Author: Sami Godlove

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Public Lands, Public Voices: Hundreds of Oregonians attend events to speak up for roadless forests

|Sami Godlove|Drinking Water, Forests, Old-Growth, Oregon Wild, Public Lands, Wilderness
Community members speak up for roadless forests at a town hall event in Portland, Oregon. Jayson Moorman.

Over 300 Oregonians showed up to in-person town hall events in Bend, Portland, and Eugene to learn about, celebrate, and take action for their local roadless public lands. These events were organized in response to the Trump Administration’s current plan to rescind the popular Roadless Area Conservation Rule. This policy protects over 45 million acres of National Forestland, including 2 million acres in Oregon, from commercial logging, road construction, and other development.

When the Roadless Rule was adopted in 2001, it followed the most extensive public engagement process for any federal rulemaking in US history. There was a months-long public comment period, and millions of Americans weighed in on the proposal to protect the wildest remaining places in our National Forests. The Forest Service also held over 600 public meetings nationwide to provide information about the proposal to the public and to receive public feedback. An overwhelming majority–over 95% of people–supported protecting these roadless forests from roadbuilding and commercial logging.

That support for wildlands protection has carried to today. During an initial public comment period last fall for the proposed Roadless Rule rescission, which lasted a historically short 21 days, over 600,000 Americans submitted public comments, and over 99% of those comments were opposed to repealing the rule.

Think about that number, over 99% of Americans (99%!!!) told the Department of Agriculture to abandon its plan to repeal the rule and to keep protections for these beloved public lands in place.

Despite the near-unanimous public opposition, the administration is still moving forward with the rescission process. They just told us that they don’t care what we–the public–have to say about our public lands. And this time around, they are attempting to limit our ability to even have a say in the process. Over 600 public meetings were held in creating the Roadless Rule; in eliminating it, the Trump Administration has held a total of ZERO meetings.

So we decided to host our own.

Community-led Roadless Rule townhalls are being organized across the nation, and we just held three packed events here in Oregon.

Portland

About 75 people gathered in Portland in a powerful show of support for protecting our last remaining roadless forests, hosted by Oregon Wild, Sierra Club, Cascade Forest Conservancy, Environment Oregon, and WildEarth Guardians. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas opened the evening by affirming the importance of these wild, intact places, and for the lands that provide clean water, wildlife habitat, and a sense of connection that’s increasingly rare. Rep. Salinas is the lead sponsor for the Roadless Area Conservation Act, legislation introduced in Congress that would codify the Roadless Rule into federal law, permanently safeguarding these threatened areas.

As community members passed the mic, what followed was a deeply moving series of testimonies from a diverse group of speakers, including advocates, recreation leaders, a wildland firefighter, and community members, each sharing personal stories about why these forests matter. One speaker captured the emotional weight in the room, saying, “I will continue to speak out for lovely, unruly, nonhuman places that I have never seen, even if it takes the rest of my life.” Read more about the Portland town hall here.

Congresswoman Andrea Salinas addresses the crowd at a Portland town hall about the Roadless Rule. Jayson Moorman.

Bend

Bend stands to lose as much as any city from the proposed rescission of the Roadless Rule. Surrounded by beloved roadless public lands, tourism and outdoor recreation in Roadless Areas are major drivers of the local economy. Popular destinations like Tumalo Mountain and Tumalo Falls, Hosmer and Sparks Lakes, and the Newberry Caldera fall within Roadless Areas and could be impacted if the rule is repealed. The entire city’s drinking watershed, which provides clean water to over 100,000 people, flows through the Tumalo Mountain Roadless Area west of Bend.

Over 150 people–students, teachers, elected officials, scientists, public lands lovers, and concerned community members–showed up to the OSU-Cascades campus in Bend to attend the town hall, sponsored by Oregon Wild, Central Oregon LandWatch, Sierra Club Oregon Chapter,  Great Old Broads for Wilderness Bitterbrush Chapter, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Oregon Chapter, Native Fish Society, and the National Parks Conservation Association.

Former US Forest Service Ranger and public lands advocate, Liz Crandall, hosted the event, which featured speakers such as professional outdoor athletes Graham Zimmerman and Barry Wicks, Oregon State Senator Anthony Broadman, Bend City Councilor Steve Platt, and staff from Congresswoman Janelle Bynum’s office.  The room was filled with energy throughout the event, as attendees voiced their support for Roadless Area protections and submitted public comments to the Department of Agriculture.   Watch a recap of the town hall here.

Bend-based professional climber Graham Zimmerman speaks about the importance of protected Roadless Areas at a town hall in Bend. Liz Crandall.

Eugene

In Eugene, nearly 100 local advocates gathered at Gratitude Brewing to learn about, and take action for, their local Roadless Areas.  Along with Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands, Firefighters United for Safety Ethics and Ecology (FUSEE), and 350 Eugene sponsored the event. Speakers offered up their perspective on the importance of protecting wild places, including Lane County Commissioner Laurie Trieger, climate and public lands advocates, and wildland firefighter Carson States. Representatives from the sponsor organizations then helped attendees craft and submit their public comments.

Community members gather at a local brewery in Eugene to take action for Oregon’s roadless forests. Helena Virga.

Take Action

If you weren’t able to attend those events, now is your chance! Join us for this special Wild Wednesday webcast on Wednesday, May 6, to learn about and celebrate our wild, roadless public lands. During the program, we’ll hear from several voices about how roadless protections support diverse shared values and essential conservation outcomes, and we’ll let you know how you can take action to stop this latest attack on our public lands.

If you are ready to take action now, we have you covered. Submit your public comment to defend the Roadless Rule! Make sure to also check out our Oregon Roadless Area hiking guide so you can experience a Roadless Area for yourself this summer.

Public lands belong in public hands, and we all have the right to weigh in on decisions that impact our public lands. The Trump Administration wants to silence us and is hoping its plan to repeal the Roadless Rule will go through quietly. We won’t let that happen.

Organizers and community members celebrate wild, roadless forests at a town hall event in Bend, OR.

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River Democracy Act Highlights: John Day River

|Sami Godlove|Eastern Oregon, Public Lands, Recreation, River Democracy Act, Rivers, Wilderness
John Day River by Greg Burke

Nestled in the heart of northern Oregon, the John Day River watershed is a richly woven tapestry of natural wonders, deep geologic history, rugged scenery, and wild open spaces. From expansive roadless forests, to Wild & Scenic River canyons and the vibrant hues of the Painted Hills, the John Day watershed contains some of the most unique and wildest landscapes left in Oregon. These are public lands that provide immense values–fish and wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, tourism, drinking water, and others–to local communities and ecosystems.

Fish and Wildlife Habitat

The streams, forests, mountains, canyonlands, and plains that make up the John Day watershed provide rich wildlife habitat and are home to a wide array of species like salmon and steelhead, bull trout, Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain elk, pronghorn, and wolves.

The John Day River is the longest free-flowing river in Oregon, allowing imperiled steelhead and Chinook salmon to travel unimpeded from the mouth of the river to their spawning grounds in the headwaters of the watershed. Because of the lack of dams and the abundance of wild, roadless public lands in its headwaters, the John Day watershed provides some of the best remaining wild spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead habitat left in the state.

Despite the abundance of free-flowing streams, wild landscapes, and connected habitat, many of the iconic species in this region are imperiled. Chinook salmon, steelhead, bull trout, and wolves are among the species that are currently listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. Safeguarding and connecting intact public lands, key waterways, and critical migration corridors would help native wildlife thrive and move freely between preserved habitat areas.

Spring Chinook salmon by Dave Menke.
Bighorn sheep by Calley Lovett.
A wolf from the Desolation Pack in the John Day watershed by ODFW.

Geology and Paleontology

The John Day region is perhaps most well-known for its remarkable geologic and paleontologic values, and the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument that brings this rich natural history to life for visitors.

Millions of years ago, the climate and landscape of the region looked much different, home to tropical plant-life, large volcanoes, and mammalian life resembling nothing like we know today. As the rocky canyons and colorful hills eroded over time, fossils became exposed to the surface. Today, the John Day Fossil Beds are home to one of the world’s most extensive fossil records for the Age of Mammals, preserved by the National Monument designation in 1975.

