Winter/Spring 2010 Volume 37, Number 1

Oregon Wild

Is this river safe from mining?

Annual report inside

2

Main Office5825 N Greeley Avenue Portland, OR 97217Phone: 503.283.6343 Fax: 503.283.0756www.oregonwild.org

The e-mail address for each Oregon Wild staff member: init ials@oregonwild.org (for example: rm@oregonwild.org)

Executive Director Regna Merritt x 214Conservation Director Steve Pedery x 212Director of Finance & Admin. Candice Guth x 219Director of Development Al l ison Oseth x 223Wilderness Coord. Erik Fernandez x 202Healthy Rivers Campaign Coord. Ani Kame’enui x 205Roadless Wildlands Advocate Rob Klavins x 210Communications Associate Sean Stevens x 211Membership Coord. Cheryl Lohrmann x 213Natural ist Wendel l Wood x 200

Western Field OfficeP.O. Box 11648 Eugene, OR 97440454 Wil lamette, Suite 203Phone 541.344.0675 Fax: 541.343.0996

Conservation & Restoration Coord. Doug Heiken x 1Old Growth Campaign Coord. Chandra LeGue x 2

Eastern Field Office16 NW Kansas Avenue, Bend, OR 97701Phone: 541.382.2616 Fax: 541.385.3370

Eastern OR Wildlands Advocate Tim Li l lebo

DesignGraphic Designer Al i House

OWCLF Board of DirectorsPresident Pat ClancyTreasurer Megan GibbSecretary Jan Wilson

Susan Applegate Jim BakerGary Guttormsen Chad KrommTom Lininger Rand Schenck

Oregon Wild Board of DirectorsPresident Gary GuttormsenVice President/Treasurer Megan GibbSecretary Rand Schenck

Susan Applegate Jim BakerPat Clancy Chad KrommMike Helm Jan Wilson Lesl ie Logan

Formerly Oregon Natural Resources Council (ONRC) Working to protect and restore Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife, and waters as an enduring legacy.

Oregon Wild is a tax-exempt, non-profit charitable organization. Oregon Wild Conservation Leaders Fund (formerly ONRC Action) is a tax-exempt, non-profit social welfare organiza-t ion. Contributions to Oregon Wild are tax-deductible for those who itemize; contributions to OWCLF are not. Staff are employees of Oregon Wild, which contracts with OWCLF to carry out its activit ies. Port ions of this newsletter are paid for by OWCLF.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Oregon’s own Yellowstone {4-7}

2009 Accomplishments {8-9}

Annual Report {13-15}

C O V E R P H O T O : K E N M O R R I S H S i s k i y o u W i l d R i v e r

*Newsletter printed on New Leaf 100% recycled, 50% post-consumer, FSC certified paper with soy based inks.

3 Winter/Spring 2010 Volume 37, Number 1

in protecting Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife and waters!

Last month we marked the 35th anniversary of Oregon Wild, � rst known as the Oregon Wilderness Coalition and then ONRC. What a � tting time to celebrate recent accomplishments and rally for ambitious, new conservation campaigns!

In March, we scored a huge victory with passage of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009. � is legislation represents the largest Wilderness expansion in Oregon in 25 years. All told, 202,000 acres of Oregon Wilderness and 90 miles of Wild & Scenic Rivers were forever protected.

With your help, Oregon Wild crossed the � nish line after leading coalition e� orts to designate 127,000 acres of Wilderness and 80 miles of Wild & Scenic Rivers around Mount Hood.

Also with your help, we assisted Soda Mountain Wilderness Council and Friends of Elk River in establishing permanent protections for 24,000 acres of Soda Mountain Wilderness and 13,700 acres of Copper Salmon Wilderness at the headwaters of the Elk River.

While we are thrilled with these wins, threats continue to loom on the horizon. Federal appointments made by President Obama have not neces-sarily resulted in agency sta� leading the charge to reverse bad Bush-era decisions. Indeed, the new administra-tion supports some old policies based on bad science, including the de-listing of the gray wolf.

In response, Oregon Wild has galvanized activists and joined in court action, pushing back against the de-listing and subsequent sport hunt. As I write, nearly 150 wolves have been shot and killed in Montana and Idaho, threatening the establishment of healthy packs in Oregon.

We’ve had more success in pushing the Obama administration to

withdraw the Western Oregon Plan Revisions (WOPR) and in beginning to stand up for the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. In the coming year, we’ll work hard to keep our carbon-storing, old-growth forests standing all across Oregon.

Over the past 35 years, many develop-ment threats have disappeared only to reappear later. � is phenomenon continues until we secure legislative protections. Remember our struggle to stop a copper mine slated for the North Santiam? � at e� ort roused many staunch defenders to campaign hard for Opal Creek Wilderness. We achieved success in 1996.

Today mining claims are multiplying in the Siskiyou Wild Rivers area – Oregon’s Yellowstone. (see the next page). In the coming months and years, we’ll preserve the pure waters and largest unprotected wild forest remaining between San Francisco and the Olympics.

