Oregon WildBlog

Lindsey Imitzen, Oregon Wild Intern, Helps Protect Endangered Flower

Tucked away in the northwest corner of the Siskiyou National Forest, 11 miles east of Port Orford on the Elk River, lies a 13,700-acre gem. Adjacent to the east boundary of Grassy Knob Wilderness, this natural wonder, known as Copper Salmon, includes the North and South Forks of Elk River. The congressional bill that designated Copper Salmon as a protected wilderness area was signed by President Obama in March of 2009, making it one of Oregon’s newest protected areas.

Oregon's Minam wolf pack is relatively new on the scene and, like most Oregon packs, has not come into conflict with humans or their livestock.

Springtime in the Klamath Basin brings sunshine...and sleet...and wind...and rain...and snow...aaaaaaand a tiny bit of thunder. But no one attending Oregon Wild’s recent birding trip seemed to mind this atmospheric multiple personality disorder. After all, it’s been a painfully dry winter, so the Basin can use every last drop of water. Besides, we were really there to see the spectacle of birds in full migration mode along the Pacific Flyway.

Wolf 755M (right) was the alpha male of the Lamar Canyon Pack seen here with 889F (left) the fourth wolf with whom he has tried to restart a pack after his mate was shot and killed outside Yellowstone Nat'l Park.

By whatever name he’s known, the story of Journey (OR-7) has captured imaginations around the world. It’s but a chapter in the broader story of wolf recovery. And like that bigger story, the end is uncertain. As a number of news outlets have recently noted, the battery that has powered the collar that made Journey famous just outlived its life expectancy.

Any day now, the battery that has sent signals to a satellite and back down to earth may fail; leaving a collared wolf - unconcerned with his name or what people think of him - to continue on with his day-to-day life.

Senator Ron Wyden is hosting another round of town hall meetings this month, offering you a great opportunity to let the senator know, in person, you oppose his plan for more clearcuts and fewer protections for wildlife on our public O&C lands and backyard forests.

I live on a 17-acre farm in Lobster Valley, near Alsea in Benton County. Our property lies along Lobster Creek, a tributary of the Alsea River and a haven for fly fisherman and angling enthusiasts. Our farm borders the Siuslaw National Forest and some private land, including a Christmas tree farm, and the O&C lands in our area are located about a mile up the Lobster Creek drainage.

Brief statement on the untimely passing of Oregon Wild staffer, and wildlands hero, Tim Lillebo, and information about his memorial.

Statement from Oregon Wild Executive Director Sean Stevens:

Even as the wolf was being cruelly hunted into extinction, humans did something only Homo sapiens can do: We kept the wolf feared, hated,and alive in literature - especially children's stories.