Watch our webcast with Dr. Nicholas Fomoso, Paleontology Program Manager for the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, to learn more about the deep and complex natural history of the John Day watershed.

geology spotlight: Painted Hills

The Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument shows how the climate of the region evolved over time, resulting in layers of colors–vibrant reds, ochre yellows, and earthy browns–painted across the hillsides. The Painted Hills was named one the “7 Wonders of Oregon” by Travel Oregon. Photo by Matt Redfern.

Outdoor Recreation

While the Fossil Beds National Monument is a major draw for visitors to the watershed, the surrounding public lands also provide incredible outdoor recreation opportunities for locals and visitors alike. There are few places in Oregon that feel as remote and wild as here. Fishing, whitewater rafting, hunting, camping, and hiking are all popular activities in the watershed and contribute greatly to the local economy.

Recreation Spotlight: Strawberry Mountain wilderness

Some of the best hiking and backpacking in the watershed can be found in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. Hike into Strawberry Lake for an easy day hike and big views, or head up to Slide Lake or Little Strawberry Lake for an overnight trip.

Threats

In 1984, several wilderness areas in the watershed were established and expanded as part of the Oregon Wilderness Act of 1984, including the iconic Strawberry Mountains, the North Fork John Day Wilderness, and Black Canyon. In 1988, the lower John Day River, South Fork John Day River, and portions of the North Fork John Day River were designated as Wild & Scenic Rivers and protected under the National Wild & Scenic River System.

However, much of the remaining watershed remains unprotected and threatened by resource extraction, climate change, and a seismic shift in federal policy and local management.

The impacts of climate change–warmer temperatures and longer droughts, coupled with unsustainable water use and logging, is threatening the water quantity and quality of the John Day River and its tributaries. This has led to extremely low flows and high water temperatures during the summer months, severely impacting threatened salmon, steelhead, and bull trout populations that rely on cold, clean water. During particularly dry years, the John Day River almost completely dries up in sections, impeding salmon and steelhead migration.

In the summer of 2025, the Trump Administration announced its plan to repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The rule protects nearly 60 million acres of wild, intact public lands across the country, including 2 million acres in Oregon, from new roads, commercial logging, and other industrial activities and development. The John Day River watershed includes several large roadless areas that provide important fish and wildlife habitat, opportunities for outdoor recreation experiences, and clean drinking water to downstream communities. If the Roadless Rule is repealed, all of these places would lose these critical protections and be opened up to logging and development.

The administration is also currently in the process of weakening protections for wild landscapes and wildlife habitat for 5.5 million acres across the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests of the Blue Mountains. These forests cover a large part of the upper John Day–the river’s headwaters–and the Blue Mountains Forest Plan revisions will determine which areas are prioritized for natural and cultural values like clean water, recreation, salmon, wildlife, quality of life, and carbon storage, and which are prioritized for logging, livestock grazing, road building, and extraction. Unfortunately, the process so far has leaned towards less protection and more extraction.

A Path Forward

The River Democracy Act, co-sponsored by Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, would designate several important headwater streams and tributaries in the John Day watershed as Wild & Scenic Rivers, providing additional safeguards for water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation opportunities. 

In total, this historic bill would protect over 3,200 miles of rivers and millions of acres of public lands all across Oregon. 

Destructive activities like mining and dam building are prohibited in and along Wild & Scenic Rivers, and other projects like commercial logging and road-building that negatively impact the landscape are tightly regulated so as to not degrade the river and river values. The River Democracy Act extends these safeguards a half-mile from each river bank, offering enhanced protections for critical waterways and watersheds.

Streams proposed for protection in the John Day watershed include portions of the North, Middle, and South Forks of the John Day, as well as many important tributaries like Murderers Creek, Desolation Creek, Thirtymile Creek, and Bridge Creek, which flows past the Painted Hills before joining the John Day River. 

Oregon Wild, our partners, and the American public are also fighting to ensure the Roadless Rule, and the important protections it provides to treasured public landscapes across the nation, remain in place. During a short 21-day public comment period in September 2025 on the administration’s proposal, over 600,000 Americans submitted public comments, with over 99% of comments opposed to rescinding the Roadless Rule. Despite this overwhelming, near-unanimous public support for roadless area protections, the Trump Administration is still determined to repeal the rule.

While we pressure the administration to abandon this attack on the Roadless Rule, we are also focused on passing legislative protections for roadless areas through Congress. The Roadless Area Conservation Act (RACA) would codify the Roadless Rule into law, creating lasting protections for these places that can’t be undone by this–or a future–administration.

Take Action

It’s up to all of us to defend our treasured public lands, wild watersheds, and endangered landscapes. 

Support the John Day watershed, and all of Oregon’s watersheds, by becoming a Citizen Co-sponsor of the River Democracy Act and urging your members of Congress to pass this important bill.

Tell your elected leaders to oppose the Roadless Rule repeal and support the Roadless Area Conservation Act, so that our last remaining intact public forests remain unroaded, unlogged, and forever wild.

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2026 Town Hall Guide

|Sami Godlove|Forests, Logging, Oregon Wild, Public Lands, River Democracy Act
Washington, DC | April 14, 2024 To raise awareness for old growth forest and calling for a stop to logging, Oregon Wild and Earthjustice held a rally in Washington, DC on Sunday, April 14, 2014 featuring drag queen and environmental activist Pattie Gonia. (Melissa Lyttle for Oregon Wild)

One of the most common questions we are asked is, “What’s the best thing I can do to help defend our public lands, forests, and wildlife?”

While there are so many things an individual can do, the best thing is to simply participate in democracy. Yes, that means voting, but it doesn’t stop there; we must also pressure our legislators and elected officials to stand up for our values and hold them accountable for their actions. One of the best ways to do this and speak directly to our legislators is to attend and ask questions at their town halls.

Fortunately, most of our elected leaders in Oregon prioritize holding regular in-person town hall meetings, and several are scheduled across the state in the coming weeks. With a slew of current threats to public lands and the environment at the federal level, it’s now more important than ever to attend these town halls and demand action from our members of Congress.

Check out our town hall guide below for important tips, suggested questions, and to find an upcoming event in your area!

Town Hall Tips

Get there early and get a good seat. If you want to ask a question, you will likely need to sign up upon arrival and be given a raffle ticket.

There is no guarantee that your number will be called, and there will likely be hundreds of others who will also sign up to ask a question. To make sure your point is made, we recommend bringing a sign to hold that will get the legislator’s attention (e.g. “Vote NO on F Our Forests,” “Pass the River Democracy Act,” “Save Our Roadless Forests,” etc).

Think about what you want to say or ask in advance. Prepare two or three key points.  Write them down.

If you get a chance to ask your question, be succinct and follow this general formula (see specific examples under “Suggested Conservation Topics and Questions” below):

  • Identify yourself with your name and where you live. If relevant, say what your profession, expertise, or interest in the issue is.
  • Thank the elected official for a past action/stance related to your question.
  • Present your position and your ask/question of the official. Include any personal experience or connection you have on the issue but keep it brief.
  • State your requested action of the elected official (support, oppose, introduce, protect, etc.)
  • Thank them for their time.

Even if someone else has already asked a question on your topic, ask it again! The more our elected officials hear about a specific issue, the more they will understand its importance.

If you aren’t selected, or you can’t attend, you can still call the legislators’ office afterwards and ask your question or make your comment. Several of their staff will also likely be in attendance to answer questions before or after the event. You can also bring and leave a pre-written comment with staff.

Suggested Conservation Topics and Questions

Thank you: It’s best to start any comment or question with a thank you.

  • E.g.: “Thank you for co-sponsoring the Roadless Area Conservation Act” (note: all members of the Oregon Congressional delegation have co-sponsored the Roadless Area Conservation Act except Rep. Cliff Bentz and Rep. Val Hoyle)

Sample Topics:

  • “I am concerned about efforts from the Trump Administration and Congress to expand logging on public lands.”
  • “I am concerned about the Trump administration’s attacks on our public lands and bedrock environmental laws.”