� ank you from the bottom of my heart for your passion and persistence

From the Director’s DeskWhat’s old is newRegna Merritt

M E G A N R E D F I E L D C h e t c o P a s s L i l y i n t h e S i s k i y o u W i l d R i v e r s a r e a

Winter/Spring 2010 Volume 37, Number 1 4

As settlers arrived in Oregon in the 1840s they encountered a di� erent Oregon than we know today. � is was a time before massive clear-cutting, salmon-killing dams, mountains scarred in the search for gold, and the ever-expanding march toward development.

Today, our two million acres of protected Wilderness o� er a hint of what this land was once like. Nowhere exists a larger chunk of this remnant wildness than in the still unprotected Siskiyou Wild Rivers area – Oregon’s Yellowstone.

By a stroke of geological luck, the Siskiyou Wild Rivers avoided the last ice age and missed recent volcanic activity that impacted much of the surrounding landscape. As a result, the region’s plants reign supreme. � e ¢ ora here evolved over a longer time span than most in the Paci� c Northwest and represents an exceptional portfolio of native plants and wild¢ owers. � e World Conservation Union has designated the Siskiyou Wild Rivers an Area of Global Botanical Signi� -cance and over 100 plant species in

Oregon’s own Yellowstone – the Siskiyou Wild RiversErik Fernandez and Ani Kame’enui

the area are found nowhere else on earth, including one of the rarest plants in all of North America, the Kalmiopsis Leachiana. Likewise, the region hosts an astounding 28 di� erent types of trees, including the only redwood forests found in Oregon.

� e unique geology of the Siskiyou region also highlights its importance in the face of global climate change. With diverse topography and intact habitat corridors, Oregon’s Yellow-stone provides natural pathways for

species forced to move to higher elevations or new habitat zones as our climate shifts.

In addition to native plants, Oregon’s Yellowstone is home to a collection of critical salmon rivers, prime spawning grounds, and no large dams. � e result is wild salmon runs that are healthier than those in many other western rivers like the Klamath, Sacramento, and Columbia. Siskiyou rivers welcome coho, chinook, steelhead, and even green sturgeon. Oregon Wild

K E N M O R R I S H A n g l e r B r i a n G i e s t i g h t t o a w i l d w i n t e r s t e e l h e a d o n a s m a l l c o a s t a l S i s k i y o u w i n t e r s t e e l h e a d s t r e a m

U S A R M Y C O R P S O F E N G I N E E R S S u c t i o n d r e d g e p a c k m a c h i n e s v a c u u m s t r e a m b e d s a n d d i s t u r b s a l m o n s p a w n i n g g r o u n d s

5 Winter/Spring 2010 Volume 37, Number 1

“I think this is probably the most important, the most biologically significant, unprotected landscape in the American West”– Secretary of the Interior under President Clinton, Bruce Babbitt.

and healthy salmon runs play a signi� cant economic role by sustain-ing the � shing industry in communi-ties like Port Orford, west of the proposed Wilderness.

While Oregon’s Yellowstone is arguably the most important natural area in the state, it is also one of the most threatened. Following the Biscuit � re in 2002, the region saw the largest proposed logging project in modern times. While some damage was done by logging, conservationists

work to protect this habitat as Wilderness will help ensure these wild salmon runs continue to thrive.

Not surprisingly, many of these great salmon rivers are also perfect waters for rafting, kayaking, and canoeing. � ousands ¢ ock every year to the world class rapids and scenery of the Rogue River, while only the most skilled boaters attempt the Green Wall rapids of the Illinois River. Whitewater rafting helps boost local economies in towns like Grants Pass,

successfully held back chainsaws and bulldozers from reaching a majority of the area. At present, the most pressing threats are o� road vehicles and mining.

� e U.S. Forest Service is currently planning to allow 115 miles of ATV routes to carve through the proposed Wilderness, fragmenting wildlife habitat and degrading water quality. Mining activity has long threatened otherwise pristine rivers like Rough and Ready Creek and the Chetco

The Siskiyou Wild Rivers area is one of the few regions in the lower 48 that can compare with Yellowstone’s biodiversity.With 1,400 known plant species – over 100 of which are found only in the region – and a far-reaching network of healthy salmon watersheds, Oregon’s own Yellowstone is well known as an ecological ark.

The next step? Protecting Oregon’s Yellowstone for fish, wildlife, and future generations. - SS

When Congress established the first National Park in the world in Wyoming in 1872, Yellowstone became the symbol of a previously untested idea – forever protecting wildlife and a huge chunk of the habitat they relied upon. Wildlife was such a central idea that the first paid staffer at the Park was appointed as “gamekeeper” to control poaching.

Today, Yellowstone National Park is known as a haven for elk, grizzly, bison, and wolves, as well as home to over 1,000 plant species.

Why do we call it Oregon’s Yellowstone?

T h e D a r l i n g t o n i a L i l y i s j u s t o n e e x a m p l e o f t h e b i o l o g i c a l d i v e r s i t y o f t h e S i s k i y o u s .

S A N D Y L O N S D A L E

Winter/Spring 2010 Volume 37, Number 1

River. In the last decade, a mining boom has only served to expand the potential for harmful mining. And more miners could be on the way.

In the summer of 2009, the State of California took action to protect sensitive salmon spawning streams by banning suction dredge mining. While the ban provides a reprieve south of the border, miners are now moving north to Oregon and setting their sights on the Siskiyou Wild Rivers. � ough only 0.3% of the jobs in Josephine County are linked to mining, the environmental price tag is far more signi� cant.

