Oregon WildBlog

“Sea otters have been around for more than a million years.”

This is Bob Bailey, Board President of the Elakah Alliance, an organization working to restore sea otters to the Oregon coast. 

When a producer from CBS’s national Saturday morning show called the Oregon Wild office last month with some questions about ancient forests, logging practices, and proposed changes to environmental laws, our staff were happy to walk them through our perspective and a lot of background information. When they said they were coming to Oregon to do a story, we worked to set up a Lighthawk Flight over the northern Coast Range so they could see the big picture for themselves.

On October 2nd, 1969, an explosion rocked the remote Alaskan Island Amchitka.

According to the Anchorage Daily News, the blast "turned the surrounding sea to froth" and "forced geysers of mud and water from local streams and lakes 50 feet into the air.” A dome appeared on the surface of the island roughly 3 miles in radius, then collapsed into a massive crater formed by the underground explosion. 6900 cubic meters of rock tumbled from the bluffs of the Bering island into the sea.

Back in 2007, Oregon Wild staffer Doug Heiken and I spent some time poking around the edges of a big roadless area in the Coast Range, identified on Oregon Wild maps, which looked to have some old forests that could be at risk of logging under the new BLM management plan being developed at the time (known as WOPR). We found some overgrown roads and some giant trees along them. We didn’t venture in far from the roads, as the terrain was steep, the vegetation thick, and there were no trails to follow.

We Can Celebrate and We Can Do Better by Doug Heiken

The Northwest Forest Plan went into effect on May 20, 1994 and immediately brought improved management to federal forests within the range of the northern spotted owl. After 25 years we can celebrate the plan's successes, lament its failures, and continue the fight for better management to protect old-growth, water, fish & wildlife, carbon, and quality of life. 

Though it may still be warm and sunny outside, summer is almost over, so today we are sharing our final post for our summer series of featured hikes. And we are ending on a great note with the Cape Falcon hike. This hike is among the most popular destinations on the North Coast, and for good reason. I encourage you to add it to your upcoming coast trip itinerary. From the top you’ll be treated to breathtaking views of Smuggler’s Cove, Short Sands Beach, and Neahkahnie Mountain. 

By Kelby Johnson

Wow, this summer has flown by and, sadly, my time with Oregon Wild is coming to a close. This internship has been an amazing opportunity that has taught me a ton, been an awesome way to connect with the Bend community, and was, overall, a really fun experience! Through many different events, I became connected with Central Oregonians and came away feeling like I made an impact. 

With summer coming to a close, we will soon be wrapping up our series of featured hikes from our new hiking guide: Oregon’s Ancient Forests. But before we go, we have to share this lovely hike to Twin Lakes in the Umpqua National Forest. The Twin Lakes area offers a sampling of the best of the region: spectacular wildflower meadows, mountain views, and ancient forests recovering from a 2017 fire.

For today’s weekly featured hike, we won’t be sharing a specific trail, but rather we are sharing some tips for making the most of your hike from Oregon Wild staffer and author Chandra LeGue. Chandra is a hiking expert and her tips can apply to any hike.

by Kelby Johnson 

Oregon has been falling behind when it comes to protecting areas as Wilderness compared to our neighboring Western states. You’re likely already familiar with the state’s Wilderness deficit: of Oregon’s total area, only about 4% is designated as Wilderness. Compared to other states, Idaho has about 8% designated. Then comes Washington with 10% and California leads with 15%! The numbers alone show how behind Oregon is in prioritizing the protection of our land.