Oregon WildBlog

by Dominick A. DellaSala, Ph. D, Chief Scientist, Geos Institute

If a tree grows in a forest, does that make it a forest? Does planting trees compensate for cutting down a forest? How do we know we are in a forest or an unreasonable facsimile (“fake”) there of?

A new publication “The World’s Biomes” is set for release in libraries globally in 2020. It will feature my chapter on fake vs. real forests. Contact me at dominick@geosinstitute.org for an advanced copy of this chapter.

The Bend Source recently published this letter to the editor by Jamie, our Ochoco Mountains Coordinator:

"As the Source recently reported, quiet recreationists across the state rejoiced at the news that a plan proposing 130+ miles of additional off-road vehicle trails in the Ochocos was struck down by the courts. The proposal would have been bad news for wildlife like deer and elk as well as hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers. 

If it seems like it has been a decade since Congress did anything good for conservation and the protection of Oregon’s public lands, there’s a reason for that.  Up until this year, 2009 was the last time Congress passed a major piece of Wilderness legislation that benefited special places in Oregon.

Last week, we learned that one of the wolves in the newly established White River wolf pack died late last year. 

by Tom A. Titus

Last week we sent an exclusive wolf pack update to fill you in on all things wolves. In case you missed it, here’s our blog post that covers the download.

In a state covered in nearly 30 million acres of forested lands, it can be difficult to get a sense of the scale and extent of logging across Oregon.

What would a real wolf conservation plan look like for Oregon? Certainly not trophy hunting, more conflict, and more dead wolves. Unfortunately, that was the plan Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) officials expected Oregon Wild and other conservation groups to approve this week. While we are still committed to fighting for our state’s fledgling wolf population, Oregon Wild and all our sister groups withdrew from this process rather than rubber stamp an ODFW wolf plan that prioritizes killing over conservation.

A little over a week ago, Oregon was on the verge of celebrating new Wilderness designations with the inclusion of the Oregon Wildlands Act in a proposed budget deal in Congress. Unfortunately, last minute objections from Congressman Greg Walden and a late-night tantrum by anti-public lands Senator Mike Lee stopped the bill just short of the finish line.

The good news is Congress committed to a vote on a public lands package again in January (once the government is back up and running again, of course). Now, we have less than a month to make new Oregon Wilderness a reality.