Recognizing the importance of the Siskiyou Wild Rivers area, President Clinton called for a timeout on new mining claims in the Siskiyous in 2001. Unfortunately, the withdrawal was quickly abandoned by President Bush. Most recently, Governor Ted Kulongoski has called to reinstate the timeout on new mining claims until Oregon’s Yellowstone can be protected as Wilderness.

Oregon and the West have changed since the days of Lewis and Clark, but the Siskiyou Wild Rivers has remained largely intact. In the coastal mountains from the Olympics to south of San Francisco, it is the only

A number of quiet, salmon-bearing

streams in southwest Oregon have

become hideouts for some of the

region’s most egregious and illegal

mining activities. Recently, Sucker

Creek (a tributary to the salmon-rich

Illinois River) played reluctant home

to mining ponds 15 feet deep,

extensive logging along the creek,

and a bulldozed access road that

puts most US FS roads to shame.

The offending miner’s disregard for

public land and federal law landed

him in jail.

However, an area northwest of

Sucker Creek along the Little

Chetco River is an ongoing example

of Oregon mining at its worst.

Here lies a mine that has angered

everyone from the State Depart-

ment of Environmental Quality to

local activists. “Emily Camp,” a small

parcel of private land hidden within

the heart of the Kalmiopsis Wilder-

ness, hosts several outbuildings and

gold mining activities. The owner,

who markets it as a wilderness

getaway, has refused to abide by

Special rivers at risk

S I S K I Y O U P R O J E C T I l l e g a l l y d u g m i n i n g p i t s d o t t h e f o r e s t n e a r S u c k e r C r e e k

Mining in one of Oregon’s most

unique natural treasures poses a

significant threat to the historically

pristine Siskiyou Wild Rivers area.

Toxic water quality, erosion, and the

exploitation of public lands are just

a few of the major impacts of

hardrock and suction dredge mining.

Since 2001, when the Clinton mining

moratorium was reversed, there

have been over 800 new claims

filed in the region.

The effects of mining activities on rivers and streams include:

• Degraded water quality for

downstream wildlife and humans

due to toxic runoff, leaching,

and erosion from explorations

and tailings;

• Removal and extreme disruption

of streambeds that eliminate

spawning habitat for salmon and

destroys habitat for other wildlife;

The effects of mining

R O L F S K A R

7 Win

large block of wildland habitat left. In the face of multiple threats, we must continue to � ght to protect this wilderness reserve for salmon, rare plants, and the bene� t of future generations.

Take Action!

Call your elected officials and urge

them to do all they can do to

protect this unique Oregon treasure.

Encourage them to support a mining

moratorium in Oregon’s Yellowstone

until they are able to permanently

protect the area as Wilderness.

Senator Wyden (202.224.5244),

Senator Merkley (202.224.3753),

and Representative DeFazio

(202.225.6416).

the law, and continues development

of the property without building,

sanitation, or health permits, or

water rights for domestic purposes

and mining operations.

While not all mining claims or their

owners exemplify such poor land

management and behavior, these

cases certainly highlight the growing

concern regarding the “anything

goes” mining practices and their

impacts on southwest Oregon’s

beautiful, wild, and scenic rivers.

1872 Today

President

Ulysses S. Grant

Barack Obama

U.S. population 39 million 310 million

Tool of the mining trade

pickaxe backhoe

Chemical technique for mining

blood and sweatcyanide heap leach-

ing

Visibility enhancement

candles

flood lights

How to get a hold of your lawyer when

you’ve mined illegallytelegraph

satellite phone

Miner’s mantra “manifest destiny” “wise use”

Number of endangered species

in Oregon0

58

Lawgoverning mining

1872 General Mining Act

1872 General Mining Act

The 1872 General Mining Act – then and nowThe 1872 Mining Law has been on the books unchanged for over 130

years. In that time, lax regulation of harmful mining activities has left us

with degraded wildlands and a big clean-up bill. This antiquated law is

proof that the more some things change, the more other things stay the

same. Take a look at 1872 versus today.

7 7 7 7

• Abusive land use practices

such as clear-cutting, heavy

equipment use near and in

streams, riparian vegetation

removal, and irresponsible

road building.

Winter/Spring 2010 Volume 37, Number 1 8

Old Growth

• Helped force the cancellation of the Western Oregon Plan Revisions (a Bush-era logging plan that repre- sented the largest threat to Oregon’s forests in over a decade) following a lawsuit in which Oregon Wild was the lead plainti� .

• Continued our participation in the Alsea, Siuslaw, and Clackamas stewardship groups, pioneering common sense restoration of our forests.

What’s Next?

Enacting federal legislation to direct

the Forest Service and BLM to

pursue restoration projects while

protecting old growth.

WildlandsWilderness• Led the coalition e� ort to protect 127,000 acres of new Wilderness and 83 miles of new Wild & Scenic Rivers around Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge.

• Worked with partners to secure additional Wilderness protections (including Copper Salmon and Soda Mountain) totaling the largest Wilderness expansion in Oregon in 25 years.

