Throwback Thursday: The Middle Santiam

Old issue of Wild Oregon

By Teresa Connolly

Flipping through the faded pages of an old Wild Oregon newspaper, from a time when Oregon Wild was still the Oregon Natural Resource Council, I see pictures of lakes and streams, maps of hiking trails, and initiatives to protect the wildlands from destruction. The stories featured date back thirty plus years and yet I can’t help but notice that the topics these articles are covering seem all too similar to the conservation issues Oregon faces today. As I continue reading, I stumble across an article that catches my eye, covering a then imminent threat to the Middle Santiam. 

John Potter, the author of the story and a member of the Middle Santiam Wilderness Committee, begins by painting the scene of the majestic Middle Santiam, with its incredible old growth trees and miles of pristine river. But the image of untouched wildlands is overshadowed by an upcoming timber sale, a move that would have destroyed yet another of Oregon’s undisturbed wildlands.

In 1980, when conservationists found themselves laboring to protect this land, three proposed timber sales threatened to destroy nearly 2,000 acres of the Middle Santiam. Arguments in favor of the sales indicated trees were falling down and the forest was falling apart, statements that simply didn’t carry any weight. If the timber sales had gone through and logging of these wildlands had begun, the soil instability of this area could easily have caused land slides and the inevitable soil erosion would have damaged the clear flowing water of the Middle Santiam River. It wasn’t until four years later when Congress passed the Oregon Wilderness Act that, thankfully, nearly 9,000 acres of land in the Middle Santiam became protected wilderness.

Flash forward thirty years. Because of this Act, we can now respectfully enjoy the beauty that is the Middle Santiam Wilderness. Hikers, campers, and fishers can all venture into the area and see what the Middle Santiam has to offer.

In these upcoming summer months, consider exploring the Chimney Peak, the Gordon Peak, McQuade Creek, or Swam Peak Trail all of which take you through the Middle Santiam Wilderness. Just remember to respect the hard work that went into protecting these lands and do your part by following the wilderness regulations listed here

Check out the Forest Service’s website for more information on these hikes!

As I finished reading the 30-year-old story, it brought to mind all the issues that still need resolving and how the fight to protect Oregon’s wildlands is not over. There are still many areas that need protection if we want to ensure that old growth trees remain, rivers stay clean and clear, and Oregon’s wildlife is able to thrive. The Crater Lake Wilderness proposal is one example of a campaign moving towards its goal of gaining wilderness protection, just like the Middle Santiam over thirty years ago. With the nearly 500,000 acres both inside and outside of the park, this proposal would give Crater Lake National Park, one of the few National Parks without wilderness designation, another level of protection. Reaching this goal would safeguard the headwaters of some of Oregon’s well-known rivers and preserve dwindling numbers of old growth trees. If you, like all those at Oregon Wild, want to support the creation of the Crater Lake Wilderness, take a moment to sign the petition in support of this campaign and like the Facebook page to stay updated on other ways you can stay involved!

So if you get a chance to explore one of the hikes through the Middle Santiam this summer, take a moment to look at the trees, streams, and wildflowers that surround you and think back to before the area was protected. It is hard to imagine what would have happened if the area had not become a protected wilderness. Thankfully, the Middle Santiam is one more protected wildland that Oregonians will be able to explore and enjoy for years to come.  

Photo Credits
Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service Website