Sample Questions:

  • “From the proposed repeal of the Roadless Rule to the poorly named and harmful Fix Our Forests Act, our forests and public lands are under attack. Our mature and old-growth forests provide critical habitat for imperiled species, clean drinking water, opportunities for outdoor recreation, and are critical in the fight against climate change. I hope you will defend Roadless Rule protections for our wild forests and oppose the Fix Our Forests Act. What else can you do to ensure our environmental laws are upheld and our forests remain standing?”
  • “The harmful and poorly named Fix Our Forests Act is making its way through Congress. Despite its proponents’ claims, the bill does little to invest in proven wildfire community protection measures and instead provides loopholes to allow for cutting large trees and skirting environmental laws. Will you oppose legislation that aims to expand commercial logging on public lands and remove public oversight of logging projects?”
  • “The current attacks by the administration and Congress on our national public lands underscore the urgent need for more meaningful and lasting protections. I am encouraged by legislation that would do just that, such as the River Democracy Act, Roadless Area Conservation Act, and Oregon Recreation Enhancement Act. Can we count on you to pass these bills and finally give our public lands and waters the protection they need and deserve?”

For more information on town halls or how to advocate for public lands in other ways, make sure to visit our Activist Toolkit.

Now grab your friends, draft your questions, make your signs, and use your voice to speak up for Oregon’s public lands, forests, and wildlife! Together, we can make a difference. 

Upcoming town halls

Malheur County Town Hall with Senator Jeff Merkley
Friday, May 1 at 10:30am MT
Nyssa Senior Center, 316 Good Avenue, Nyssa

Harney County Town Hall with Senator Jeff Merkley
Friday, May 1 at 2:00pm
Harney County Community Center, 478 N Broadway Avenue, Burns

Grant County Town Hall with Senator Jeff Merkley
Friday, May 1 at 5:30pm
Grant County Senior Center, 142 NE Dayton Street, John Day

Baker County Town Hall with Senator Jeff Merkley
Saturday, May 2 at 10:30am
Community Connection of Baker County, 2810 Cedar Street, Baker City

Union County Town Hall with Senator Jeff Merkley
Saturday, May 2 at 2:15pm
Eastern Oregon University – Badgley Hall, One University Boulevard, La Grande

Wallowa County Town Hall with Senator Jeff Merkley
Saturday, May 2 at 2:15pm
Wallowa Senior Center, 204 E 2nd Street, Wallowa

Umatilla County Town Hall with Senator Jeff Merkley
Sunday, May 3 at 12:00pm
Echo Community Center (second floor of City Hall), 20 S. Bonanza St, Echo

Morrow County Town Hall with Senator Jeff Merkley
Sunday, May 3 at 3pm
Willow Street Innovation Hub, 188 West Willow Street, Heppner

Wheeler County Town Hall with Senator Jeff Merkley
Sunday, May 3 at 6:15pm
Wheeler High School, 600 E B Street, Fossil

Lincoln County Town Hall with Senator Ron Wyden
Thursday, May 7 at 4:30pm
Oregon Coast Community College, 400 SE College Way, Newport

Visit your legislators’ websites or social media channels to find out about upcoming town halls. Senators Merkley and Wyden each have a goal to visit every county in Oregon at least once per year.

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River Democracy Act Highlights: Upper Deschutes River

|Sami Godlove|Drinking Water, River Democracy Act, Rivers
Upper Deschutes River by Rick Seymour

The Upper Deschutes River originates in the Oregon Cascade Range as snow melts off Mt. Bachelor and the Three Sisters Wilderness into Little Lava Lake. This exceptionally cold, clean water eventually flows north over 250 miles to its confluence with the Columbia River.

The unique hydrology and geology of this watershed have helped support diverse ecosystems, sustained human civilizations since time immemorial, and made the growth of the central Oregon cities of today possible. Today, the area is a beloved outdoor recreation destination. However, with accelerating climate change and overuse, the future of the Deschutes and all that rely on it is uncertain.

The River Democracy Act would protect over 3200 miles of streams across Oregon for the important values they provide, including dozens within the upper Deschutes River basin. Read on to learn more about this key watershed and how the River Democracy Act would safeguard it and the communities that rely on it for generations to come.

Outdoor Recreation

The upper Deschutes River and its tributaries flow through the Deschutes National Forest, one of the most visited National Forests in the state, which provides opportunities for year-round recreation. The river itself is renowned for its fishing and paddling opportunities, and hikers, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers have a wealth of trails to explore nearby. Campgrounds and day-use areas can also be found all along the various streams that comprise the Deschutes watershed. 

Some can’t-miss activities include fly fishing the Fall River, paddling Hosmer Lake, and hiking the Tumalo Falls area.

Recreation Spotlight: Tumalo and Bridge Creek Loop

This 7.2-mile loop hike follows multiple proposed Wild & Scenic Rivers and brings hikers up close to dozens of spectacular waterfalls flowing through a mixed conifer forest full of lodgepole pine, mountain hemlock, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, and white fir. The best waterfall hike near Bend!

Learn more about this hike and other hikes near River Democracy Act streams in our River Democracy Act Hiking Guide

Wildlife Habitat

The meadows, forests, high desert, and subalpine environments of the upper Deschutes River provide a diversity of important habitat for a wide range of wildlife species, including listed species like bull trout and Oregon spotted frog. 

Bald eagles, osprey, and other birds of prey are commonly spotted along the river corridor. Mule deer and elk are also abundant, beaver and river otters are found in both the Deschutes and its tributaries, and two known wolf packs have become established in the basin in recent years (wolves are native to this area, but were eradicated for decades before returning to their former habitats in recent years).

Species Spotlight: Redband trout

Redband trout are a subspecies of rainbow trout that have adapted to the drier climates east of the Oregon Cascade Range. They are similar in appearance to a rainbow trout, but can be distinguished by larger, more rounded spots and a rosy red stripe along their side. Currently, redband trout occupy approximately 42% of their historic range. Primary threats to redband populations include habitat degradation and fragmentation, impacts from climate change including drought, and introduction of nonnative species.

Geology

The upper Deschutes River has a fascinating geologic history and a unique hydrology. Volcanic activity has shaped the region and this river, creating massive underground aquifers, springs that carry cold, clean water back to the surface, and lava flows that stretch for miles and construct the many falls and whitewater rapids of the Deschutes and its tributaries. Despite its location in the semi-arid climate of central Oregon’s high desert, the Deschutes once had some of the most stable year-round flows in the world. It is also the world’s largest spring-fed river.

However, due to the increasing impacts of climate change, development, and overuse, the river’s streamflows and course have been modified, leading to negative impacts on water quality and quantity, fish and wildlife, and downstream communities.

Learn more about the geologic history of the upper Deschutes River and the current threats to it by watching our past webcast, “A River Through Time: The Geologic History of the Upper Deschutes River Basin.”

Drinking Water

Over 100,000 people in Bend rely on Bridge Creek, in the Tumalo Creek watershed–a major tributary of the upper Deschutes, for clean drinking water. Bridge Creek is another spring-fed stream that originates near Broken Top mountain in the Three Sisters Wilderness and joins Tumalo Creek below the scenic Tumalo Falls before flowing towards the Deschutes. Tumalo Creek is one of the few but critical tributaries providing a steady flow of cold, clean water to the upper Deschutes. 

Intact, forested watersheds, especially those flowing through public lands, play a vital role in ensuring the quality and quantity of our water sources. These natural ecosystems act as invaluable sponges, absorbing, filtering, and gradually releasing water, contributing to the consistent flow of clean water to downstream communities. The streams of the Tumalo Creek watershed flow through designated Wilderness areas, Roadless Areas, and mature and old-growth forests, depositing consistent, cold, clean water into the taps of Bend’s residents and the Deschutes River.

Threats to this watershed

Each fall, the river’s flow out of Wickiup Dam is reduced dramatically to store water over the winter for the next year’s irrigation season. When the agricultural season begins the next spring, flows are increased once again to levels much higher than they naturally would be. 

