Posts Tagged ‘ u.s. forest service ’

Coming Tuesday: Debating The Future Of Our National Forests

April 5, 2010
By

A view of the Calapooya Mountains in the Umpqua National Forest. Photo from U.S. Forest Service.

If you’re not happy with what’s going on in our National Forests, then this is the year to do something about it.

The Obama Administration is working on a new planning rule that will guide the future of all 155 National Forests and Grasslands across the country. What’s at stake? Big issues such as logging, mining, old growth, stream and river quality, wildlife and recreation.

On Tuesday, the Forest Service holds a series of public meetings in Portland to hear from Oregonians.

Read more »

Is Waldo Lake Motor Ban A Done Deal?

November 23, 2009
By
Waldo Lake. From the Oregon Department of State Lands.

Waldo Lake. From the Oregon Department of State Lands.

If the Eugene Register Guard is correct, tonight’s hearing on a proposed ban on gasoline boat motors at Waldo Lake could a a long, hot tempered affair.

But only sure to add some heat, is a new story in the paper that the ban may already be a done deal, signed weeks ago between the U.S. Forest Service and the head of the Oregon State Marine Board.

See Story: Motorized Boat Ban For Waldo Signed

Never mind that the neither first or the second public hearing haven’t been held. Nor has the Marine Board even voted on the proposal. But if the paper has this right, the ban is already in effect and basically waiting to be ratified by the board.

At near 5,400 feet in elevation, Waldo Lake is one of the highest in the state. It’s also quite large, nearly 6,300 acres in far eastern Lane County. The ban would make it the largest motor free lake in the state.

But what makes the lake so special are the pristine waters. Some reports claim you can see down 100 feet when conditions are right. The gas motor ban is designed to keep Waldo Lake crystal clear.

For more information on the when and where the meeting will be held, please see my Green Calendar For Monday story published a few minutes ago.

Protecting The “Wow” In The Columbia River Gorge

November 19, 2009
By
The view from Cape Horn. Photo by Darwin Durek, Bonneville Power Administration.

The view from Cape Horn. Photo by Darwin Durek, Bonneville Power Administration.

Unless you’re an avid hiker, there’s a decent chance you’ve never heard of the Cape Horn Trail.

This may be one of the Gorge’s best kept secrets. Ryan Ojerio of the Washington Trails Association compares it to a great restaurant that only foodies know about. Those who frequent this trail rave about the stunning views of the gorge, the beautiful wildflowers and wildlife, and the rare opportunity to hike behind a waterfall.

Well… the secret is about to come out.

The U.S. Forest Service is thinking about adding the Cape Horn Trail to the official system of trails in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. At a public meeting tonight in Stevenson, Wash., it will present three options. Two of them mean large sections of the trail would be closed permanently. The other alternative keeps most of the trail as it is now, but closes part of it for six months every year.

Which presents a problem of sorts for the group, Friends Of The Columbia Gorge. Friends has been working for years to purchase some 1,000 acres of land around Cape Horn. That’s allowed them, and others, to lovingly create this eight mile loop that takes hikers from the crest of Cape Horn and down along the river’s edge.

The trailhead is only about a half hour drive from the Portland-Vancouver metro area, which makes it one of the few recreational spots in the Western end of the Gorge. But since it’s on the Washington side, it’s not well known as other trails.

Friends Executive Director Kevin Gorman seems pleased that the Forest Service is ready to take stewardship of the trail. But even the best of the Forest Service options means moving the trail away from many of the stunning viewpoints that make it so outstanding. Gorman calls it the “Wow factor”. “With some hard work they could preserve the wow factor,” says Gorman. “But the way it stands now they’ll lose it.”

To be fair, the Forest Service has other things to consider besides scenery. The current trail goes through habitat for protected species such as the Peregrine Falcon, the Larch Mountain Salamander and the Pika. The six month closure is meant to help keep people away during nesting season.

That’s a compromise Gorman is willing to accept. So while the group is tentatively supporting the “best” option. It still wants to see some changes made to keep the “Wow factor” on the Cape Horn Trail.

About Tonight’s Meeting

  • What: Forest Service Public Meeting on the Cape Horn Trail Plan
  • Where: Rock Creek Center, 710 SW Rock Creek Drive, Stevenson, Wash.
  • When: 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Gorge Friends are supporting Alternative Two, but asking for modifications. For more information see their Shaping The Future Of The Cape Horn Trail webpage.

State Moving Forward On Possible Boat Motor Ban At Waldo Lake

November 3, 2009
By
Waldo Lake. From the Oregon Department of State Lands.