Roadless• Partnered in a lawsuit in the 9th Circuit Court challenging the Bush rollback of the Roadless Rule

• Helped convince 170 elected leaders, outdoor recreation businesses, religious leaders, and recreation groups to support the Roadless Rule.

• Worked with partners to secure introduction of legislation to protect the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness.

What’s Next?

Passing legislation to protect the

Devil’s Staircase Wilderness.

Laying the foundation for a much

larger Wilderness expansion,

including over 500,000 acres in

Oregon’s Yellowstone in the

Siskiyou Wild Rivers area, and over

400,000 acres surrounding Crater

Lake on the spine of the Cascades.

What’s Next?

Working in the short term to defeat

roadless logging in the D-Bug sale

on the Umpqua National Forest and

in the long term with Congress to

codify the Roadless Rule as law.

• Led the coalition e� ort to protect 127,000 acres of new Wilderness and 83 miles of new Wild & Scenic Rivers around Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge.

• Worked with partners to secure additional Wilderness protections (including Copper Salmon and Soda Mountain) totaling the largest Wilderness expansion in Oregon in

• Partnered in a lawsuit in the 9th Circuit Court challenging the Bush rollback of the Roadless Rule

• Helped convince 170 elected leaders, outdoor recreation businesses,

8

religious leaders, and recreation groups to support the Roadless Rule.

8 L A R R Y G L O T H O n e o n t a G o r g e , M o u n t H o o d N a t i o n a l F o r e s t

Despite the challenges of a struggling economy, our 35th year of protecting Oregon has been � lled with success. An historic Wilderness bill along with the overturning of numerous Bush-era policies clearly shows that we are moving from defense to o� ense. Here are some highlights from the year and what to look for in 2010.

2009 Accomplishments

B R I Z Z M E D D I N G S

9 Winter/Spring 2010 Volume 37, Number 1

WildlifeWolves• Joined a lawsuit to stop the pre- mature delisting of western wolves from the Endangered Species Act in which a judge declared our case likely to prevail.

• Worked with activists to push back against e� orts to undermine the state wolf management plan.

Salmon• Helped decrease threats to threat- ened bull trout and chinook salmon through dam re-licensing process.

Spotted Owl• Pressured the Obama administration to repeal inadequate Critical Habitat designations for the northern spotted owl.

What’s Next?

Keeping the pressure on the Obama

administration to use the best avail-

able science in decisions related to

threatened or endangered species.

Connecting people to wild places

• Engaged over 1,000 supporters in hikes, Wild Wednesday presentations, celebration events, and more.

• Joined famed Iditarod musher Rachael Scdoris and other outdoor pioneers as a recipient of Columbia Sportswear’s Medal of Merit (MoM) award.

• Released a comprehensive report highlighting the 10 most endangered wild places in Oregon and outlining what citizens can do to protect them.

• Launched our redesigned newsletter format, using more stunning images, less paper, and engaging new readers in the Oregon Wild cause.

What’s Next?

Encouraging new hikers and activists, and welcoming

back old friends, as we continue to explore

unprotected Oregon gems.

Waters• Fought for a Klamath Basin dam removal deal that frees the river in a timely fashion and doesn’t sacri� ce National Wildlife Refuge land, salmon health, and migratory bird habitat to get there.

• Worked with local clean water activists, the Oregon brewing industry (including Widmer Brothers), and the Portland City Council, to successfully beat back a proposal for excessive chemical treatment of Bull Run water.

• Secured the introduction of legisla- tion to protect 21 miles of the Molalla River and 143 miles of the Rogue River and its tributaries as Wild & Scenic.

What’s Next?

Passing legislation to protect the

Molalla River and working for an

enhanced bill to designate the Wild

Rogue as Wilderness.

Focusing on emerging threats in

priority watersheds like the Siskiyou

Wild Rivers where mining activity

threatens wilderness values.

Holding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service accountable for the health

of the Klamath Basin National

Wildlife Refuge system through

a first-of-its-kind conservation

planning process.

B R I Z Z M E D D I N G S

G R E G VA U G H N L o w e r K l a m a t h N W R F a l l C r e e k

T Y L E R R O E M E R S t e e n s M o u n t a i n

Winter/Spring 2010 Volume 37, Number 1 10

Photo contests seemed all the rage this past year. Every other e-mail I received from an environmental group asked for a photo submission. At Oregon Wild we’re not claiming to have started the trend, but 2009 did mark our 5th annual Outdoor Photo Contest.

Managing the 350+ submissions was challenging, but incredibly rewarding, work. From morning light in the Columbia Gorge to a solitary illuminated tent in the vast Alvord Desert, this year’s photos were nothing short of breathtaking. It was hard to choose just � ve winners. We cel-ebrated the winners, all the contes-tants, and our generous sponsors at a fantastic event in NW Portland on November 19th. We’ll be sure to come back for a sixth year, so get your camera shutters snapping!

� anks to our sponsors: Pro Photo Supply; Tilbury, Ferguson & Neuburg, Inc.; Columbia Sportswear; Oregon College of Art and Craft; Rogue Ales; Lemelson Vineyards; Food Front Cooperative Grocery, and Tribute Gallery. Also thanks to our guest judges Gerry Ellis and Jon Combs.