For a river system that has evolved with historically stable streamflows, this annual reduction and increase has led to more bank erosion, water quality issues, and has negatively impacted native species like trout and Oregon spotted frog. Streamflow gets so low so quickly in the fall that thousands of fish end up trapped on the bank within days of the flow reductions. Fortunately, most of these fish are saved by volunteers in an annual fish rescue event outside of Bend, but more work is needed to protect water quality and quantity in the Deschutes. 

This watershed is also experiencing more frequent and prolonged drought from the accelerating impacts of climate change on precipitation, snowpack, and annual temperatures. All of these factors translate to less cold, clean water in the upper Deschutes basin.

River Democracy Act

The River Democracy Act, co-sponsored by Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, would designate the headwaters of the upper Deschutes River and other important tributaries in the watershed as Wild & Scenic Rivers, providing additional safeguards for water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and outdoor recreation opportunities. 

In total, the River Democracy Act would protect over 3,200 miles of streams all across Oregon.

Destructive activities like mining and dam building are prohibited in and along Wild & Scenic Rivers, and other projects like commercial logging and road-building that negatively impact the landscape are tightly regulated so as to not degrade the river and river values. The River Democracy Act extends these safeguards a half-mile from each river bank, offering enhanced protections for critical waterways and watersheds.

Streams in the upper Deschutes basin proposed for protection include essentially all the major tributaries in the watershed, such as Bridge Creek and Tumalo Creek, the Fall River, Paulina Creek, the Little Deschutes River, and Quinn Creek, which flows into Hosmer Lake. These are the streams that provide refuge for fish and wildlife, cold, clean water to the Deschutes, and help mitigate the impacts of drought, climate change, and overuse. 

Take Action

The River Democracy Act is currently making its way through Congress, but it needs your help getting across the finish line! Senator Ron Wyden developed and championed the bill, and Senator Jeff Merkley has co-sponsored it. The upper Deschutes watershed falls within Congresswoman Janelle Bynum’s district, and we need her to support this important legislation and protections for the Deschutes. 

Take action today and help protect the Deschutes River watershed and hundreds of other Oregon waterways by signing on as a Citizen Co-sponsor and urging your members of Congress to pass the River Democracy Act!

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New study finds U.S. rivers are warming at alarming rates

|Sami Godlove|Climate, River Democracy Act, Rivers
Sahalie Falls on Oregon's McKenzie River by Greg Stokesbury

American rivers are in trouble. According to a new study, heat waves in river systems throughout the U.S. are increasing at alarming rates, posing serious threats to fish, wildlife, and human communities.

This recent NBC article summarizes the study’s findings.

A new analysis of nearly 1,500 river locations over more than 40 years found that the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves is increasing in streams across the country, posing a threat to many species that are adapted to cooler temperatures.

Many aquatic species native to Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, such as salmon and trout, rely on cold-water habitat. Increased stream temperatures can be deadly to these species, impacting native fish and wildlife populations, as well as the communities, cultures, and industries that rely on them. 

Higher stream temperatures can also lead to more severe drought conditions and water quality issues that impact clean drinking water supplies and outdoor recreation opportunities.

According to the article,

The authors found that human-caused climate change is the primary driver of the trend, as snowpack dwindles and streams flow more slowly.

Other human factors also affect the trend. Dams slow the flow of water downstream. Buildings and pavement absorb heat that warms the air and then the water.

When combined with all the other impacts facing our rivers and native species, this is a disturbing trend.

So what’s the solution?

Protecting healthy waterways that still provide cold clean water is a great starting place. For waterways that have been logged or degraded, active and passive restoration efforts will be needed.

Trees and vegetation in riparian areas shade and cool rivers. Studies also show that older and larger trees suck up less water than younger ones that are replanted after logging operations, leaving behind more cold water in the stream and the water table. Additionally, mature and old-growth forests in Oregon are climate regulators, creating their own microclimates that are significantly cooler than adjacent logged or developed areas. These same forests also help fight and slow climate change–the primary driver of these heat waves–by sequestering and storing immense amounts of carbon.

The River Democracy Act: hope for our watersheds

Fortunately, there is a proposal to provide widespread protections for rivers across Oregon. Senator Ron Wyden’s River Democracy Act would protect over 3200 miles of waterways across the state, including a half-mile-wide buffer on either side of each stream.

This bill would add these streams to the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System, safeguarding the important values each river provides–whether it’s fish and wildlife habitat, clean drinking water, outdoor recreation, cultural, or others. It would also prohibit new dam construction on designated rivers, limit development and harmful activity within the protected buffer, and preserve the forests and riparian areas alongside streams that act as a natural climate solution.

Included in the River Democracy Act are the headwaters of critical salmon-bearing rivers in Oregon, such as the Rogue, Deschutes, McKenzie, Clackamas, Grande Ronde, John Day, and others. These are the streams that are the source of clean, cold water for these river systems, and where salmon spawn and give life to the next generation. These headwaters and tributaries are vital to protect as the harms there are felt–and compounded–downstream.

Take action today

Our rivers, and all who depend on them, need your help. Join the movement to protect Oregon rivers by becoming a Citizen Co-sponsor of the River Democracy Act. Reach out to your members of Congress and urge them to pass this bill before it is too late.

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A summer advocating for Oregon’s wildlands

|Kyla Guerrero|Forests, Public Lands, River Democracy Act
Paulina Lake by Mark Darnell

Home in Central Oregon

Growing up in Central Oregon, I developed a great appreciation for our local environment. I am fortunate to have always had access to abundant Oregon public lands where I explore, learn, and find inner peace among the chaos of everyday life. My childhood summers looked like canoe camping at different lakes along the Cascade Lakes highway, hiking in the mountains, spending time at the river, and exploring the beautiful outdoors of my home state. Every winter, my sister and I loved to spend time in the snow, sledding when we were young and skiing with friends on the weekends. As a kid, the luxury of enjoying these places that we call home, was something I never imagined going away. But over the years, I’ve come to realize that nature, as vast and wonderful as it is, has threats.

When I was in 4th grade, I began to notice the difference between snowfalls each season. Before then, my sister and I were able to build snow caves and structures with friends on snow days – some of my best memories. As the years passed, snowfall gradually decreased, limiting our days of snowball fights and good ski days. From the back seat as an 8 year old, I would observe the height of snow banks along the highway on our way up to ski at Mt. Bachelor. Vague memories of my view out the window reflect walls of snow taller than my Dad’s Jeep. Those days became far and few between until snow banks taller than 3 feet hardly existed…

My second epiphany was when our family friend’s summer vacation house in Detroit, Oregon burned in the 2020 Labor Day fires. I spent many summer days there and still remember the giddy excitement I felt each time we arrived at that house, eager to play cops and robbers, catch snails, and compete to find the biggest leaf in the surrounding forest. Tragically, we were shocked by the news in 2020 that the house and much of the community had been lost to the raging fire. We had to accept the difficult reality that we would never tell stories around that fire pit and chant songs from our beloved “chanting stump” again.

These collective positive and negative childhood memories have helped me realize the impact that human activities have on the natural world. Experiences like these have influenced my desire to protect and fight for nature and public lands so that generations to come can make memories like I have, exploring and enjoying our home in the great outdoors, which is also home to so much beautiful wildlife.

Kyla Guerrero, an intern in Oregon Wild’s Bend office, co-leads a hike through the Tumalo Mountain Roadless Area.

Being an Advocate

After graduating high school this Spring, I started an internship with Oregon Wild through NatureConnect Central Oregon’s Green Jobs program. This internship has allowed me to take a deeper dive into the work that goes into protecting these important natural places that define Oregon. Co-leading Oregon Wild hikes, attending staff meetings, and working alongside Sami Godlove and Erik Fernandez in the Bend office has expanded my understanding of the behind-the-scenes work of conservation. This opportunity has allowed me to be part of an important statewide movement to educate, inspire, and make measurable progress towards protecting our wild places.

Defending Our Roadless Wildlands

Hiking through the Tumalo Mountain Roadless Area on an Oregon Wild guided hike, I was impressed by the countless tumbling waterfalls and the old-growth forest that surrounded me. This forest, and the water flowing from the creek, provide clean water to the city of Bend, where I live, every day.

