Vol 29 #3 - Winter 2002

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Wild Oregon ONRC Newsletter of the Oregon Natural Resources Council Fall 2002 Volume 29, No. 3 Inside: Logging Old-Growth Forests in the Name of Fire Prevention Salmon Tragedy in the Klamath Basin Wilderness Conference & Wilderness Week Photos

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Inside: Logging Old-Growth Forests in the Name ofFire Prevention Salmon Tragedy in the Klamath Basin Wilderness Conference & Wilderness Week Photos OONNRRCC Newsletter ofthe Oregon Natural Resources Council Fall 2002 Volume 29,No.3

Transcript of Vol 29 #3 - Winter 2002

Page 1: Vol 29 #3 - Winter 2002

Wild OOregon OONNRRCC

Newsletter of the Oregon Natural Resources Council Fall 2002 Volume 29, No. 3

Inside:Logging Old-Growth Forests in the Name of Fire PreventionSalmon Tragedy in the Klamath BasinWilderness Conference & Wilderness Week Photos

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Dear Friends,

Fall is upon us. Some fires have subsided and others areburning. Roadless areas and old-growth forests inOregon burned - but how hot? Aerial and groundsurveys proceed, revealing significant information that

will contribute to a reasoned discussion about forestprotection and management. To that end, ONRC brings

firefighters, scientists, economists, and conservationists togetherfor the Oregon Wilderness Conference at Reed College on October 19th. Pleasejoin us there! (See page 11 for complete details.)

When Colorado forest fires burned, homes were lost and several firefighters (mosten route to fires) were killed. Timber industry claims that conservationists wereresponsible for forest fires led to a series of administrative and congressionalproposals which would jettison citizen input in forest management decisions andbar the courtroom door. With your help, we have staved off some proposals thatwould ultimately harm communities, roadless areas, old-growth forests anddrinking water supplies.

ONRC continues to fight for a sensible policy and legislation to enhance protectionfor communities within the framework of existing environmental law. (See page 6.)Further congressional attempts to log big trees and limit citizen oversight surfacedthis week so we'll be calling on you for help once again. Thank you for your efforts!

As I write, over 30,000 salmon lie newly dead in the Klamath River. The Bushadministration, allied with powerful upper basin irrigators, stacked committees,"spun" the science and cut water deliveries to the river by 25-30% this year.It is shocking that wasteful irrigation practices, some of which led to costly roaddamage this summer, continue while chinook and coho salmon perish.

The repercussions from the Bush administration's new ten year Klamath Basinwater policy are staggering. The Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge is bonedry as millions of waterfowl and hundreds of bald eagles are winging their waytowards the Klamath Basin during their fall migration.

These are challenging times, to say the least. The arrival of Jay Ward, ONRC'snew Conservation Director, could not come at a better time. (See page 10.) Wewelcome Jay and extend our thanks to Doug Heiken for his strong service as ActingConservation Director during the past year! With your support, ONRC’sdedicated staff will continue to protect and defend the Oregon we love.

For the wild,

ONRONRC’S MISSION:C’S MISSION:

From the Director

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By Regna Merritt [email protected]

Regna Merritt Jay Ward

Jacki RicheyDavid Wilkins

Susan AshSumner Robinson

Alex Brown Erik Fernandez

Joy Prideaux Brad Aaron

Nanci ChamplinErin Fagley

Executive Director........................Conservation Director...........................Director of Finance & Admin.............Development Director.....................Wilderness Campaign Director.............Web Site/Info. Systems Mgr.....Grassroots Coordinator.....................Adopt-a-Wilderness/GIS .............Volunteer Coordinator....................Membership Assistant.......................Executive Assistant....................Office Administrator.........................

M A I N O F F I C E5825 N. Greeley Avenue Portland, OR 97217

phone: 503.283.6343 fax: 503.283.075624-hour Action Line, ext. 403 [email protected] www.onrc.org

To aggressively protect and restoreOregon’s wild lands, wildlife and waters

as an enduring legacy.

W E S T E R N F I E L D O F F I C E Mailing Address: P.O. Box 11648, Eugene, OR 97440

Street Address: 454 Willamette, Suite 203phone: 541.344.0675 fax: 541.343.0996

Western OR Field Rep..................NW OR Field Rep......................... Conservation Administrator........