2009 Photo Contest WinnersSean Stevens

G R E G VA U G H N W i l d l a n d s – A s p e n s a t H a r t M t . N a t i o n a l W i l d l i f e R e f u g e

O L I V E PAT E R N O S T E R K i d s – N e h a l e m B a y

G A R Y S H E L D O N W i l d l i f e – A s t o r i a S e a L i o n B R I Z Z M E D D I N G S E n d a n g e r e d P l a c e s – P o r t O r f o r d C e d a r a t V u l c a n L a k e

J O D Y E L L I S Wa t e r s – S p a r k s L a k e

11

Advocating for wildlife and the big wild places they need can be hard work. After a day of conference calls, e-mails, and planning we can feel disconnected from the very things we spent all day working to protect.

For three days last June, that was not my experience. Before a day of meetings, instead of reaching for the snooze button on my alarm in the urban wilderness, I awoke at the historic Murie Ranch in the shadow of the Tetons, said hello to the moose outside my window, and wandered along the Snake River.

I was in Wyoming representing Oregon Wild at a meeting of the

Western Wolf Coalition. Wolves, like our sta� , are wide-ranging animals. What happens across the West matters here.

Unfortunately, Obama’s Interior Secretary Ken Salazar had just repackaged an illegal Bush plan delisting wolves from the Endangered Species Act. For most wolves, that wasn’t good news. After delisting, wolf management fell to individual state plans. Imagine a scheme to cut bald eagle numbers in half immediately following delisting and you’ll under-stand Idaho’s wolf plan.

Sport hunting seasons are now underway in Idaho and Montana. Instead of increasing tolerance and targeting “problem” wolves, research wolves in the backcountry are being killed, poaching is rampant, quotas have been exceeded, and shooting wolves from ATVs is fair chase.Wolf recovery in Oregon is dependent

on healthy populations in Idaho, but we’ve had our share of drama on this side of the Snake too.

For the � rst time in over 60 years, livestock were killed by wolves. Compared to other states, Oregon’s wolf plan is enlightened, but it still allows wildlife managers to kill wolves. In September, the pair of wolves was shot. With less than 10 wolves in Oregon, that’s a signi� cant blow.

� at wasn’t enough for anti-wolf interests. � e Oregon Cattlemen’s Association and Farm Bureau pledged to return to Salem and lobby to weaken the wolf management plan. � ey want to cut biologists out of the decision-making process and allow folks with guns to shoot any wolves they deem a threat. Given the vehe-mence and violent history of the anti-wolf crowd, that’s not a sound recovery plan.

Wolves are neither demons nor angels. � ey are a native predator with a positive impact on the landscape. We once blasted them out of existence. Today, over 70% of Oregonians support wolf recovery. We’ll continue to advocate for healthy populations of all native species. � at includes educating and advocating for wolf recovery and a strong wolf plan.

Oregon Wild has always advocated for healthy populations of native species, including elk, wolves, salmon, and tree voles. Depending on the results of some exciting research, that list could one day include condors!

There’s no doubt the ESA success story with a 10-foot wingspan once ranged into Oregon. David Moen is conducting research to determine if they also nested here. If the results are positive, Oregon, home of a captive breeding program, could become a site for future reintroductions.

David presented his work to an enthusiastic crowd at Roots Brewery at our most recent Wild Wednesday event. Keep up to date with Oregon Wild events by signing up for our e-alerts at:

http://www.oregonwild.org

Condors wild!

Much ado about wolvesRob Klavins

O D F W O n e o f a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 0 w o l v e s i n O r e g o n , B 3 0 0 ( o r “ S o p h i e ” ) i s s e e n h e r e s o o n a f t e r w i l d l i f e o f f i c i a l s f i t t e d h e r w i t h a n e w r a d i o c o l l a r

O D F W R o b K l a v i n s ( f r o n t f a r l e f t ) j o i n s t h e We s t e r n Wo l f C o a l t i o n a ta m e e t i n g i n W y o m i n g

C A L I F O R N I A D F G

Winter/Spring 2010 Volume 37, Number 1 12

I’ve now been to the Devil’s Staircase waterfall, deep in the heart of the largest unbroken rainforest left in Oregon’s Coast Range, almost three times.

Located just east of Reedsport, the proposed Devil’s Staircase Wilderness is an incredibly rugged forest, home to dozens of � sh and wildlife species,

and hides the notoriously hard-to-� nd waterfall that is the namesake of the 29,600-acre area.

I love hiking, wild places, big trees, and a healthy challenge, so I hate to admit this – but after my � rst

grueling eight-hour trip to the waterfall with an experienced guide early this past spring, I was happy to call that experience “the one” and never return.

But being a glutton for punishment, I set o� for the falls again this summer armed with good maps, other experienced outdoors-people

and a vague but con� -dent memory of my previous guided hike.

After three hours of ridgetop hiking, detours on incredibly steep slopes, wading through towering sword ferns, and more than one log balancing act, I spotted a familiar bend in Wasson Creek. We descended to the creek and…no waterfall. We were sure

we were close, and chose to go downstream to � nd the falls.