The serenity of the wild forest grounded me. Without the distractions of screens, the buzz of motorized vehicles, and the hustle of daily commotion, I felt I could focus and breathe.

This enjoyable activity outside also became a mission-driven and purposeful experience as we were also advocating for the Roadless Rule. Photographing the wild forest around me and talking with the hikers about the importance of protecting it made me feel like I was playing my small part in a vital movement that would have lasting impacts for generations to come. During lunch, we sat along the creek and wrote postcards to the Forest Service asking them to keep these places protected.

Writing postcards to the Forest Service in support of keeping the Roadless Rule and protections for our roadless wildlands.

The Roadless Rule has been protecting a total of over 58 million acres of our most wild and intact public land for the past 25 years, including nearly 2 million acres in Oregon. Like the people on our hike, many Oregonians love and appreciate the access we have to outdoor recreation, fresh drinking water, and clean air. Now more than ever, the voices of the American people must be heard to continue to protect these places.

In June 2025, the Trump Administration announced its intent to repeal the Roadless Rule, which would open up these currently protected places to logging, mining, construction, road development, and more harmful activities. Once these areas are impacted, they are damaged for generations to come.

Over a three-week period through September, I worked with Oregon Wild to get as many people from the public as we could to submit a public comment in support of protecting the Roadless Rule. This included work such as hosting comment writing workshops, talking to local media, creating social media content, writing a Letter to the Editor, and supporting educational guided hikes to local Roadless Areas like Tumalo Mountain and Paulina Lake. In the end, thousands of Oregonians, and over 600,000 people nationwide submitted comments, with over 99% of them in support of keeping Roadless Rule protections in place!

Although the first comment period has come to a close, the fight is not done yet. The Roadless Area Conservation Act (RACA) is working its way through Congress and will hopefully be passed soon. Thank you to Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Representatives Andrea Salinas, Maxine Dexter, and Suzanne Bonamici, and my representative, Janelle Bynum, who have all signed on in support of this important piece of legislation. Passing this bill would mean permanent protections for all of our roadless wildlands.

Oregon Wild’s Wilderness Program Manager, Erik Fernandez, speaks to a crowd at a Roadless Rule comment writing event in Bend.

Protecting Oregon’s Wild Rivers

Along with RACA, Oregon Wild is working diligently to pass the River Democracy Act, a piece of legislation that would designate 3,200 miles of currently unprotected rivers and streams around Oregon as National Wild & Scenic Rivers. These vital waterways provide habitat for wildlife, recreational activities that many businesses depend on, and clean drinking water for millions of Oregonians. These streams are also important for our fight against climate change as they naturally sequester and store carbon, and provide cold water refuges for fish and wildlife. 

In September, I assisted a second Oregon Wild hike along the Peter Skene Ogden Trail – a 6-mile scenic hike along Paulina Creek, near the Newberry National Volcanic Monument in Central Oregon. For years I had visited Paulina Lake with my family, but never realized that a thriving ecosystem was just beyond the thicket of trees. We had our lunch stop at a scenic waterfall, where I sat along the bank of the creek. I observed the underside of a Matsutake mushroom, with the cool mist from the waterfall on my face and dozens of California Tortoiseshell butterflies flitting around me. It was shocking that such a wonderful natural space, rich and abundant with life, is still unprotected. 

The River Democracy Act would also protect other Central Oregon streams such as Tumalo Creek, the Fall River, the headwaters of the Deschutes, and tributaries of the Metolius. Across the state, parts of the McKenzie, Rogue, Clackamas, John Day, and Grande Ronde watersheds are also included in the bill.

Hikers enjoy a break next to a waterfall along Paulina Creek, one of the many Oregon streams proposed for protection in the River Democracy Act.

How You Can Take Action Too

Every Oregonian who values this land can become a part of this movement. As I learned over my internship, the voice of the public is so vital in public lands management, and your voice can impact the decisions being made for our environment.

You can take action and get involved through organizations such as Oregon Wild. Contacting your members of Congress and writing Letters to the Editor to your local paper can help influence decision-makers. Become a Citizen Co-sponsor of the River Democracy Act today and join the movement to protect our state’s vital waterways for fish and wildlife, clean drinking water, and outdoor recreation opportunities. Tell your representatives to pass the Roadless Area Conservation Act and save our last wild, undeveloped forests from the administration’s attack on the Roadless Rule.

I am one teen with one voice, and there are millions of other Oregonians who have the right to speak up. You matter in the fight to protect our wild places for future generations. Take action today.

Kyla Guerrero (she/her) is a Wildland Advocacy Intern for Oregon Wild, based in Bend, Oregon. She graduated from Bend Senior High School this Spring and plans to attend the Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon in the Fall 2026.

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Americans push back on Trump’s plan to repeal Roadless Rule

|Sami Godlove|Old-Growth, Public Lands, Wilderness
Scott Lake, Mount Washington by Paul Kovacevic

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service just concluded a three-week comment period on the Trump Administration’s plan to rescind the Roadless Rule–a decades-long policy that protects over 58 million acres of our nation’s wildest and most intact public lands from road construction, commercial logging, and development.

With an incredibly short three-week public comment period, the administration was no doubt expecting, and hoping, to receive little response from the public.

But, boyyyyy, were they wrong about that.

The agency received over 600,000 public comments, and an initial analysis by the Center for Western Priorities found that opposition to the administration’s plan to repeal the Roadless Rule was near unanimous; a remarkable 99.2% of comments supported keeping Roadless protections in place.

It doesn’t get much clearer than that. Americans love their public lands and want our last undeveloped forests to stay ROADLESS.

Hikers on an Oregon Wild-led hike through old-growth in the Larch Mountain Roadless Area.

Oregonians speak up for wild forests

In Oregon, thousands of people made their voices heard during the public comment period by submitting comments, showing up to events, and sharing their endearment for Oregon’s wild places.

Oregon Wild and partners hosted comment-writing events in Bend and Eugene, where over 100 people showed up to take action for our state’s roadless forests. Dozens of others joined us on guided hikes through Roadless Areas like Tumalo Mountain in Central Oregon, Larch Mountain in the Columbia Gorge, and Gordon Lakes in the Willamette National Forest.

Thank you for showing up, and thank you for clearly and forcefully rejecting this attack on our wild public lands.

Public lands advocates in Bend, Oregon show up to write and submit public comments on the proposed Roadless rule rescission.
Advocates write public comments on the Roadless Rule rescission at Worthy Brewing in Bend.

What’s next?

The comment period may have ended, but this is just the start of the process, and there will be other opportunities for the public to engage. The Forest Service must now analyze all of these comments, and we expect the agency’s draft plan to be released in spring 2026, kicking off another comment period. We can expect a final rule and decision by early 2027.

What can you do now?

Until then, we are focused on passing legislative protections for roadless areas through the Roadless Area Conservation Act (RACA). This bill would codify the Roadless Rule into law, creating lasting protections for these places that can’t be undone by this–or a future–administration.

We are fortunate to have congressional champions for public lands in Oregon like Rep. Andrea Salinas, who introduced the House version of RACA. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Maxine Dexter, and Janelle Bynum are co-sponsors of the House bill, and both Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are co-sponsors on the Senate side.

Rep. Cliff Bentz and Rep. Val Hoyle are the only two Oregon representatives who have not yet supported the bill.

While we don’t expect public lands protections to pass the current Congress, any support we can secure now makes it more likely this will be on the short list of things a new Congress can do after the 2026 election.

Reach out to your members of Congress today and urge them to advance this critical legislation to keep our undeveloped forests wild.

Oregon Wild supporters stop during a hike through the Tumalo Mountain Roadless Area to write postcards to the Forest Service in support of protecting roadless wildlands.

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Oregon Wild Rallies Public to Defend Roadless Rule

|Sami Godlove|Climate, Drinking Water, Forests, Public Lands, Wilderness, Wildlife

Trump Administration moves forward with attack on America’s wildlands, USDA opens comment period

Contact:    
Erik Fernandez, Oregon Wild
ef@oregonwild.org

Sami Godlove, Oregon Wild
sg@oregonwild.org

BEND, OR — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has opened a public comment period on a proposal that threatens to dismantle the landmark Roadless Rule. This rule preserves the last of our intact public lands as a home for wildlife, a haven for recreation, and a heritage for future generations. Oregon Wild is calling on Oregonians to speak up in defense of these critical protections.