Doug HeikenJeremy Hall

Leeanne Siart

E A S T E R N F I E L D O F F I C E 16 NW Kansas, Bend, OR 97701

phone: 541.382.2616 fax: 541.385.3370

Tim Lillebo

Wendell Wood

Eastern OR Field Rep.....................

Southern OR Field Rep..............

S O U T H E R N F I E L D O F F I C E P.O. Box 8040 Brookings, OR 97415

phone: 541.783.2206

* Board member of ONRC Action only.

ONRC Fund is a tax-exempt, non-profit charitable organization.ONRC Action is a tax-exempt, non-profit social welfare organiza-

tion. Contributions to ONRC Fund are tax-deductible for those whoitemize; contributions to ONRC Action are not. Staff are employeesof ONRC Fund, which contracts with ONRC Action to carry out itsactivities. Portions of this newsletter are paid for by ONRC Action.

B O A R D O F F I C E R S O F O N R C A C T I O N & O N R C F U N D

President- Pat Clancy Secretary/Treasurer- Jan Wilson

B O A R D M E M B E R S

Brian MaguireJulie PapaveroRand Schenck

Jim BakerLauren EssermanGary Guttormsen

Mike Helm*Mary Holmstrom

Scott Lewis

Cover: ONRC’s Tim Lillebo inspects a “Fuel Reduction Project”which logged old-growth giants in the Deschutes National Forest.

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The email address for each ONRC staff member:[email protected] (for example: [email protected])

ONRC Wild Oregon • 2 • Fall 2002

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on our environment, ONRC's staffhas acted and reacted with unsur-passed energy, strategic intelligenceand unflagging enthusiasm in doingthe work your membership supports.

In the coming months and years,I plan on putting my all intoONRC's work - protecting the wildplaces that make Oregon so remark-able. In doing so, I know I havethe best partnersanyone could askfor: ONRC staffand you, our mem-bers. I hope to beable to draw onyour knowledge andexperience to lever-age all the organiza-tion's strengths tocontinue aggressive-ly protecting anddefending Oregon'swild lands, wildlife,and waters.

I consider it aprivilege to workfor and with suchdedicated people. Ihope to be worthyof the trust you haveplaced in me.

For the earth,Jay Ward

P.S. I hope to meetyou all at ONRC’sannual WildernessConference comingup on Saturday,October 19th atReed College inPortland! (See page11 for details.)

t's been said that the best train-ing you can get is the “on-the-job/sink or swim” kind. If this

is true, I should be one of the best-trained conservationists in recentmemory. After twelve years volun-teering with ONRC, and six years asa board member, I believed I under-stood the scope and intensity of theONRC staff ’s work. I was incorrect,to say the least.

My first four days as ONRC’sConservation Director were spenton the Klamath River withWendell Wood, our Southern OregonField Representative. BetweenWendell's descriptions of foreststructure, water use and misuse, andlocal politics, I considered applyingfor some kind of continuing educa-tion credit. And that was beforeequally impressive meetings with ourKlamath Coalition partners to reviewstrategies for protecting and restoringthe Klamath Basin ecosystem.

I was back in the Portland office foronly a few days when the Presidentcame to Oregon to discuss his planfor logging… uh, I mean "saving"the forests from fire. At the sametime, Senator Wyden unveiled aproposal to protect western Oregonold-growth forests, while boostinglogging in old-growth forests east ofthe Cascades. Next came two otherhorrible legislative proposals claim-ing to "solve" the fire problem.During the crisis, ONRC staffworked overtime, generating hun-dreds of phone calls and petitionsensuring that your voice was heardon Capitol Hill.

Through the recent onslaught oflegislative and administrative attacks

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Conservation Director’s ReportSu

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Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire...Transferring from board to staff during a hot time for Oregon’s environment

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Working for ONRC means protecting wilderness, old-growthforests, and wildlife - just another day on the job!

“ONRC’s staff has actedand reacted with unsurpassed energy, strategic intelligence andunflagging enthusiasmin doing the work yourmembership supports.”

-Jay Ward

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• 4 •ONRC Wild Oregon Fall 2002

McInnis and Dubya and Craig- Oh My!Washington D.C. Update

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Legislators seek to “log without laws” under the guise of fire prevention

land management activities, especial-ly ones masquerading as fire preven-tion projects, into private hands.Rep. Larry Combest (R-TX) hasintroduced the administration's bill(HR 5376) into the House ofRepresentatives.

