Oregon WildBlog

You & Me in the Trees: a storytelling and discussion on how to inspire conservationists both young and young at heart!

13 years ago, President Obama signed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (HR 146) into law.

This Women’s History Month, we fondly reflect on the legacy and continued work of three of our former staff members, tireless advocates who fought to protect Oregon’s many wild places for generations to come.

The 2022 Oregon state legislative short session ended last week. Check out our wrap, including a look at significant wins for forests, water, and wildlife!

There are hikers, and there are hikers. Long distance thru-hikers are uniquely driven, but Triple Crown hikers? They're extra special. In order to qualify as a Triple Crown hiker, you must complete three of the US's major long distance trails - the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. 

The Private Forest Accord was just passed by the Oregon Legislature!

This means that across 10 million acres of private forests in Oregon we will have bigger riparian buffers, more protections against steep slopes logging, an upgraded road system that won’t bleed sediment into streams, and a whole lot more. When you add it all up, Oregon will finally be catching up to our neighbors in Washington in adequately protecting our aquatic ecosystems from the impacts of logging.

Purported “fuels reduction” logging targets the most fire resistant trees

Don't cut down the last old-growth we have left. It’s as simple as that and has been for Oregon Wild’s mission for nearly 50 years. 

Racism is a problem on public lands, and many communities do not feel safe or welcome when recreating. Luckily, there are state-based solutions that seek to make a difference.

As Oregonians, we take pride in our beautiful landscapes, roaring rivers, craggy mountains, and diverse fish and wildlife species. It’s what makes Oregon so special. However, to ensure we have abundant and thriving fish and wildlife (and habitat) for generations to come, we have to invest in proactive conservation now.

That’s where Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) comes in. RAWA is legislation being considered by Congress to invest $1.3 billion into state wildlife agencies and tribes for wildlife conservation and recovery programs. What does that mean for Oregon? 

Too often, it seems most news about wildlife recovery and efforts to protect imperiled species is doom and gloom. That’s why it’s particularly exciting to share with you good news when it does manage to come our way. Read this month’s newsletter to learn more about these recent (and important) victories!