Our Quarantine Reading List (part 2 )

Part two of our quarantine reading list features submissions from Suzanne Whitney and Lucy Brookham. We hope these great reads inspire, intrigue and entertain you as we work together to flatten the curve. Stay safe everyone, we’re in this together.

– The CFC Team

 

SUZANNE WHITNEY  Science and Restoration Manager

 

Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World

by Mark Kurlansky 

This is a fascinating and accessible book that explores the intersections among ecology, human history, food, and conservation. The global impact of this one species is amazing! If it leaves you wanting more, follow up with Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg.

 
 

Northwest Trees: Identifying and Understanding the Region’s Native Trees

By Ramona Hammerly and Stephen Arno

While sheltering in place, I’ve been digging into a couple of books to beef up my knowledge of Pacific Northwest species. In particular, I’m enjoying Northwest Trees: Identifying and Understanding the Region’s Native Trees by Stephen Arno. This book includes beautiful illustrations and spends several pages providing deeper information on each species. It’s a great compliment to a comprehensive field guide.

 

All That the Rain Promises and More…

by David Arora

Want to think about mushrooms instead? All that the Rains Promise and More… is a fun place to start.
 
 
 

Prodigal Summer

by Barbara Kingsolver

A sweet novel that weaves conservation issues (pesticide use, importance of predators, conservation genetics) into a story that connects several members of a small community in southern Appalachia. If you don’t do fiction, Kingsolver also writes lovely essays that combine human experience and her passion for natural history; High Tide in Tucson is a nice collection.

 
 

Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth

by E.O. Wilson

If you enjoyed Shiloh’s recommendation of A Sand County Almanac, you could try The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth by E.O Wilson. This book is a plea from a southern gentleman and one of the greatest minds in ecology in which he makes a case for why conservation should be a priority for religious leaders (and everyone).

 

Desert Solitare

By Edward Abbey

If you prefer a more radical take, I also love Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. Leopold, Wilson and Abbey are very different authors with different motivations, but they all make the case for conservation and preservation in personal ways based on their own life experiences.

 
 
 

LUCY BROOKHAM  Policy Manager

 

The Book of Fire

by William H. Cottrell

A short and highly illustrated book for all ages – introducing non-scientists to the anatomy of wildfire. Beginning at the molecular level, the book illustrates and describes the process of flame-progression, from how a twig catches fire to how an entire forest burns.
 

Sea and Smoke: Flavors from the Untamed Pacific Northwest

by Blaine Wetzel and Joe Ray

An ambitious cookbook celebrating the cuisine of hyperlocalism inspired by the rugged coastal location of Lummi Island.

 
 

The Man Who Planted Trees

by Richard Powers

A poetic and inspiring story of one man’s quest to clone the world’s champion trees in an effort to save the planet’s essential ecosystems. A light and easy read that incorporates forest ecology and storytelling.

Our Quarantine Reading List (part 1)

Looking for something new to read? CFC staff have compiled a list of some of our favorite books to help us all feel connected to the outdoors while we stay inside to fight the spread of the virus. Enjoy, and keep an eye out for part two of our list, coming soon. 

 

MOLLY WHITNEY  Executive Director

 

Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner 

A book that discusses water policy and management in the West, and how this management has largely led to the diminishment and detriment of our water. The book is a mix of research, reporting, and personal experience.

 
 

A Walk in the Woods

By Bill Bryson

 Bryson’s book is sure to capture you and take you on the trail with him as he hikes the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. He narrates in a manner that lets you experience the journey with humor, wonder and knowledge. 

 

The Lorax

by Dr. Suess

Not all the great environmental reads are complex… Dr. Seuss captures some of the best messages and the plights of the environment through the eyes of the Lorax, a character who “speaks for the trees”. Perfect for children and adults alike, this read will remind you why CFC too “speaks for the trees” and how we all can make a difference toward protecting the places we love. 

 

BRYN HARDING  Communications Manager

 

Indians of the Pacific Northwest: From the Coming of the White Man to the Present Day

by Vine Deloria Jr.

The best history out there dealing with the tribes indigenous to the NW. This book helped me better understand the stories of the people and places where I live.

 
 

Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave like Humans

by John M. Marzluff and Tony Angell. 

This book is a fascinating read that will make you appreciate and marvel at the wildlife closest to home in a whole new way.

 
 

The Overstory: A Novel

by Richard Powers

This book is an incredible multigenerational tale of activism and resistance told in a totally unique way. It’s hard to describe exactly, but it’s wonderful. Ann Patchett called it “The best novel ever written about trees, and really just one of the best novels, period.”

 
 

MICHAL ORCZYK Development Manager

Inside Passage: A Journey Beyond Borders

by Richard Manning

Manning blends biography, history and science into stories about our connection to the natural world. It is very honest and bold, and you will learn some hard truths!

 
 

Ever Wild: A Lifetime on Mount Adams

by Darryl Lloyd

A really fascinating book about the history, exploration, and geology of a mountain most people don’t know much about. Darryl lived and worked most of his life at the foot of Mount Adams and he’s a long-time friend of CFC. 