Turns out, the waterfall was upstream and we were just a few hundred feet away without knowing it. On our return trip we were lost for a few

Devil’s Staircase – a humbling adventureChandra LeGue

hours – way-� nding loosely by compass, climbing and descending steep gullies, and eventually � nding the ridge we needed to take back to our cars, which we reached as it got dark. It was a humbling adventure. When sta� of the Siuslaw National Forest asked for a guided tour to the waterfall so they could get to know their soon-to-be Wilderness for themselves, I couldn’t say no. � is time we found the waterfall (thanks to an experienced guide) and, despite the drenching rain, I enjoyed both the hike and the destination enough that I’m not so sure I won’t be back.

As mentally and physically challeng-ing as it is to explore, I feel incredibly lucky to be getting to know this special place so well. With support for the proposal from the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, and Oregon’s Congressional delegation, I feel con� dent the Staircase will soon be protected – so that future genera-tions can be humbled by the experi-ence of exploring this wild forest.

C H A N D R A L E G U E A f e l l o w p h o t o g r a p h e r i s d w a r f e d b y D e v i l ’ s S t a i r c a s e ’ s r o c k y s t e p s

C H A N D R A L E G U E O r e g o n W i l d b o a r d m e m b e r sc r o s s Wa s s o n C r e e k

The Wasson Creek wilderness is about the closest thing to forest primeval that I have experienced in a long time. This place deserves both our deep respect as well as permanent legal protection as wilderness so my kids and their kids can get lost and found there too.” – Doug Heiken

13 Winter/Spring 2010 Volume 37, Number 1

Steve Lambros and Laurie GerloffDiane LanconJeannette LawrenceUrsula and Charles Le GuinNorbert and Christine LeupoldKathleen LewisScott Lewis and Laura Rose-LewisKaren LilleboConny and Walter LindleyGrant LindquistScott and Joy LinnAlan Locklear and Marie ValleroyLeslie and Patrick LoganJack Lyford

Mark and Pamela MacDonaldAnn MacroryPhilip MagnussonBrian and Liz MaguireBarbara ManildiCraig and Susan MarkhamDr. John MarksMichael and Gloria MarloweMalcolm MarquisKaye McDonald and Janet MetcalfKerry McPhailLucy Mead and Rick RobertsonSusan Meade MatesEthan and Vicky MedleyRoger MellemGlenn MerrittRegna Merritt*Katie MeyerJ. Michael MoodyDarcia MorganPaul MortCarole Most and Leon LaptookDr. Scott Murray and Dr. Nancy Winters

Kieu Oahn Nguyen and Michael Roth

Mary Belle O’Brien

Fred and Jean HallRussell Hall and Susan LeafeJohn HammondJohn Harland and Janet HoffmanWilliam and Barbara HarrisDavid Harrison and Joyce MillenCraig HartzmanSusan Hayden and John BeastonChris and Mike Helm*Dennis HigginsAnya King and Alex HillTerry D. Hohner, O.D.Robert and Mary Holmstrom

Jeanette and Donald JacksonNigel Jaquiss and Margaret RemsenRobert JensenDavid JohnsKathy Jubitz and Steve Hawley

Penelope and Jack KaczamarekAni Kame’enui*Brenda Kame’enuiJames KawakamiAndrew KazaSusan KemPeter KendallHelen KennedyDan and Heather KentCharles and Reida KimmelCharles Kingsley and Anna DebenhamPhyllis KirkGary and Sharon KishAnn Kloka and Daniel EgglestonRoger Kofler

Spencer Krueger and Mary LefevreDavid Labby and Sarah Slaughter

Sally Cross and Mark HahnCheyne Cumming

Theresa DaleyJanet DanforthBrian and Rebecca DavisJim and Dory DelpDevin Dimeo-EdigerShawn DonnilleJeff Dresser

George and Margo EarleyBart Eberwein and Jill CollinsKenneth EdwardsLauren Esserman and Jon KartBob and Shelley Everhart

Gordon FeighnerEdward Feldhousen and Jeanette Skelton FeldhousenJames and Linda FennerJudy FiestalC. E. Win Francis

John and Robin GageBarbara GalbreathJames and Viola GaleRobert GamblinAlberta GerouldMegan Gibb* and Kurt MaierTom Giese and Nora LehnhoffJohn GraeterMichael Greenstreet MDCandice Guth* and David PogelGary Guttormsen*Glen Guttormsen

Chip HallDavid and Nancy Hall

Eric AbramsJim Arneson

Gordon and Kay BakerJim and Judy BakerBonnie Baldwin PrangeJane BeckwithDouglas BeebeAmy Marie BenjaminKatherine and Vern BenschingMartha Bergman-GamblinJim BernauMary Lou BoiceDean Boyd and Sue WickizerLisa Brenner and Tom StiboltAlex Brown and Erin MaddenVictor BuenzleRex Burkholder and Lydia RichTerry Butler

Katherine CameronJohn CannucciDouglas and Linda CarnineGeorge and Fanny CarrollBarbara and Ken CerotskyPat Clancy* and Beth CarusoRich and Charlene ClarkGary ClarkeEdward Cleary Jr.Franklin and Joanne ClelandKristen and Bill ConwellMarilyn Couch and David AxelrodJohn Crabbe and Jeri JanowskyLinda CraigRebecca and Brewster CrosbyLynn Cross