Not to be outdone, Rep. ScottMcInnis (R-CO) is working withOregon’s Rep. DeFazio to passanother disastrous bill (HR 5319) outof the House Resources Committee.McInnis's bill is so broadly writtenthat it could open up more thantwo thirds of the nation's forests,

including old growth androadless areas, to so-calledfuel reduction treatment.

McInnis's bill would alsoshort circuit the appealsprocess, requiring a re-sponse within five days ofan agency announcing a“fuel reduction project.”Given the makeup of theHouse of Representatives,passage of the McInnis billseems likely. Its defeat inthe Senate is our best hope.

Like a well-dressed versionof the Eveready™ bunny,Senator Larry Craig (R-ID)just keeps on going, beatingthe administration's drumin the Senate. Not contentwith mugging the forestsburned during 1995's fireseason, he is greasing theskids for a sequel to theinfamous "logging withoutlaws" Salvage Rider thatdecimated our most trea-sured old-growth forests.And like most sequels, it's

growth forests to pay for fuelreduction projects.

It goes without saying that ONRC isopposed to any transfer of public

Under the guise ofreducing the risk of

fire, President Bush,Senator Craig, and

Representatives Combestand McInnis are giving

the timber industryunfettered access to the

oldest, grandest trees left in our forests.

sing this season's forestfires as a backdrop, theBush administration and

several opportunistic politicians areproposing schemes that would over-turn environmental protections, stiflecitizens' democratic rights and turnthe federal courts into powerlessbystanders.

President Bush's "Healthy ForestsInitiative" reads like a wish list forthe timber industry. Under the guiseof "streamlining" National Forestmanagement laws, the Bush adminis-tration has proposed redefiningthe type of projects excludedfrom environmental analysisand review.

Categorical Exclusions(CEs) are used mostly forprojects with little or noenvironmental impacts (i.e.moving a picnic table,pruning some small treesin a campground, etc.) Suchprojects are not requiredto undergo any environmen-tal analysis. Broad issuanceof CEs on all forests "sus-ceptible to, or at risk of fire"would allow old-growth androadless area logging inevery forest east of theCascades and most forestsin southern Oregon!

Furthermore, the adminis-tration is pushing a schemethat transfers managementof the national forests toprivate timber companiesunder ten year long"Stewardship Contracts."Private companies couldthen log mature and old-

UU

These old-growth giants were felled during the 1995 SalvageRider, which permitted “logging without laws.”

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ONRC Wild Oregon • 5 • Fall 2002

worse than the first.

Under the guise ofreducing the risk offire, President Bush,Senator Craig, andRe p r e s e n t a t i ve sCombest and Mc-Innis are working togive the timberindustry unfetteredaccess to the oldest,grandest, and mostfire resistant treesleft in our forests.

Under the Bush andCraig proposals,if logging corpora-tions or agenciesare violating envi-ronmental laws, thecourts can't stop them. While theseproposals would allow judges to hearthe case, examine the evidence andrule, courts would be entirely barredfrom actually enforcing the law.Any ruling would land in a fieldof stumps.

President Bush and Senator Craig'sproposals simply take the "public"out of “public lands.” While conser-vationists, scientists and industryagree there is plenty of thinning andbrush clearing to be done, legislative“riders” which thwart civic participa-tion and judicial oversight wouldbe undemocratic and ecologicallydisastrous.

The most cost-effective way toprevent damaging forest fires is toallocate funds to protect the areasmost at risk - the homes and commu-nities that lie adjacent to, or withinthe National Forests. The Forest

By Jay Ward [email protected]

“The debate currently raging in Congress - ostensibly over the issue of forest health -is a prime example of how easily political sustainability can be sacrificed to the false hope

of short term economic gain.” - Governor John Kitzhaber

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1) Call your Senators! Senator Wyden: (202)224-5244Senator Smith: (202)224-3753Tell them to support a common sensefire policy that protects the people andproperty most at risk. Urge them tooppose any legislation that would: - weaken existing environmental laws;- curtail public participation in manage-ment decisions on public land; or - increase logging in our roadless andold-growth forests.