 
 

SHILOH HALSEY Director of Programs

 

Sand County Almanac

by Aldo Leopold

A poetic and monumental conservation book published in the 1940s that eloquently describes the daily and cyclical habits of woodland forest species as well as the policies and approaches to saving threatened species throughout the country. Should be required reading for conservation folks!

 
 

Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide

by Robert Michael Pyle

A book about a journey through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. What else do I have to say?

 
 
 

The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America

by Timothy Egan

A book about Teddy Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot (the person), and their efforts to protect land in the West. It also talks about the great fire that started a cascade of environmental and logging actions in the early part of the 20th century. 

 
 
 

AMANDA KEASBERRY Science and Stewardship Manager

 

The Invention of Nature 

by Andrea Wulf

Read this book to learn about one of the most adventurous and fascinating naturalists from the 18th century – Alexander von Humboldt. Humbolt was way before his time, and truly understood the interconnectedness of the world around him. 

 
 

Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast

by Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon

This is easily my favorite field guide for plants in the PNW. But it is more than just a plant ID book. The “Notes” section for each plant usually features interesting facts like how the plant was discovered, why it has a certain nickname, or how the plant was used among different cultures. 

 
 

The Poetic Inventory of Rocky Mountain National Park

edited by Charles Malone

I was on a road trip from Oregon to Alabama and we didn’t have time to stop and hike in the Rocky Mountain National Park, but we did stop at a local bookstore. I found this anthology of fiction, non-fiction and poems about RMNP. Each writer’s passion for the park really shined through. Being able to read this collection was second best to actually being there.

We’re working to protect the world-famous pumice plain

The Pumice Plain created by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens is a place like nowhere else on earth. Unlike the majority of the blast zone, the superheated pyroclastic flows that swept over this area forty years ago sterilized all life, effectively leaving behind an ecologically blank slate. The Pumice Plain created a unique opportunity for scientists and researchers to study nature’s return to a barren landscape in an area that has been protected from human intervention for the past 40 years. There are currently over thirty active research studies helping us understand the process of ecological recolonization to a degree that would be impossible without this site. Now, this proposed project puts all of this in jeopardy.

The US Forest Service has put forward plans to build a road through the heart of this irreplaceable landscape. The proposed road is a threat to the area’s streams, rivers, and lakes. If built, this road will pass over five permanent streams and 10 seasonal streams which together represent five separate watersheds, wholly created after the 1980 eruption. Pristine newborn watersheds like these do not exist anywhere else on earth. The proposed road would lead to soil erosion and deliver harmful sediment into streams and, subsequently, into Spirit Lake. Worse still, each stream-crossing would likely wash out every season, requiring excavation and rebuilding. All this sediment will force aquatic insects and fish to move downstream, negatively impact water quality, and damage stream and lakebed habitats.

If completed, the road would be passed over by 1,980 passenger vehicles, 84 tractor-trailers, 464 single-unit trucks and 6-10 drill rigs every year. The proposed road would need disruptive and damaging annual maintenance, and open the door for the introduction of invasive species onto this pristine landscape. It would also permanently close the Windy Ridge, the Plains of Abraham, and the Truman Trail–disrupting people’s ability to enjoy this world-renown spot through recreational hiking, biking, and hunting.

The need for a new Forest Service road to Spirit Lake is real. The agency needs easier access to important infrastructure around Spirit Lake to prevent overflow and protect downstream communities. However, we believe that there are adequate alternatives that would alleviate many of the negative impacts of the proposed plan while still providing the necessary access. Given the ecological harm the proposed road would cause, CFC is asking the US Forest Service to explore alternatives before committing to a plan that necessitates disruptions to a beautiful, one-of-a-kind landscape.

This isn’t the first time the US Forest Service has proposed building a road here. In fact, it’s the third. This time, the agency announced the plan on December 17, 2019, immediately preceding the winter holidays. Agency staff were out of the office for a majority of the public comment period. The US Forest Service elected to forgo the typical National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process by declining to entertain public comment after the final Environmental Assessment (EA) has been published.

We are currently waiting on the final EA and will provide updates as they become available. We have submitted comments (which you can read here) and will continue to advocate for alternatives that leave the Pumice Plains intact and protect the communities near Spirit Lake. You can make a donation in any amount to help support our work here.Continue reading

Good News for Salmon and Steelhead

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.

A recreational suction dredge mining operations in a Washington stream

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.

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION PASSES RESOLUTION

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NWF Passes Resolution Against Mount St. Helens Mine

 
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:
 

National Wildlife Federation June 9, 2018 Resolutions

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]

Changes to Federal Forest Policy in 2018 Spending Bill

[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.

The Roadless Rule protects Inventoried Roadless Areas like Siouxon Creek from road building and logging.

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.
Post-fire forest near Mt. Adams

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 
[/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=”161″ 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=”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]

Press Release: Mining Exploration Approved Near Mount St. Helens

[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
 
[/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=”164,161,145″ 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=”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]

Northwest Old-Growth Forests: Carbon Storage Stars

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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]

Big Tree Hunting in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest

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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]