Adopted in 2001, the Roadless Rule had the most extensive public involvement process in federal rulemaking history. It protects nearly 2 million acres in Oregon (60 million nationally) of the most pristine national forest lands from logging and road-building. These “roadless areas” are some of the last intact landscapes in America, providing clean water, critical wildlife habitat, and world-class recreation opportunities.

“Eliminating the Roadless Rule would be a disaster for Oregon’s forests and communities,” said Erik Fernandez, Wilderness Program Manager for Oregon Wild. “Building new roads in these wild places opens the door to invasive species and habitat fragmentation. Once these areas are cut apart, we lose the clean water, wildlife, and solitude they provide forever.”

View an interactive map of Oregon Roadless Areas

The Trump administration’s proposal would also undermine public accountability. Unlike the original Roadless Rule, this attempt to repeal protections is being rushed through with minimal opportunity for input, scientific review, or oversight.

“These forests are some of Oregon’s most treasured landscapes, from the flower-studded meadows of Echo Mountain to the headwaters of Tumalo Creek, which provides Bend’s drinking water,” said Sami Godlove, Central Oregon Field Coordinator for Oregon Wild. “Oregonians value these places deeply, and now is the time to raise our voices to ensure they remain protected for future generations.”

Oregonians can submit their comments to the USDA before the close of the comment period on September 19, 2025.

A hiker marvels at a large, old-growth ponderosa pine tree in the Lookout Mountain Roadless Area.
Jim Davis. A hiker marvels at a large, old-growth ponderosa pine tree in the Lookout Mountain Roadless Area.
Bridge Creek in the Tumalo Mountain Roadless Area, by Sami Godlove
Sami Godlove. Bridge Creek in the Tumalo Mountain Roadless Area supplies clean drinking water to the city of Bend.
View of Joseph Canyon, by David Mildrexler
David Mildrexler. The dramatic canyonlands of the Joseph Canyon Roadless Area.
Hikers in the Iron Mountain Roadless Are, Willamette National Forest.
Chandra LeGue. Hikers in the Iron Mountain Roadless Are, Willamette National Forest.

Oregon’s Roadless Wildlands

Oregon’s roadless forests are among our state’s most spectacular and irreplaceable landscapes. From the flower-studded meadows of Iron Mountain in the Willamette National Forest, to the dramatic canyons and cultural homelands of the Nez Perce Tribe in Joseph Canyon, to the clean drinking water flowing from Tumalo Mountain into the taps of more than 100,000 people in Bend, these places embody the best of Oregon’s natural and cultural heritage. They also sustain recreation economies and wildlife habitats.

Other iconic areas include Lookout Mountain in the Ochocos, where diverse forests and meadows form the headwaters of critical streams; Rough & Ready Creek, a unique botanical wonderland threatened by mining in southwest Oregon; and Larch Mountain, a lush old-growth haven just minutes from Portland. These and dozens of other roadless areas across Oregon safeguard clean water, biodiversity, cultural values, and recreation opportunities that are impossible to replace once lost.

Learn more about the Roadless Rule and Oregon Roadless Areas here. 

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River Democracy Act Highlights: McKenzie River Watershed

|Sami Godlove|Public Lands, Recreation, River Democracy Act, Rivers

Of all the spectacular rivers in Oregon, it’s hard to find one as widely beloved as the McKenzie River–and for good reason. World-renowned for its fly fishing, whitewater rafting, and mountain biking, and offering endless opportunities for hiking and camping, the McKenzie River is an outdoor enthusiast’s playground. Oh, and the watershed also supplies one of Oregon’s largest population centers with clean drinking water. 

The River Democracy Act would protect these values, and more, for over 3200 miles of rivers across Oregon, including dozens within the McKenzie River basin. Read on to learn more about this key Oregon watershed and how the River Democracy Act would safeguard it and the communities that rely on it for generations to come.

Outdoor Recreation

Whether it’s rafting or fishing on the river itself, mountain biking the famous McKenzie River Trail, or enjoying the view of one of the river’s many waterfalls during a hike, there’s no shortage of outdoor adventure to be had here.

Recreation Spotlight: McKenzie River Trail

The McKenzie River Trail is a 24-mile-long trail that starts near the headwaters of the McKenzie River at Clear Lake and ends just upstream of the community of McKenzie Bridge. The trail is popular for both hiking and mountain biking. 

Mountain bikers will find technical riding over sharp lava rock, flowing downhill single track through old-growth Douglas fir forests, and dazzling views of waterfalls and the aquamarine waters of the McKenzie. Most of the trail is located within the current McKenzie River Wild & Scenic corridor, but the last 5 miles of the trail is unprotected. When passed, the River Democracy Act would add protections to these last 5 miles. 

Popular hikes include the 4-mile round-trip hike to Blue Pool/Tamolitch Falls and the 2.4-mile Sahalie and Koosah Falls loop.

The cold, clear waters of Blue Pool by Neal Smith
Old-growth along the McKenzie River Trail by Michael Graw.
Sahalie Falls by Greg Stoke.

Wildlife Habitat

The McKenzie River watershed is home to a wide variety of native species, including threatened and endangered species such as Chinook salmon and steelhead, northern spotted owls, and bulltrout.

Wildlife Spotlight: Bull Trout

Bull trout, like many other members of the salmonid family, begin their lives in cold, clear streams, feeding on small aquatic invertebrates. As these fish mature, they either migrate out of their home stream to larger streams and rivers or lakes and reservoirs, or remain in the stream where they hatched. The migratory bull trout tend to become much larger than their resident counterparts—sometimes growing as long as 40 inches and heavier than 30 pounds. Unlike Pacific salmon species that spawn once and die, bull trout will spawn multiple times in their lifetime. Migratory bull trout may migrate multiple times between spawning streams and their large river rearing habitats. Bull trout can be recognized by their particularly large, broad head and their dark olive or brown color with lighter yellowish spots. In Oregon, bull trout were historically found in streams in the Klamath basin, the Columbia and Snake Rivers and their major tributaries, and the Willamette River and its major tributaries on the west side of the Cascades.

This threatened fish has some very specific habitat requirements, and when they aren’t met, it can be disastrous for bull trout populations. Their physiology dictates that they need cold water (no higher than 60° F) to survive, as well as for the survival of their eggs. A river environment with low silt is equally important, with a gravelly bottom and plenty of protective habitat such as overhanging brush. Unfortunately, human activities such as logging have been steadily spoiling prime bull trout habitat. Logging and road building lead to siltation in rivers, lowering stream quality and raising water temperature, both of which lower the viability of eggs and hatchlings. Other threats, such as impassable dams, sometimes keep bull trout from spawning at all. Non-native brook trout also present a threat due to competition for food. In order to ensure the survival of this sensitive fish, it’s necessary that roadless areas be maintained and the fight for clean water continues.

Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Drinking Water

Over 200,000 people living in the Eugene-Springfield area rely on the McKenzie watershed for clean drinking water. 

Intact, forested watersheds, especially those flowing through public lands, play a critical role in ensuring the quality and quantity of our water sources. These natural ecosystems act as invaluable sponges, absorbing, filtering, and gradually releasing water, contributing to the consistent flow of clean water to downstream communities.

The McKenzie River watershed is an excellent example of this natural phenomenon in action. At its headwaters, snowmelt, glacial thaw, and underground springs merge to form the mountain streams that feed the McKenzie. These streams flow through designated Wilderness areas, Roadless Areas, and mature and old-growth forests, depositing consistent, cold, clean water into the mainstem McKenzie River.

On the other hand, researchers have documented a direct correlation between industrial logging and increased flooding and peak flows.  Without a healthy forest ecosystem in place to absorb and slow the release of water, rain and melting snow tend to run off of heavily logged forests much faster. That run-off causes erosion, carrying with it large quantities of sediment and debris that reduce water quality and can cause problems for water filtration systems and fish habitat further downstream. 

