Yes, there really was a nearly naked PETA protestor painted to look like Mother Earth.
There was also a woman dressed up as a polar bear trying to convince me the species wasn’t in trouble.
The rallies were peaceful. Though I did see one man being arrested. “You broke the law when you made contact with him,” I heard the police officer scold him. “But he was in my face yelling at me,” the arrested man protested. I felt sorry for the guy. He was led away in handcuffs.
If you only went by who rounded up the most supporters, then the night belonged to the Gore protestors. I’d guess a few hundred people came to the Americans For Prosperity rally next to Keller fountain. They obviously had been preparing for some time. One of the speakers mentioned something about a bus and car caravan coming down from the Puget Sound area.
There were only a few dozen Gore supporters, not too surprising considering environmental groups only heard about the protest plans the day before.
But it wasn’t until I began to walk around that I noticed something really important. Despite the rhetoric, despite the chants, people were talking to each other. Small groups – maybe a dozen or so by my count – of Gore supporters and protestors talking to each other, discussing the issues, trying to make sense of it all. They were passionate, intelligent, knowledgeable and above all, respectful to the those they disagreed with.
Things turned kind of stupid when the Americans For Prosperity Rally broke up and the protestors walked Keller Auditorium chanting, “Gore Lies!” This was followed by some yelling back and forth across SW 3rd Ave. None of it was very illuminating.
But those small person-to-person conversations continued. I’m not sure any minds were changed. But was good to see that despite the strong feelings on both sides, ordinary Oregonians were still taking part in an important conversation about climate change, global warming and how we move forward.
Meet Steve Wick. He’s a Yamhill County hazelnut farmer who’s so old-school he still calls them filberts. He’s an anti-LNG activist, self described “big mouth”, and if all goes according to plan, a soon to be viral video sensation
Wick stars in a new YouTube video (see below) that’s trying to get people’s attention about the Palomar Pipeline, a 220-mile natural gas pipeline that runs through the heart of Oregon’s wine country, Willamette Valley farm land, and the Mt. Hood National Forest. “Oregon’s bread basket,” as Wick likes to call it.
For Wick, it’s a personal battle. The proposed route runs through the middle of his small farm, cutting a 150-foot wide path in a field where he wants to plant grapes and across 20 acres of forest that he and his wife have nurtured since moving here in 1992. If the pipeline goes in, Wick won’t be able to plant those grapes or replace the trees that would be cut down. Just the idea that a pipeline might come in means there’s not much he can do with his property until the issue is settled. “I’m up in limbo here,” he says.
Wick isn’t alone. He tells of one neighbor whose organic farm will be destroyed by the Palomar Pipeline. Others he knows will lose chunks of their hazelnut orchards.
And one more thing. “A lot of people don’t know about this,” says Wick. One of the partners in this project is NW Natural Gas, the home-grown, Portland based company that’s been around since before Oregon was a state. In Wick’s view, “They’re doing this to Oregon and there’s no need for it.”
It’s that last point that has become the central message for Wick and others working to block the pipeline. They formed a campaign called Hey! NW Natural that’s using social media tools like Facebook and Twitter to get NW Natural customers and shareholders involved in the fight against Palomar. Well known environmental groups like the Oregon Sierra Club, Columbia Riverkeeper, Bark and Friends of Living Oregon Waters are helping to spread the word.
Monica Vaughan is one of the organizers of the social media effort, which kicked off less than a week ago. “We’re asking NW Natural customers,” she says, “to think about where your gas is coming from.” Like Wick, she says most people in the Portland area aren’t aware that the utility is developing the pipeline. She hopes the video and website will help farmers tell their stories, and convince customers to take action to block Palomar. Future plans include handing out anti-LNG inserts that can be mailed in with utility bills and anti-LNG stickers to slap on natural gas meters.
Her goal, get NW Natural to drop Palomar before its next stockholder meeting in May of 2010.
Ask Wick what’s so bad about Palomar and he can list a number of things. Like others in the anti-LNG movement he says none of the natural gas that will flow through Palomar will serve people in Oregon, even though our state will feel all the impact. The Palomar website is vague on the point, saying it will deliver gas to Oregon and “other western states”. For many anti-LNG’ers, that means its really going to California.
Palomar is also controversial because it ties in to the proposed Bradwood Landing LNG Plant on the Columbia River near Astoria. Opponents are concerned that Bradwood poses a risk to salmon habitat, to fishing and shipping on the river, and is a danger to public safety. Without Palomar, Bradwood isn’t connected to interstate pipelines. So anti-LNG opponents hope that by killing one project, they can kill both of them.
It’s impressive to see how the Northwest has come together to help all those birds that have been left sick and dying from the algae bloom on the North Oregon and Washington coasts. The Daily Astorian has done a great job staying on top events. Check out today’s story before it goes behind their “pay it to read it” wall.
One of the big developments in the past 24 hours is that the Coast Guard brought in a C-130 cargo plane and transferred about 350 birds to rehabilitation center in California.