Chairman of theNatural ResourcesCommittee, hewields extraordinaryinfluence in theSenate. Now morethan ever, we needSenator Wyden tostand firm andsupport our nation'senvironmental lawsand democraticprocesses. In 1996and in 1999 he stuckto his principles andhelped derail envi-ronmentally damag-ing and democrati-cally dubious effortsstating "I believeimportant environ-mental legislation

deserves the full consideration ofCongress. Consequently, I havealways strongly opposed anti-environ-mental riders."

It is vital that he use his clout todefend environmental laws, ourforests and the communities most atrisk from fire. Especially now.

Even trees on the Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge are proposed for loggingunder the name of fuel reduction. Visit www.onrc.org/alerts/127.lognwr.html to viewphotos of recent logging and proposed logging plans for the Refuge.

Service is currently executing amodel fuel reduction project near thetown of Chiloquin under existingrules. Thinning like this can beaccomplished quickly, efficiently andwithout gutting our nation's mostimportant environmental safeguards.House bill (HR 5358), co-sponsoredby Rep. Blumenauer, is encouragingbecause it focuses funding in themost threatened areas while main-taining environmental laws andcitizens' rights to participate in man-agement decisions on public lands.

It isn't over yet. Oregon's SenatorRon Wyden has, to date, opposedthe Bush/Craig “riders.” As

Under the Bush andCraig proposals, iflogging corporationsor agencies are violatingenvironmental laws, thecourts can't stop them.

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t is important to know whereONRC and Oregon's conserva-tion community stand when it

comes to forest fires.

We are for a public fire policy thataggressively fights fires that threatenhomes and communities and reducesfuture fire risk through thinningsmall trees and setting carefullycontrolled underburns to reduce fuelson the forest floor.

While some logging companies andpoliticians claim we need to "stream-line" environmental laws to protectforests from fire, this is simplynot the case. We do not need tosuspend environmental protectionsto reduce fire risk to our communi-ties. A balanced approach is possibleunder existing law. For example,there are many fuel reduction projectsthat the conservation communitysupports, including:

The Highway 20 Fuels ReductionProject, Deschutes National Forest;

The Ashland Municipal Water-shed Protection Project, Rogue RiverNational Forest; and

The Chiloquin Fuels ReductionProject, Winema National Forest.

These projects use various combina-tions of prescribed fire, manualand mechanical cutting of smalldiameter trees, and piling andburning of some vegetation in fire-suppressed forests. These projects arealso in areas of high concern, nearcommunities and established road-ways where people and homes couldbe put at risk of forest fires.

The fact that these projects are pro-ceeding with the full support of the

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Effective Fire Management Requires a Balanced ApproachBy Tim Lillebo [email protected]

ONRC supports a policy that protects communities, forests and ecological safeguards

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ONRC supports a fire policy that:

Protects communities:We need a common sense approachthat focuses on areas that needthe most attention, namely forestedareas near homes and communities.

Protects forests:We can produce healthier forests bythinning out the small trees and brushthat fuel fires and leaving the bigger,fire-resistant trees intact.

Protects ecological safe-guards:We need a balanced approach thathelps protect people and homes whilemaintaining ecological safeguardsthat keep our forests healthy anddrinking water sources protected.

Visit www.onrc.org/info/fire/ for morefire-related documents and press.

conservation community showsthat good fuel reduction projectscan move forward smoothly with citi-zen oversight and environmental lawsin place.

ONRC and Oregon's conservationcommunity have worked proactivelyon fire policy issues for severaldecades. We have toured fire-proneforests with Governor Kitzhaber,Senator Smith, Senator Wyden andForest Service officials to share ideaswith them about effective fire man-

agement policies in Oregon's forests.

ONRC will continue to work withthe Forest Service, policy makers andthe people of Oregon to ensure that abalanced, common sense fire policyis applied to the magnificent forestsand communities of our state.

In the end, we believe that it ispossible to agree on a fire policy thatfollows ecological safeguards, makesforests healthier and helps protectour communities and homes fromthe risk of forest fires.

Controlled burns reduce fuels on the forestfloor while leaving the fire resistant trees intact.

Come learn about the science, politicsand emerging legislation surrounding the2002 fire season! Join us in Portland onOctober 19th for the Oregon WildernessConference. See page 11 for details.

We do not need to suspend environ-mental protections to reduce fire risk toour communities.

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out of balance. This is due to politics,pure and simple.