John ShepskiJohn Lee Sherman and Janet ShermanJay Sherrerd and Mary Penn HuntingSusan SheythePaul ShirkeyLinda ShockeyLloyd SloneckerTamara SmithSusan SogardKirsten SommerDoug Spiro and Lynn BrownRandall SprickKathryn StaplesDavid SteinbrecherJulie SterlingJulie and Curt StevensFran StevensonKaty StokesDorald StoltzGreg SwansonCharles Swett

Elizabeth Tilbury-MarquardMary TranWalt and Karen Trandum

Mary and Thomas VerhoevenChristine and David Vernier

Mary Jo Wade and John “Jack” GrayBarbara and R. Bastian WagnerThomas WardCarol and Jerard Weigler FamilySarah WetjenDave Whitaker and Kristin LensenMichael and Janey WiederholdRahmana Wiest and Daniel RhigerJan WilsonReed Wilson and River JewelryRenata WilsonJohn Winter

Marietta and Earnest O’ByrnePatrick O’Herron and Diana RempeGeorge and Virginia OlsenMolly O’Reilly and Stephen LockwoodMariner OrumAllison Oseth*

Carol PaddockJoellen PailChristopher ParsonsPaul PearsonKatherine and Steve Pedery*Gregory PetrasLawrence and Christianna PierceJohn PlattChristopher Jones and Julie PolhemusSandra PolishukWill and Mabel PoolJohn and Sandy PotterMargaret Purves and Patricia Kellogg

Ann Marie RasmussenSteve RaymenGenevieve Reid and Mark SchuleinGeoffrey and Nicole RhoadsJanet RigantiMonica RodalSarah RootTom RosterG. James Roush and Cynthia WayburnDick and Jeanne RoyCharlotte RubinMeg Ruby and Jonathan Lindgren

Lia Saroyan and Michael J. KnappGeorgia SchellRand Schenck* and Valerie StricklandEdward SchmidtJudith Schwartz SorrelJames Scott and Elaine RobinStan SeleenLaurence and Pat Serrurier

Donor listIndividuals who gave at the Public Lands level or above during fiscal year 2009 are listed below. Oregon Wild greatly appreciates the support of all of our donors. *Denotes an Oregon Wild board or staff member.

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Expenses

Revenue Revenue and Expenses for Fiscal Year 2009*Misc. includes event income, merchandise sales, rent, in-kind gifts,

interest, and other miscellaneous revenue. For more specific information,

please contact Candice Guth, Director of Finance and Administration,

at 503.283.6343 x 219.

Oregon Wild has made every attempt to spell all names correctly. If

you find an error or omission, please let us know so that we may correct

it. Contact Cheryl Lohrmann at 503.283.6343 x 213 or cbl@oregonwild.

org. Thank you.

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Michael Delman in memory of Berta DelmanNeenah Peterson in honor of BearPeggy Macko in memory of Kyle MackoRegna Merritt in honor of Justine MerrittSara Maier in honor of Rick MaierThomas Caldwell in honor of Jake ReevesBarbara Wagner in memory of Marie K. WagnerDeb Merchant in honor of the Merchant FamilyJanet Rigant in memory of Joanna KarlLori and Richard Slavenski in memory of Dave BriceChris Cooper in honor of Ron CooperStephanie Snyder in memory of Edward SnyderJulie Kelly in memory of Beverly Swenson

Richard and Marjorie McManus in memory of Mark and Katie McManusCraig Hartzman in honor of Scott LewisJulia Banner Spence in memory of Richard R. DaleyElizabeth West in memory of Charles David WestEllen Torpey in memory of William TorpeySteven and Alma Kessler-Wong in memory of Richard R. DaleyEmily Stone in honor of the marriage of Rob and Emily KlavinsDori Wendler-Jones in memory of Bill BrodSteven Lambros in honor of the marriage of Debbi Sharp and PhilipCristen Don in honor of Cara and Brendan Fritz-KaneDevin Dimeo Ediger in honor of Edward AbbeyLinda Marple in memory of Al TurretAnnie Hubbird in memory of Maria Bessemer

Specials Gifts Thanks to these specialvolunteers – and all others!

Matt AdamikSusan ApplegateBill Aspegren

Jim BakerCasey BarnardMike BeagleJim BerryPat BitnerChuck BlanchardScott BowlerPatricia BrentGreg Burke

Sam CalleroNanci ChamplinAndrew ChaseRichard ChouinardPat ClancyMelody ClarksonBrett ColeEmily CorneliusAlan Cossitt Elena Cronin

John DigiacintoErik DresserJim Dutcher

Francis Eatherington Margo EarleyHeather Evergreen

Pam FarmerJim FennerJim Fitzpatrick

Barbara Galbreath Joe GawronKate Gessert Megan GibbChris Glad Ryan Good

Gary Guttormsen

Scott & Carrie HaasMary HellmanMike HelmHelen HernerSteven Holt Judi HorstmanGabe Howe Mary Hubbard Kate Huether

Jonathan Jelen

Brenda Kame’enui

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Memberships and Contributions

Fundraising

Misc.