The quick run-off during winter and spring storms also means there is less water available during the dry summer months when water demand is higher and supplies are lower. Oregon State University scientists have found that clear-cut plantation forestry can reduce water levels during summer months by 50% when compared to adjacent, unlogged old-growth watersheds.

The McKenzie River watershed provides drinking water to 211,000 people in Eugene, Springfield, and neighboring communities. Source: Oregon Wild.

Threats to this watershed

Despite the importance of intact, mature and old-growth forests for outdoor recreation, wildlife habitat, and clean drinking water, much of the forests in the McKenzie River watershed have been heavily logged and remain open to logging.

Aggressive commercial logging projects, such as the planned (and withdrawn) Flat Country timber sale, pose a significant threat to the mature forests and headwater streams of this area and all the important values they provide. 

The Flat Country sale was withdrawn due to widespread public opposition and potential devastating environmental impacts. This project would have logged 1,000 acres of trees between 98-170 years old within the vicinity of important McKenzie watershed headwater streams such as Anderson Creek and Olallie Creek. Without permanent protections, these forests and streams remain at risk. 

The Trump Administration has also recently announced that it aims to roll back the 2001 Roadless Rule, jeopardizing 58 million acres of intact, backcountry National Forest lands. In Oregon, the rule protects nearly 2 million acres of Oregon’s forests from destructive logging, road building, and development. In the McKenzie watershed, this includes thousands of acres of wild, old-growth forest surrounding the river’s headwaters.

The River Democracy Act

The River Democracy Act, co-sponsored by Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, would designate dozens of miles of the McKenzie River and other important tributaries in the watershed as Wild & Scenic Rivers, providing additional safeguards for water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and backcountry recreation opportunities. 

Streams in the watershed proposed for protection include the 15 miles of the mainstem McKenzie River, the South Fork McKenzie River, Blue River, Horse Creek, Lost Creek, Deer Creek, Olallie Creek, and Anderson Creek. 

Destructive activities like mining and dam building are prohibited in and along Wild & Scenic Rivers, and other projects like commercial logging and road-building that negatively impact the landscape are tightly regulated so as to not degrade the river and river values. The River Democracy Act extends these safeguards a half-mile from each river bank, offering enhanced protections for critical waterways.


Take Action

The River Democracy Act is currently making its way through Congress, but it needs your help getting across the finish line! Take action today and help protect the McKenzie River watershed and hundreds of other Oregon waterways by signing on as a Citizen Co-sponsor and urging your members of Congress to pass the River Democracy Act!

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River Democracy Act Highlights: Rough and Ready Creek

|Sami Godlove|Public Lands, Recreation, River Democracy Act, Rivers
Rough and Ready Creek at high flow by Barbara Ullian.

Tucked away in the far southwest corner of Oregon, near the California border, is a little creek with big character. Many will cross right over it while driving the Redwoods Highway, but most may not even notice this remarkable stream.

A biological wonder

Rough and Ready Creek is one of the most extraordinary watersheds in Oregon. It is a biodiversity hotspot for rare and endemic plants found nowhere else on earth. In fact the area has more plant diversity than anywhere else in Oregon. The waters here run crystal clear, even during winter storms and high flows. 

This impressive botanical biodiversity and water quality are thanks to the area’s unique geology and hydrology. When you first lay eyes on the Rough and Ready floodplain, you will find it almost desert-like with shrubs, bunchgrasses, a variety of wildflowers, and a few sparse pine trees scattered about. You may be surprised to learn that this area often receives over 100 inches of annual rainfall! Moist Douglas fir forests can be found just a few hundred yards away.

The floodplain is characterized by serpentine soils, which quickly drain (leaving the soil very dry relative to the amount of rainfall it receives) and contain heavy metals and low nutrient availability. As a result, highly specialized plant species have adapted to survive here, including many that are not found anywhere else in the world. This geology, combined with the area’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean, has resulted in an exceptional diversity of one-of-a-kind landscapes, ancient wetlands, and some of the last native grasslands on the West Coast.

In addition to rare and endemic plant species, fish and wildlife also thrive here. Native chinook salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout have adapted to the creek’s naturally high summer water temperatures, and rare yellow-legged frogs flourish in this pristine habitat.

Siskiyou Mat (Ceanothus pumilus)
Azure Penstemon (Penstemon azureus)
Scytheleaf Onion (Allium falcifolium)

Siskiyou Mat, Azure Penstemon, and Scytheleaf Onion are among the unique plant species that have specialized to thrive in the serpentine soils of Rough and Ready Creek in southern Oregon.

Threats to this watershed

However, the watershed’s unique geology has also made it a target for the mining industry, threatening its water quality and ecological integrity. The soils here contain low-grade nickel laterite, which, if mined, would result in irreparable harm from smelter construction and operation, water pollution, road building, and surface and strip mining. It would devastate the many values of this watershed and impact nearby communities downstream along the Illinois River.

Rough and Ready Creek could also be degraded by the invasive Port Orford Cedar root disease if roads and mining are allowed. Rough and Ready Creek is one of the few watersheds in southern Oregon that is not yet infested with this disease, and its high botanical diversity values remain intact.

Proposals to protect Rough and Ready Creek

The River Democracy Act, co-sponsored by Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, would designate 13 miles of streams in the Rough and Ready watershed as National Wild & Scenic Rivers, protecting important values such as biological diversity, fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, and outdoor recreation opportunities. 

The Oregon Recreation Enhancement (ORE) Act, also co-sponsored by Senators Wyden and Merkley, is another bill that would protect Rough and Ready Creek and other nearby watersheds from new destructive mining claims. The bill would also expand the Wild Rogue Wilderness. 

Both of these bills are making their way through Congress and need your help to get across the finish line! Take action for Rough and Ready Creek and other watersheds across Oregon by signing on as a Citizen Co-sponsor of the River Democracy and urging your members of Congress to pass the ORE Act.


If you visit

The easiest way to visit Rough and Ready Creek and experience its unique wonders is to walk the short trail at the Rough and Ready Botanical Wayside, located off the Redwoods Highway a few miles south of Cave Junction. Here, you will find many of the rare and endemic plants the area is known for. This is a great spot to stop for a short walk on your way to visiting the Redwoods in California.

Rough and Ready Creek is also a popular whitewater kayaking stream for experienced paddlers during high flows in the winter and early spring.

In addition to the Redwoods, other nearby attractions include the Oregon Caves National Monument, Smith River National Recreation Area, the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, and the Wild & Scenic Illinois River.

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Oregon Outdoor Businesses and Recreation Leaders Rally Behind River Democracy Act

|Sami Godlove|Drinking Water, Recreation, River Democracy Act, Rivers
(C) GREG BURKE
Contact:    
Sami Godlove, Oregon Wild

BEND, OR — As the busy summer season kicks off over Memorial Day weekend, outdoor recreation businesses, guides, nonprofits, and industry leaders across Oregon have come together in a unified show of support for the River Democracy Act, legislation that would add over 3,200 miles of Oregon rivers and streams to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

According to a recent poll, 71% of Oregonians support additional Wild & Scenic River designations like those proposed in the River Democracy Act. 

In a letter sent today to Oregon’s congressional delegation—Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Cliff Bentz, Maxine Dexter, Val Hoyle, Janelle Bynum, and Andrea Salinas—these businesses and organizations highlighted the critical importance of Oregon’s rivers to the state’s economy, culture, and environment.

“Outdoor recreation is one of Oregon’s premier economic drivers,” the signers wrote. “In 2022 alone, spending on outdoor recreation in Oregon exceeded $16 billion and supported 192,000 jobs. Many of these jobs exist in rural communities where iconic rivers like the Rogue, Deschutes, and McKenzie attract visitors from around the world.”

The River Democracy Act, championed by Senators Wyden and Merkley, seeks to safeguard thousands of miles of river segments across the state by granting them Wild and Scenic designation—offering permanent protections against damming, pollution, and development. 82% of Oregonians think Wild & Scenic designations are very important or somewhat important for protecting community drinking water.

The proposal comes at a time of increasing threats to public lands and water resources, both from climate impacts and shifting federal priorities.