The Bush administration must estab-lish balance in its management ofthe Klamath River Basin. Sufficientwater must be provided year-roundto the Lower Klamath River tosupport recovery of salmon popula-tions. Water must be also be providedto the National Wildlife Refuges inthe Upper Basin for waterfowl, baldeagles, and other wildlife to thrive.

In September, ONRC joined com-mercial fisherman and U.S. Rep.Thompson (D-CA) in litigation toensure the survival of Klamath Rivercoho, listed under the EndangeredSpecies Act. We also continue towork with farmers willing to sell theirland in order to make more wateravailable to fish and wildlife.

n late Septemberon the KlamathRiver, one of the

largest salmon kills inU.S. history occurred.Tens of thousands ofchinook and manycoho salmon lay deadand dying in the river.Since the Bush admin-istration wanted tosupply Upper KlamathBasin irrigators withmore than enoughwater, September flowsin the Klamath Riverwere reduced to 25%below what wasprovided to the riverduring last year'sextreme drought. With more fishreturning to the river this fall thanin many previous years, there simplywasn't enough water to sustain therun. The result has been devastatingto northern California's and southernOregon's coastal recreation, tourismand fishing economies.

Irrigators waste water on roadsAccording to August reports fromthe Oregon Department of Trans-portation (ODOT), irrigators floodedtheir fields and watered asphalt somuch that ODOT asked them tomove sprinklers because water wasdamaging a road.

Meanwhile, tribes and commercialfishermen in the lower river werewatching salmon die, and seeing theirlivelihoods go with the fish. Manyhave charged that the action taken bythe Bush administration is extinctionby design. The administration hastwisted the best available science tocome to the preposterous conclusion

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that the fish don't need water.

Refuges also left high and dryTo add insult to injury, the Bushadministration's water policy for theKlamath Basin has left UpperKlamath National Wildlife Refuge's(NWR) 14,000 acres totally dry.

All of the wetlands surroundingUpper Klamath Lake are presentlywithout water. Lower Klamath NWRhas received only about one-half ofthe water needed to support water-fowl during the fall migration. LowerKlamath NWR has similarly sufferedduring six out of the last 11 years.

All marsh wildlife, including baldeagles that rely on waterfowl as theirprincipal winter food source, couldultimately be adversely impacted aseffective habitat is lost.

This historic fish kill and our drywildlife refuges demonstrate that theKlamath River ecosystem is grossly

Administration’s Plan Spells Disaster for Fish & WildlifeBy Wendell Wood [email protected] Update

Waterfowl migrating to the Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge also face peril

ONRC

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More than 30,000 Klamath River salmon recently died in one of the largest salmon kills in U.S. history.Low water flows mandated by the Bush administration are suspected of producing conditions lethal tofish. This die-off has significantly harmed downstream tribal, fishing and recreational communities.

Learn more at www.onrc.org/programs/klamath.html

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n January, we wereheartened to learn ofSenator Wyden’s

intent to protect old-growth forests. Then, inAugust, we were disap-pointed to learn that, inworking with logging-friendly Senator LarryCraig (R-ID), Wydenadvanced a poor proposalthat failed to protectsome westside old-growthforests, would increaselogging of old-growtheast of the Cascades andin Idaho, and would limitpublic participation inforest management, hampering ourability to hold agencies accountable.

The forest conservation communityon both sides of the Cascades isunited in opposition to this "divideand conquer" approach to forestmanagement. Shortly after meetingwith Senator Wyden, conservationorganizations issued a statement of

protecting homes, livesand property fromunnaturally large wild-fires and restoring natur-al fire regimes in nation-al forests east of theCascades. But theyindicated that the bill’sauthorization for fast-tracking timber andsalvage sales east of theCascades would becounter-productive.

ONRC has documentedso-called “fuels reduc-tion projects” whichremove large, fire-resis-

tant trees and leave smaller, flamma-ble material behind. (See cover photo oflogging in Deschutes National Forest.)

ONRC shares Senator Wyden'sconcern for our precious forests andwill proceed with efforts that trulyprotect mature/old-growth forests,roadless areas, clean water, and thelegacy we leave to future generations.