Here’s video from the Coast Guard showing the birds being loaded for the trip south.
And to see their arrival, watch this video from Sacramento News10, the ABC affiliate.
This is a Guest Editorial written by Rob Klavins, Roadless Wildlands Advocate for Oregon Wild.
Oregonians are rightfully celebrating the legislature’s recent decision to protect one of our natural treasures – the unspoiled lands along the Metolius River. Meanwhile, just 100 miles to the south, on the doorstep of the crown jewel of Oregon, a Bush-era logging plan is threatening to destroy thousands of acres of pristine forests and recreation areas. Despite President Obama’s much more environmentally-friendly attitude, and what ought to be the greenest Congress in decades, a logging project targeting roadless wildlands on the doorsteps of Crater Lake National Park continues to roll forward. Oregon’s leaders need to start paying attention, step up, and do what they can to stop it. A few have, but others are notable by their silence.
Courtesy National Park Service
The D-Bug Timber Sale is about as ugly as its name. The project area extends north from the border of Crater Lake National Park, extending 10 miles beyond Diamond Lake. East to west, it stretches from the edges of the Mt. Thielsen Wilderness to the backcountry around Mount Bailey. This one timber sale includes more logging in roadless areas than occurred across the entire country during the entire Bush administration. Adding insult to injury, it proposes to turn miles of hiking trails in the Cascade Recreation Area into logging roads, and the Umpqua National Forest is diverting federal stimulus dollars to help pay for it.
Oregon Wild strongly supports common-sense projects that appropriately address legitimate threats to health and human property, and a tiny portion of DBug does that. Thinning around Diamond Lake to protect cabins and structures makes sense. However, large-scale commercial logging in some of Oregon’s most pristine backcountry recreation areas does not.
Got a nail? I’ve got a hammer.
Trying to find the right tool to stop reckless developments near the Metolius was tricky. This shouldn’t be a problem with D-Bug. In 2001, then-President Bill Clinton enacted the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation rule, instructing the Forest Service that America’s remaining roadless wildlands should stay that way. Under the roadless rule, hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, rafting etc… are encouraged in our remaining roadless areas, as are projects to improve wildlife habitat and address legitimate fire risks. However, these areas were put off-limits to commercial logging, mining, and other destructive development.
Unfortunately, the Bush administration spent 8 years trying to repeal the 2001 Roadless Rule, despite the enormous support it enjoys from businesses in the outdoor recreation industry, scientists, conservationists, sportsmen, economists, religious leaders, and elected leaders across the country. Here in Oregon this year, the Rule has received support from Governor Kulongoski, former (and perhaps future) Governor Kitzhaber, Bill Bradbury, Les AuCoin, John Kroger, and many, many more.
Forest Follies
As with so many other issues, when it came to roadless policy, the administration inherited a mess. During the campaign, President Obama said he would “be proud to support and defend [the Rule]”. On May 28th, he took a major step by issuing an interim directive providing the Secretary of Agriculture final decision-making authority over all roadless projects. The goal of the directive was to “provide consistency and clarity that will help our National Forests until a long-term roadless policy reflecting President Obama’s commitment is developed”. Many cheered the news and dubbed it a “roadless timeout”.
This was wishful thinking. Just last week, the Secretary approved a 381-acre roadless clearcut in America’s largest rainforest. Unfortunately, perhaps emboldened by mixed signals from the administration, Umpqua National Forest Manager Clifford Dils isn’t taking the hint, and continues to spend scarce federal tax dollars to advance his D-Bug sale by pointing to “uncertainty” over whether or not roadless areas will be protected in the future.
This isn’t a jobs vs. the environment debate. Roadless area protection has long enjoyed enormous support from the outdoor recreation industry. In January, a coalition of over 90 outdoor recreation businesses, including well-known brands like JanSport, Kelty, Filson, Sierra Designs, Montrail, Scott Fly Rods, and Cascade Designs, sent a letter to Obama urging him to support the 2001 Roadless Rule. They’ve since been joined by dozens more. Few Americans enjoy hiking through clear cuts or fishing in a river buried by a mudslide. Protecting our remaining pristine roadless areas is one way to preserve both Oregon’s tourism and recreation economy and our quality of life.
Where does Oregon fit in?
Oregon’s outdoor businesses, elected officials, and citizens have long led the charge in trying to protect roadless wild areas. Clinton’s 2001 Roadless Rule came out of the most extensive public involvement process in federal rule-making history. On a per-capita basis, Oregonians submitted more public comment than any other state (over 90% were in favor). In 2006, Governor Kulongoski joined with state leaders in Washington, California, and New Mexico to sue the Bush administration to stop its repeal of the Rule. Also in 2006, Representatives Blumenauer, DeFazio, Hooley, and Wu cosponsored legislation to make the Roadless Rule permanent. Oregon businesses, from Keen Footwear to Clackacraft drift boats, also support protection for roadless areas.
