vc_gallery interval=”0″ images=”1308″ img_size=”full” onclick=””][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_separator type=”normal” color=”#444444″ thickness=”3″][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_empty_space height=”150px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”yes” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=”” css=”.vc_custom_1465592094531{background-color: #96d1ae !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space height=”125px”][latest_post_two number_of_columns=”3″ order_by=”date” order=”ASC” display_featured_images=”yes” number_of_posts=”3″][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_column_text]
By Shiloh Halsey and Nicole Budine
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_column_text]Road restoration can offer many benefits for wildlife and ecosystems. People also benefit from an improved and simplified national forest road system! Road restoration can include everything from updating and repairing roads to closing or fully decommissioning them.
Presently, there are over 4,000 miles of roads in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, enough to go to Texas and halfway back. Many of these are not used or needed but remain on the system, impacting wildlife in a variety of ways.
Roads can fragment habitat, increase sediment in streams, block stream connectivity, and increase the spread of invasive plants. Also, when there are too many roads to maintain, they can end up washing out, which can affect fish and wildlife populations, water quality and access to our favorite places in the forest.
Climate change is likely to exacerbate many of the negative impacts from roads, especially by increasing the amount and severity of high streamflow events. We need to work to ensure that our road network is resilient to these projected changes.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_column_text]
We are working to update our knowledge about the current status of roads in the Gifford Pinchot by leading road surveys to locate blocked culverts, measure erosion, and help prioritize which roads are optimal candidates for repair or closing.
Blocked culverts negatively impact stream connectivity and fish habitat, and they can cause roads to wash out, which is a substantial expense both financially and ecologically. Areas of erosion, such as when water running along gravel roads and back into streams, brings heavy loads of sediment into waterways, affecting fish and water quality for downstream communities.
We are also working with stakeholder groups and the U.S. Forest Service to incorporate road restoration into forest management projects. Generally, we believe that reducing the amount of road miles should be one of the restoration activities associated with each timber harvest project. This is often cost- and time-effective because the federal review processes for both timber harvest and road projects can be combined into one effort.
Also, since road work would be occurring at the same time as other actions, the impact from active management would be less. Road closures and decommissioning should also be considered for stand-alone projects. CFC is part of a broader network, called The Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative (WWRI), which is aimed at bringing in federal funds for local road restoration projects.
Road decommissioning efforts should be coupled with planting of native species along the former road to speed up regrowth and decrease continued impacts from erosion. This work is sometimes carried out by the Forest Service or local contractors, as it is written in the road improvement plan.
Other times, volunteers can get involved and assist with the planting efforts. Because there is such a great need for road restoration and the work involves heavy machinery and skilled labor, it can be an important economic driver for contractors that specialize in road improvement projects. We feel that road restoration should be prioritized for contractors in local communities that surround the forest.
Check out our list of stewardship trips at the link below and sign up for a road survey this summer! To support our work, we also encourage you to become a member of the Cascade Forest Conservancy.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”yes” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=”” css=”.vc_custom_1465592094531{background-color: #96d1ae !important;}”][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_single_image image=”94″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” qode_css_animation=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=””][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][vc_column_text]The conservation community faces significant new hurdles in building resilience to climate change impacts and supporting wildlife, but CFC is uniquely positioned to build bridges within our communities and chart a sustainable path forward.
We are excited to formally announce the release of our Wildlife and Climate Resilience Guidebook, a comprehensive climate change assessment and conservation plan for the southern Washington Cascades. For summary information or to download the guidebook, please click here. Our guidebook is filled with new research on the impacts of climate change in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, as well as concrete actions that conservation groups and forest managers can take to mitigate those effects. We are already busy planning volunteer restoration trips for 2017; please stay tuned for updates on how YOU can can get involved in protecting our cherished public lands.
Despite current efforts in this nation to stop climate change solutions, we are rolling up our sleeves and moving forward with local on-the-ground efforts that will help our forests, wildlife, and communities better deal with the effects of climate change. The strategies and recommendations highlighted within the guidebook stress the importance of community partnerships and identify ways that citizens can get involved to make a difference in their national forest. This guide also outlines economic opportunities for local communities to become part of important restoration efforts. Assistance and input from climate researchers, scientists with the U.S. Forest Service, and local stakeholders were integral to this work.
The Wildlife and Climate Resilience Guidebook identifies a broad array of conservation and restoration strategies for protecting the ecosystems of the region, from beaver reintroduction to prescribed burning to citizen science monitoring projects. This guidebook outlines specific strategies and recommendations for aquatic ecosystems, forests, meadows, and alpine areas. It also includes an innovative habitat connectivity analysis that models connectivity for species that live in old growth forests. This analysis will improve efforts to protect habitat areas and corridors that are critical for connectivity and the health of wildlife populations.
We are beginning to implement an action plan based on the recommendations outlined in the guidebook. We hope to now share the guidebook widely with the public, other organizations, and agencies to help with planning and to improve the resilience of species and habitats of the Pacific Northwest. Climate change has the potential to impact many parts of our environment, but there are steps that can be taken to mitigate many of the severe impacts. By identifying the species and habitats most at risk as well as the best opportunities to build resilience within these ecosystems, we can be well-positioned to work together to positively affect change.
As always, we are grateful to our members and supporters for making projects like this possible. About half of our budget is funded by member donations, and your dollars go to programs that make a difference in protecting and conserving the wild places in the heart of the Cascades.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”35px”][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner][vc_gallery interval=”5″ images=”2403,2373,2323″ img_size=”large” onclick=”custom_link” custom_links_target=”_blank” custom_links=”#E-8_aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZjYXNjYWRlZm9yZXN0Lm9yZyUyRm91ci13b3JrJTJGY2xpbWF0ZS1yZXNpbGllbmNlJTJGJTJDaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZjYXNjYWRlZm9yZXN0Lm9yZyUyRm91ci13b3JrJTJGY2xpbWF0ZS1yZXNpbGllbmNlJTJGJTJDaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZjYXNjYWRlZm9yZXN0Lm9yZyUyRm91ci13b3JrJTJGY2xpbWF0ZS1yZXNpbGllbmNlJTJG”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”yes” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” css_animation=”” css=”.vc_custom_1465592094531{background-color: #96d1ae !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=”row” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=””][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space height=”125px”][latest_post_two number_of_columns=”3″ order_by=”date” order=”ASC” display_featured_images=”yes” number_of_posts=”3″][vc_empty_space height=”75px”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]