ONRC Wild Oregon • 8 • Fall 2002

Old-Growth Campaign Update By Doug Heiken, [email protected]

Senator Wyden’s Old-Growth Proposal Stirs Controversy Bill would sacrifice eastern Oregon forests and limit public input

The draft bill takes anunbalanced approach oflimited protection forwestern old-growth forestsand increased logging ofeastside forests.

Senator Wyden's old-growth proposal would allow for increased loggingin old-growth forests in eastern Oregon, eastern Washington and Idaho.

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WHAT YOU CAN DO:Call Senator Wyden at (503)326-7525 and ask him to provide real protection to mature/old-growth

forests and roadless areas while retaining existing environmental safeguards east and west of the Cascades.

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Learn more at www.onrc.org

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unequivocal opposition to the Augustdraft of the Wyden/Craig ForestRestoration and Protection Act of2002. Objections to the proposalfocused on:

1) Lack of solid protection formature and old-growth forests inwestern Oregon and Washington;2) Fast-track logging in easternOregon, eastern Washington and Idaho; and 3) Suspension of citizen involvement and judicial review of logging plans.

Many termed the bill's approach political, rather than scientific, forestry.Conservation groups have long advocated for

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ONRC Wild Oregon • 9 • Fall 2002

Oregon Wild Campaign Update

Oregonians Explore Unprotected Wilderness AreasMore than 300 participants enjoy Wilderness Week events in July!

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Murderers Creek, Malheur National Forest

Siskiyou Crest, Siskiyou National Forest

Copper Salmon, Siskiyou National Forest

Alder Creek, Mount Hood National Forest

Big Bottom, Mount Hood National Forest

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ay Ward became ONRC’sConservation Director inAugust, 2002. A longtime

activist and ONRC board memberfor six years, he has worked on landuse, log exports, and U.S. ForestService management for over adecade.

Jay studied forestry and business andhas a BS in speech communicationsfrom Oregon State University.Most recently, he was a FieldRepresentative for Birkenstock U.S.and traveled extensively throughoutthe West. Jay, his wife Tina, andseven-year-old son Connor live insouthwest Portland.

Jay’s skills will enhance ONRCrelationships with the media, the

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By Jacki Richey [email protected] & Places

Meet All Star Volunteer Robinson FosterONRC’s accounting intern proves he’s not just another statistic

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obinson Foster did not wantto be just another statistic,just another person laid off

due to the economic downturn. Hewanted to further his career inorder to "make a professional contri-bution to environmentally sustainableeconomic activity."

So Robinson, friend of board memberLauren Esserman, took Lauren'sadvice and applied to Portland StateUniversity's MBA program.

In addition, Robinson offered to doan internship at ONRC to learn thebusiness side of an effective non-profit organization.

He brought with him a B.A. ingeography and extensive experience intransportation management, policyresearch, and photography. As anONRC intern in finance and adminis-tration, he learned non-profit account-ing, sharpened his computer skills,and assisted with various accountingactivities and special projects.

He will be sorely missed when heattends graduate school full-time inthe fall. Thanks Robinson!

JJ

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Welcome New Conservation Director Jay WardEnhanced communications will boost ONRC’s effectiveness

ONRC Wild Oregon

Contact Joy Prideaux to learn about volunteer opportunities with ONRC: 503-283-6343 ext. 211 or [email protected].

business community, federal agen-cies, and our elected officials.Welcome Jay!

Farewell to Dan and Sigrid This month we bid two ONRC boardmembers a fond farewell. Dan Kentprovided oversight and sound advice

to ONRC for over two years whileserving on the Finance Committee.

Sigrid Weidenweber, steadfastmember since 1991, served ourDevelopment Committee since early2000. She led our Green BuildingCampaign, now near completion,making it possible for us to “walkour talk” while keeping Oregonwild. Many thanks for your strongcontributions, Dan and Sigrid!

Good luck Rhonda!Rhonda Robb worked in ONRC’sPortland office for two years, keep-ing our database and membershiprecords in top form. She is nowengaged in an innovative study ofmedical geography at PSU. Thankyou Rhonda. We will miss you!

ONRC’s new Conservation Director JayWard addresses the crowd at ONRC’sannual picnic in August.