The plan to log on the doorstep of Crater Lake has made it frighteningly clear how important it is that protection for our remaining pristine roadless wildlands not be subject to the whim of changing administrations. As we speak, Representatives and Senators are signing on to co-sponsor the Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2009. So far, Senator Merkley and Congressmen Blumenauer, DeFazio, and Wu have stepped up and joined nearly 100 other conservation champions in doing so.
When the Metolius was threatened by shortsighted development interests, pressure was brought to bear on our leaders in Salem, and ultimately they did the right thing. Now that wildlands around Crater Lake are being threatened, Oregon’s Congressional leaders must do the same.
As chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests, Ron Wyden is in the perfect position to help protect the wildlands around Crater Lake, and roadless areas across the country. Put simply, his opinion matters when it comes to forest issues. A good first step would be taking a public position against logging pristine roadless areas around Crater Lake. By doing so he can help put the brakes on the project.
Senator Wyden should join with Senator Cantwell, Senator Merkley, and over a dozen other Senators and support legislation to permanently protect America’s remaining unspoiled roadless areas. Click below to find out how you can join with hundreds of other Oregonians urging Senator Wyden to support roadless area protection.
Welcome to our first video story produced for Natural Oregon.
Recently, we joined researcher David Wiens of Oregon State University on a field trip in the forests near Veneta, Oregon. He and his team are studying the competition between the Northern Spotted Owl and the Barred Owl, a relative newcomer to the state. We got some amazing close up views of Spotted Owls, including a fledgling. You’ll see those images in our video.
As Wiens reminds us, the loss of old growth forest habitat is still the top reason for the decline in Spotted Owl numbers. But the Barred Owl is only making things worse. When Barred Owls move in to old growth areas, the Spotted Owls are almost always driven out, never to be seen again. Where they’re going, and what’s happening to them, are just some of the questions Wiens is trying to answer.
He’s also trying to learn more about how the two species compete. Are they fighting over the same territory? Are they fighting over the same food? Do Barred Owls deserve some of the blame for the Spotted Owl decline? Or are they just taking advantage of it?
Barred Owls have the upper hand in this fight. They’re bigger, stronger and more aggressive. They’ll eat just about any small animal in the forest, including mice, voles, squirrels, fish, snails and crayfish. Native to eastern forests, they migrated across Southern Canada before invading the Pacific Northwest.
Spotted Owls are fussier eaters. They’ll travel far and wide for their preferred prey, Northern Flying Squirrels and Tree Voles. They’re also more dependent on old growth for places to nest.
The results of Wiens studies could have major implications for how old growth is managed in the Northwest. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering shooting Barred Owls to keep their numbers in check, and help Spotted Owls survive. But Wiens research may lead to non-lethal ways to control Barred Owl populations.
Wiens primary sponsor for this $850,000 research project is the U.S. Geological Society. Other agencies contributing include the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, National Park Service and the Oregon Department of Forestry. The field work wraps up by the end of summer.
Reintroduced into the wild only 18 months ago, the fisher is off to a strong comeback in Washington state.
New video released by Washington Fish and Wildlife, and the Olympic National Park, shows a mother fisher carrying four little ones down from their den in a tree. It’s the first proof we have that the fishers are reproducing on their own, in their once native territory.
Mother fisher carrying a kit. Courtesy National Park Service.
The images were captured on an automated camera placed deep in the woods on the Olympic peninsula, southeast of Port Angeles, Wash. Getting the images was no small feat. It took biologists several weeks of hiking and tracking to find the den and install the camera.
“This is a very exciting outcome,” says Phil Anderson, WDFW’s interim director. Anderson says it’s sign that the reintroduction program is off to a good start. The photos, plus evidence that other fisher females are denning, he says, “Give great hope for the future of fisher recovery in Washington.”
Fishers were wiped out in Washington state by the middle of the last century due to hunting and loss of habitat. They’re on the state’s endangered species list. The reintroduction program began in January of 2008, and since then 36 fishers have been released in the Olympic National Forest. A final group will be released next winter, and then the program begins ten years of monitoring.
It’s not the same as taking a helicopter ride over Mt. St. Helens, but three new videos posted on the National Volcanic Monument’s website are the next best thing.
The videos take you on a tour of the crater, the crater rim, and the blast zone. They were produced by Immersive Media of Portland.
What makes them so cool, is that you can control the angle of the camera in almost all directions. Want to see what’s going on behind you in real time? Just click on the video and move the mouse.
So take a few minutes when the boss isn’t looking and indulge yourself.
As Wiens reminds us, the loss of old growth forest habitat is still the top reason for the decline in Spotted Owl numbers. But the Barred Owl is only making things worse. When Barred Owls move in to old growth areas, the Spotted Owls are almost always driven out, never to be seen again. Where they’re going, and what’s happening to them, are just some of the questions Wiens is trying to answer.