Administration

Lobbying

15 Winter/Spring 2010 Volume 37, Number 1

Anonymous444S FoundationAll Star Rafting & KayakingAssociated Marine SystemsBethel Heights VineyardBrainerd FoundationColumbia Sportswear CompanyCommon Ground Wellness CenterDevil’s Food CateringDoe Bay Resort and Retreat

Earth Friends Wildlife FoundationEarth Share of OregonEnvironmental Paper and Print Inc.Food Front Cooperative GroceryHarder FoundationHenry V Heritage Forests Campaign Hewlett Packard Charitable Campaign Higgins RestaurantI Do Foundation

Jubitz Family FoundationKaminash & Associates LLCKeen Footwear, Inc.Kern & Thompson, LLCKPOJ AM 620 Radio StationLemelson VineyardsLensbabies, LLCMcKenzie River Gathering FoundationMomentum River ExpeditionsMorningstar Healing ArtsNew World FoundationNorcross Wildlife FoundationNorth, Inc.Organically Grown CompanyOutdoor Adventure River Specialists (OARS)Passionflower Floral Patagonia Portland Portfolio 21 Investments

Portland General Electric Employee Giving CampaignPrecision Castparts CorporationPro Photo SupplyQuick Stop PhotoREI Portland Richard and Rhoda Goldman FundRobert W. Millis & the Anne K. Millis Fund of OCFRogue BrewerySimply BrilliantSnow PeakStubbeman Family FoundationTacticsThe BhaktishopThe Conservation AllianceThe Mitzvah Fund of the OCF Timberline Lodge

Trillium Natural FoodsVanguard Charitable Endowment ProgramWallowa LlamasWeeden FoundationWeiss Fund of the Oregon Community FoundationWellstone Group, LLCWestern Conservation FoundationWhole Foods Fremont storeWhole Systems FoundationWiancko Charitable FoundationWidmer Brothers Brewing CompanyWilburforce FoundationWillamette Valley VineyardsYakimaThe Zephyr Fund of Schwab Charitable FundZipCar

Foundations, Businesses, and Matching Gifts from EmployersBusinesses and foundations that gave during fiscal year 2009 are listed below. Oregon Wild greatly appreciates your support.

Thanks to these specialvolunteers – and all others!

Don’t forget!Don’t forget! Oregon Wild relies upon YOUR financial support to make all of our conservation victories, educational outreach, and quiet recreation opportunities possible across the state. Please act now and make a generous year-end gift to Oregon Wild as we close out a landmark year of conservation and our 35th anniversary in 2009. If you’ve given in the past year; thank you. If you can give again; please do. Every dollar counts in the fight to save what is best about our state! Give now to secure your 2009 tax deduction.

Take Action!Call 503-283-6343 ext. 213, go to www.oregonwild.org/donate, or give via check or credit card using the enclosed envelope to make your gift today.

Gary Guttormsen

Scott & Carrie HaasMary HellmanMike HelmHelen HernerSteven Holt Judi HorstmanGabe Howe Mary Hubbard Kate Huether

Jonathan Jelen

Brenda Kame’enui

Aaron KeroskyTom Kloster Kriya KrisnabaiChad Kromm

Kit LacyAmanda Lara Darryl LloydLeslie LoganSandy LonsdaleJustin Loveland

Robert E. MahlerBarbara Mahoney

Jane MalarkeyPeter MarbachMadeline McAdamsPeggy McConnellValerie MetcalfeElena MoonAngie Moore Erin MuirSteve Mumma

Bruce Newhouse

George OlsenLarry Olson

Sue ParsonsAndrew PrahlMargaret PrattJamey Pyles

Michelle Quale

Charles Reneau

Matt SandmannRand SchenckJessica SchimkowitschLisa SchomakerDarcy SchultzCharles Stilfield

Phillip Sylla

Nathaniel TalbotMarrissa ThompsonDavid Tvedt

Amanda Ulbrich

Robert Vaughn Jos Vaught Doug Vorwaller

John WallerAlison WardLisa WardRobert Wehrman

Ted WeintrautKyle WillifordJennifer WolfsongPiper WorthingtonJan Wilson

Charissa Yang

Joel Zak

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December 31, 2009 Deadline to donate through Willamette Week’s Give!Guide

January 9, 2010 Snowshoe hikes kick-off

April 2010 Spring Wild Wednesday in Portland and Eugene

February 6, 2009 Last snowshoe hike

January 2010 Winter Wild Wednesday in Portland and Eugene

Spring 2010 Oregon Wild Celebration annual gala

January 13, 2010 “Lords of Nature” film screening, Hollywood Theater, Portland

April 2-4, 2010 Klamath Basin Birding Tour

Winter snowshoe hikes!Go to www.oregonwild.org for more details.

January 6, Twin Lakes, Mount Hood National Forest

January 10, White River, Mount Hood National Forest

January 23, White River, Mount Hood National Forest

January 23, Diamond Creek Falls, Willamette National Forest

January 24, Swampy Lakes, Deschutes National Forest

January 30, Tamanawas Falls, Mount Hood National Forest

February 6, Marilyn Lakes, Willamette National Forest

R YA N H U G H E S

F i l m S c r e e n i n g J a n u a r y 1 3K l a m a t h B a s i n B i r d i n g To u r , A p r i l 2 - 4

O r e g o n W i l d C e l e b r a t i o n , S p r i n g 2 0 1 0