Waldo Lake. From the Oregon Department of State Lands.

The debate over banning boat motors from Waldo Lake is going to heat up over the next few months.

The Oregon State Marine Board has scheduled two hearings on the issue and has opened up a period for public comment. Details on that in a moment.

Here’s what the board is considering. The proposed rule would ban motorboats and float planes. Sailboats with auxiliary motors would be also be banned. But electric motors would be allowed. Some exceptions would be made for emergencies.

If the rule passes, it would make Waldo Lake the largest gas motor-free lake in the state. The lake is nearly 6,300 acres in size and sits some 5,400 feet high near the crest of the Cascades in eastern Lane County.

The U.S. Forest Service proposed a ban on gas motors at Waldo Lake two years ago and was ready to enforce the ban starting in July. But what followed was a long running legal battle over whether the feds, or the state, had the proper authority. A ruling in May by a U.S. Magistrate only confused the issue.

If the Marine Board agrees to the ban, it should settle the matter once and for all.

Supporters of the motor ban say the water of Waldo Lake is so unusually pure, that it deserves special protection. Its claimed that, under the right conditions, you can see the lake bottom 100 feet below the surface.

Opponents say its a matter of having access to one of Oregon’s great natural treasures. They says there’s no real evidence that gas motors are harming Waldo Lake.

And now, those details I promised earlier.

Here’s where to send those comments, deadline is December 15 at 5pm.

Email: osmb.rulemaking@state.or.us
Snail Mail: June LeTarte, OSMB, PO Box 14145, Salem, OR 97309
Fax: (503) 378-4597

Meanwhile, public hearings start in late November.

Monday, November 23, 6pm
Lane Co. Public Works, Goodson Room, 3040 N. Delta Hwy., Eugene, OR 97408.

Thursday, December 10, 6pm
Bend Fire & Rescue Training Center, Classroom 1, 63377 Jamison Rd., Bend, OR 97701

NW Enviros Thrilled As Bush Logging Plan For Western Oregon Is Killed

July 16, 2009
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As far as Oregon is concerned, this may be the biggest blow yet to Bush-era environmental policies. And local green groups couldn’t be happier.

Today, the Interior Department says it’s killing a plan that would greatly increase logging on about 2.6 million acres of federal forests in Western Oregon. The plan, known as the Western Oregon Plan Revisions (WOPR), was approved in the final weeks of the Bush Administration.

A Western Oregon Old Growth Forest. Courtesy BLM.

A Western Oregon Old Growth Forest. Courtesy BLM.

Why the change in direction?  Two reasons.

First, Interior says WOPR was approved too soon and that the Bush Administration failed to follow all the steps required by the Endangered Species law.  As a result, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says the plan is “legally indefensible” and “cannot stand up in court.”

Next, it point to problems with Bush Administration changes to the recovery plan for the Northern Spotted Owl.  Those changes, made in 2008, were used to help write the WOPR.  But an Inspector General’s report says the process was potentially jeopardized by a former Bush official using “improper political influence”.

U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service will take a new look at the recovery plan for the Northern Spotted Owl.

U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service will take a new look at the recovery plan for the Northern Spotted Owl.

As a result, Interior is asking a federal judge to toss out the Bush spotted owl plan and is directing the Fish and Wildlife Service to start work on a new one.

Among the Northwest environmental groups praising today’s news is Oregon Wild.  The group’s Doug Heiken says, “President Obama has pulled the plug on the most cynical attack on Oregon’s old growth forests in decades.”

Oregon Wild has been critical of the WOPR because it believes the plan allows too much logging on forests more than 80 years old.  These “mature forests” include old growth areas, and play vital roles in providing habitat for spotted owls, marbeled murrelets, and clean, cold streams for salmon.

Chuck Willer, Executive Director of the Coast Range Association, believes the decision will save the “best remaining native forest” in Oregon’s Coast Range.  “This is a gift to tomorrow’s children for a region in short supply of old growth forest and quality salmon habitat.”

No one expects a halt to logging in Western Oregon.  In fact, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar used today’s announcement to praise Governor Kulongoski, Senators Wyden and Merkley, and Congressman DeFazio for their work to build a consensus on how to move forward. “There is broadening agreement that it is time to reevaluate the logging of old growth forests on BLM lands,” says Salazar. “There is also agreement that logging should not occur in areas that would put water quality at risk, and we should fully consider advances in forestry and increased knowledge of species’ needs over the last two decades.”

VIDEO: Saving The Northern Spotted Owl

June 16, 2009
By

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.

Northern Spotted Owl Web 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.