Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center

KS WILD'S MISSION IS TO PROTECT AND RESTORE WILD NATURE IN THE KLAMATH-SISKIYOU REGION OF SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA.

ROGUE RIVERKEEPER: WE NOW HAVE TWO FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBERS WITHIN THE ROGUE RIVERKEEPER PROGRAM, WHICH HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON WATER QUALITY AND POLLUTION CONTROLS FOLLOWING THE 2020 ALMEDA FIRE (FEMA-4562). THE FIRE RACED DOWN THE BEAR CREEK CORRIDOR, WHICH IS VITAL SALMON HABITAT IN AN URBAN LANDSCAPE, AND TORCHED 2,000 HOMES AND BUSINESSES. OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE HAVE BEEN LEADING PHOTO MONITORING EFFORTS WITH VOLUNTEERS TO TRACK THE PROGRESS OF RE-PLANTINGS AND RESTORATION EFFORTS. IN ADDITION TO THE PHOTO MONITORING, WE ARE ALSO A PARTNER IN THE BEAR CREEK RESTORATION INITIATIVE, WHICH IS A COLLABORATIVE OF A DOZEN OR SO MUNICIPAL AGENCIES AND NGOS WORKING TO IMPROVE URBAN WATER QUALITY AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION IN THE BEAR CREEK WATERSHED.ROGUE RIVERKEEPER ALSO CELEBRATED THE END OF THE JORDAN COVE LNG PROJECT, WHEN THE PIPELINE PROPONENT PULLED THEIR FERC PERMIT IN 2021. AFTER 13 YEARS OF FIGHTING WHAT WOULD BE OREGONS LARGEST GREENHOUSE GAS EMITTER,ROGUE RIVERKEEPER AND PARTNERS WORKED THROUGHOUT 2021 TO ENSURE THAT FERC WOULD NOT REVIVE THE PERMIT APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE PROJECTS BACKERS.

FORESTWATCH PROGRAM: OUR FORESTWATCH PROGRAM CONTINUED TO WATCHDOG THE MEDFORD BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT AND VARIOUS NATIONAL FORESTS ACROSS SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA.WE HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POOR WINDY AND EVANS CREEK TIMBER SALES AS WELL AS THE PROPOSED INTEGRATED VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROJECT ACROSS SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRES OF THE MEDFORD BLM DISTRICT. OUR CONCERNS OVER THE POOR WINDY AND EVANS CREEK TIMBER SALES HAVE TO DO WITH THE AGENCYS EFFORTS TO DOWNGRADE AND REMOVE HABITAT FOR THE ENDANGERED NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL. THE BLM CONTINUES TO PROMOTE PROJECTS THE REMOVE OLD-GROWTH FOREST HABITAT DOWN TO 20-30% CANOPY COVER, WHICH IS A MANAGEMENT METHOD REFERRED TO AS A REGENERATION HARVEST. THE NAME SOUNDS BENIGN, BUT IT IS DETRIMENTAL TO OLD-GROWTH DEPENDENT SPECIES, AND THE BLM STATES REPEATEDLY IN THEIR OWN ANALYSIS THAT THIS TYPE OF HARVEST WILL LIKELY INCREASE FIRE HAZARDS OVER THE NEXT 3 OR 4 DECADES. IN A WARMING AND DRYING WORLD, WE HAVE TO TAKE EVERY STEP TO MANAGE FORESTS TO WITHSTAND SEVERE FIRE AND NOT MAKE CONDITIONS WORSE FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES ADJACENT TO FEDERAL FOREST LANDS. IN THE POOR WINDY CASE, WE ARE REPRESENTED BY THE WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER, AND WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH CRAG LAW TO PREPARE POSSIBLE LITIGATION OVER THE IVM PROJECT, IF THEY MOVE FORWARD IN THEIR CURRENT PLAN. ASIDE FROM THE OREGON CONSERVATION WORK, WE ARE ALSO TRACKING SEVERAL POST-FIRE RECOVERY AND RESTORATION EFFORTS ON NATIONAL FORESTS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, MORE THAN 500,000 ACRES OF PUBLIC FOREST HAVE BURNED IN VARIOUS FIRES IN THE LOWER KLAMATH RIVER BASIN. THESE FIRES HAVE BEEN ADJACENT TO MANY TRIBAL COMMUNITIES, AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH PARTNERS AT THE SALMON RIVER RESTORATION COUNCIL, KLAMATH FOREST ALLIANCE, EPIC & THE KARUK TRIBE DNR TO TRACK SEVERAL SALVAGE LOGGING PROPOSALS IN THE KLAMATH AND SHASTA-TRINITY NATIONAL FORESTS. THE RIVER COMPLEX FIRE WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST FIRES FROM 2021, AND THE AGENCIES ARE PROPOSING SIGNIFICANT LOGGING IN OLD-GROWTH RESERVES THAT SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO RECOVER NATURALLY.

CLIMATE PROGRAM: AS THE PANDEMIC LINGERED, WE REALIZED THERE WOULD BE DIFFICULTY ENGAGING THE PUBLIC AND DECISION-MAKERS IN PERSON TO ADVANCE CLIMATE SMART FOREST MANAGEMENT POLICIES. OUR CLIMATE PROGRAM WORKED WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM TO DEVELOP AN EDUCATIONAL PODCAST CALLED ONE FOOT IN THE BLACK, WHICH COVERED ISSUES RELATING TO WILDFIRE AND FOREST MANAGEMENT, INDIGENOUS CULTURAL BURNING, AS WELL AS THE SOCIAL IMPACTS OF WILDFIRE AND SMOKE POLLUTION ON RURAL COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE COMPLETED ABOUT 80% OF THE EPISODES AND PLAN TO WRAP UP THE PROJECT IN 2022. OUR CLIMATE DIRECTOR WAS ALSO PART OF THE CORE NEGOTIATING TEAM FOR THE OREGON FOREST PRACTICES ACT REFORM EFFORT. IN OCTOBER, NEGOTIATORS FROM FISHING AND CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE TIMBER INDUSTRY TO TRANSFORM HOW STATE AND INDUSTRIAL FORESTLANDS ARE MANAGED ACROSS 10 MILLION ACRES OF NON-FEDERAL FORESTS IN OREGON. OUR CLIMATE DIRECTOR LED THE ROAD SUBGROUP, WHICH WAS TASKED WITH RULEMAKING ON HOW ROADS AND CULVERTS ARE DESIGNED AND INSTALLED. AT THE END OF THE NEGOTIATION, WE SECURED NEW PROTECTIONS FOR DRINKING WATER SOURCES FROM AERIAL PESTICIDE SPRAYING AND IMPROVED RIPARIAN AND FISH PROTECTIONS ALONG FISH-BEARING STREAMS THROUGH LARGE SETBACKS AND TREE RETENTION INCENTIVES.

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