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ONRC Wild Oregon • 11 • Fall 2002

Beyond the Smoke- Rekindling the Fight for regon Wilderness

:o8:30 REGISTRATION

9:00 WELCOME Regna Merritt, Executive Director, ONRC and Jay Ward, Conservation Director, ONRC Introduction of Congressional staff: Susan Ash, Oregon Wild Campaign Director

9:15 PANEL DISCUSSIONS:The Politics of Protection - Legislative Opportunities and ThreatsExplore the state of Wilderness and old-growth protection in the current political climate.

Moderator: Sybil Ackerman, Conservation Director, Audubon Society of Portland Panelists: Andy Kerr, The Larch Company; Jasmine Minbashian, Campaign Director, NW Old Growth Campaign; and Ken Rait, Campaigns Director, American Wilderness Campaign

10:30 Murry Taylor, Author of "Jumping Fire: A Smokejumper's Memoir of Fighting Wildfire in the West"

11:00 Smoke and Mirrors - Fire Science vs. Political OpportunismLearn the natural history of forest fires in Oregon and the impacts humans have on the landscape. Discuss how the conservation community is moving beyond the inflammatory rhetoric of the 2002 fire season.

Moderator: Susan Ash, Oregon Wild Campaign Director, ONRC Panelists: Dominick Della Salla, PhD, Ecologist, World Wildlife; Tim Ingalsbee, PhD, Western Fire Ecology Center; J. Boone Kauffman, PhD, Wildlife Biologist, Oregon State University

Noon LUNCH

1:00 KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Congressman Earl Blumenauer

1:45 REVOLVING BREAKOUT SESSIONS:Oregon Wild 2002 and BeyondJoin the Oregon Wilderness Coalition on a stunning visual tour of Oregon's unprotected wilderness areas. Discuss the status of current proposals and explore prospects for future wilderness.

Moderator: Nat Parker, Wilderness Conservation Associate, OSPIRGPanelists: Sybil Ackerman, Conservation Director, Audubon Society of Portland; Susan Ash, Oregon Wild Campaign Director, ONRC; Maureen Kirk, Executive Director, OSPIRG; Penny Lind, Executive Director, Umpqua Watersheds; Sam Mace, Western Outreach Coordinator, Trout Unlimited; Joseph Vaile, Campaign Coordinator, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center

After the Smoke has ClearedThis analysis of Oregon's 2002 fire season will examine what burned, what didn’t, and why. Hear on-the-ground accounts of fire behavior and fire suppression activities and view GIS satellite images of the fires. Discussion willfocus on the effects of the Biscuit fire on the Kalmiopsis Wilderness and adjacent roadless areas.

Moderator: Tim Lillebo, Eastern Field Representative, ONRCPanelists: Romain Cooper, Executive Director, Siskiyou Regional Education Project; Erik Fernandez, GIS and Adopt-A-Wilderness Coordinator, ONRC; Tom Atzet, PhD, Biologist, Rogue River National Forest (invited); Lou Gold, Siskiyou Regional Education Project; Murry Taylor, retired smokejumper

Uprooting the Status Quo: The New Forest ParadigmThis scientific and economic analysis will explore the benefits associated with forest restoration and the costs of continued logging of Oregon’s mature and old-growth forests.

Moderator: Jeremy Hall, NW Field Representative, ONRC Panelists: Kristin Lee, Economist, EcoNorthwest; Doug Heiken, Western Field Representative, ONRC; Dave Perry, PhD, Regional Rep., Oregon Land Conservation & Development Dept. (invited); Jerry Franklin, PhD, University of Washington College of Forest Resources (invited)

5:00 TURNING KNOWLEDGE INTO POWER: WHAT TO DO WITH WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED A call to action followed by a reception and drinks. Ed Hall, Portland Firefighter, Jay Ward, Conservation Director, ONRC.

6:00 DINNER

7:00 KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Secretary of State Bill Bradbury

Join ONRC and Oregon’s Conservation Leaders for the 2002 Oregon Wilderness Conference

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OCTOBER 19TH, 2002 REED COLLEGE, PORTLAND

For directions please visit www.onrc.org or call (503) 283-6343 x 224

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ONRC FUND5825 N. Greeley Ave.Portland, OR 97217

NON-PROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE PAID

Portland, ORPermit No. 1694

Check out Wild Oregon on the web: www.onrc.org

Printed on 100% post-consumer waste with soy based ink.

SEE YOU AT THE 2002 OREGON WILDERNESS CONFERENCE! Saturday, October 19th a Reed College, Portland

See page 11 for complete details.