“Our way of life in Oregon is deeply connected to our rivers and public lands,” the letter states. “Whether we’re fishing, guiding, paddling, or simply enjoying the natural beauty, these rivers power both our economy and our identity as Oregonians.”

The signatories—from fly fishing guides in Madras to eco-tour companies in Gold Beach—are calling on Congress to pass the legislation and provide adequate resources to the federal agencies charged with protecting these waters, such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Even as we work to enact strong, permanent protections for these rivers, it’s vital that we support the people on the ground—the federal land managers who safeguard these places every day,” the letter notes.

The coalition praised the efforts of Senators Wyden and Merkley in advancing the legislation and urged the full Oregon delegation to prioritize passage of the River Democracy Act as a critical investment in the state’s recreation economy and natural legacy.

Signatories include:

  • Fishing and hunting groups like Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and Trout Unlimited Chapters across Oregon
  • River guides and outfitters from Bend, Eugene, Roseburg, La Grande, and more
  • Lodges, tour companies, outdoor brands, recreation organizations, and trail alliances from across the state
2025 Outdoor recreation business and organization support for River Democracy ActDownload

Full list of signatories:

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers

Blueback Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Corvallis

Blue Dream Wildlife River Tours, Roseburg

Central Oregon Running Klub, Bend

Clackamas River Trout Unlimited, Gladstone

Cog Wild Bicycle Tours, Bend

Dave Smith Decoys, Lebanon

Deschutes Redband Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Bend

Earthwell, Portland

Folklord, Portland

Go Wild: American Adventures, La Grande

GRAYL

Lake Creek Lodge, Camp Sherman

Leon Werdinger Photography, Joseph

Mazamas, Portland

Mecca Flat Fly Fishing Park LLC, Madras

Minam River Lodge, Wallowa County

Mountain Provisions, Ashland

OARS

Oregon Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers

Oregon Council Trout Unlimited

Ouzel Outfitters, Bend

Protect Our Winters, Bend

Recreation Leader, Bend

Redsides Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Springfield

River Drifters, Maupin

ROW Adventures, Eugene and Grants Pass

Sisters Trails Alliance, Sisters

South Coast Tours, Gold Beach

The Caddis Fly Angling Shop, Eugene

The Fly Fisher’s Place, Sisters

The Gear Fix, Bend

Trailkeepers of Oregon

Tualatin Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Tumalo Creek Kayak and Canoe, Bend

Vamonos Outside, Bend

Wallowa Llamas, Baker City

Wanderlust Tours, Bend

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Little Lava Fire in Central Oregon shows logging does not prevent wildfire spread

|Sami Godlove|Fire, Forests, Logging
The Little Lava Fire burned through parts of the Deschutes National Forest in the fall of 2024.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and the photo below tells quite a story.

An aerial image of the Little Lava Fire burn area showing that a commercially logged forest burned much hotter than an adjacent, mostly unlogged one.
Aerial images of the Little Lava Fire burn area show that a commercially logged forest burned much hotter than an adjacent, mostly unlogged one.

This aerial image shows two adjacent forest stands within the Little Lava Fire burn area, in the Deschutes National Forest, just SE of Mount Bachelor. Single-selection thinning was done in both stands in 1978. This is when just a few individual trees within the stand are removed. The stand on the left side of the road was then commercially logged in 2019, which, as you can see in the photos, significantly reduced stand density and opened up the forest canopy. The stand on the right was undisturbed over the last 40 years.

When the Little Lava Fire burned through here last fall, much of the forest that was logged in 2019 resulted in high tree mortality. On the other side, the fire only burned and killed a few trees on the perimeter of the stand, but most are still green and alive.

Aggressive logging often makes fire risk worse

All too often, aggressive logging projects remove the large, mature trees that are the most fire resilient and leave behind smaller, younger trees that are more flammable. These projects also open the forest canopy, allowing more sun to reach and dry out the forest floor. Add in hotter, drier summers caused by climate change, and all of this can add up to increased fire risk and more flammable forests.

On the other hand, mature and old-growth forests across Oregon have unique adaptations to survive–and thrive–in fire-prone landscapes. Fire is natural and necessary for the health of these forests and the wildlife that depend on them for habitat. Larger and older trees, especially species like Ponderosa pine that are prevalent across forests in Central Oregon, develop thick, fire-resistant bark and self-prune their lower branches as they age, making them more resistant and resilient to wildfire. These forests also have more canopy cover than logged forests, creating cooler and wetter conditions on the forest floor that can reduce the risk of intense fire. Take a look at the top photo again; in the unlogged stand on the right, you can still see patches of snow (this photo was taken in late-April 2025). On the left, the soil in the open stand dried out much faster due to increased sun and wind exposure.

Despite the timber industry’s claims that more “active management” and “fuels reduction” are needed to prevent catastrophic wildfires, the science shows that logging is not preventing large wildfires. In fact, logging can often make fire risk and severity much worse. One Oregon study found that corporate-owned tree plantations burned at 30% higher severity than adjacent older stands on public lands. 

This has become a common talking point for the timber industry, who claim that forests are overgrown (and, thus, more susceptible to high-severity fire) due to a lack of management and that management (aka logging) is our best tool against climate-driven wildfires. This simple claim is driving much of the current national forest policy and an increase in poorly designed logging projects that are spreading like wildfire across the country.

Last fall’s Little Lava Fire, in the Deschutes National Forest, allowed us an opportunity to visit a recent burn area and see how forests that were commercially logged fared in the fire compared to adjacent forests that have not been logged as aggressively, and still maintain mature forest characteristics.

Touring the Little Lava Fire

Much like the other severe wildfires that have erupted across the west in recent years, this fire was driven by climate change–namely, high winds and drought-like conditions. 

The fire started near Little Lava Lake, the headwaters of the Deschutes River, from lightning strikes in early September 2024. High winds and dry conditions allowed the fire to quickly spread east towards the town of Sunriver, burning through logged forest, unlogged forest, and even fields of lava rock that are common in the area. 

Oregon Wild staff visited the burn area in April 2025 and sent up our trusty drone to take aerial photos of the burned forest. After referencing the photos with historical logging data, we found that previously logged forests still burned at high-severity and did not stop the fire.  We also found that, in some cases, logged stands burned much hotter than adjacent, unlogged stands.

An aerial image of an aggressively logged forest that burned with high severity in the Little Lava fire
Previous logging did not help prevent the spread of the Little Lava fire.

Parts of the forest burned extremely hot, killing nearly everything. The above photo shows stands that were aggressively logged in the 80s and 90s. The forest in the photo underwent a “shelterwood cut,” a term that describes a very aggressive form of logging. Imagine a clearcut, but with a few “seed trees” scattered throughout the stand that are left standing, and you have a shelterwood cut. Like a clearcut, most of the fire-resistant mature and old-growth trees are removed, and what we are seeing here is the consequences of a younger, drier, and more flammable forest.

When thinning can help

No, logging (or “active management,” “fuels reduction,” etc) does not prevent large fires and, as the Little Lava Fire demonstrates, it can (and often does) make these fires more destructive. However, there are certainly circumstances where some lighter-touch thinning makes sense and can create healthier and more resilient forests.

While the timber industry, land management agencies, and many politicians like to use logging as a one-size-fits-all blanket policy solution for all forests, the answer is not quite as clear-cut (see what I did there?) as they would like.

In reality, Oregon’s forests are incredibly diverse and have evolved differently with fire. In some places, natural low-intensity fires were common, and Indigenous peoples managed fires to promote the growth of certain foods and habitats. In other places, natural and Indigenous use of fire was rare. Decades of logging and fire suppression have left some dry forest types, like many in Central Oregon, unnaturally dense.

Restoration-based thinning and prescribed burning projects that focus on removing small trees and brush (that have grown in due to a lack of natural fires) near communities and seek to restore old-growth conditions can be beneficial in these dry forests. Efforts like the Glaze Meadow restoration project near the town of Sisters have reduced fire risks while improving habitat for fish and wildlife.

Current proposals to expand logging on public forests

Unfortunately, several concerning proposals are making their way through Congress and the Trump Administration that would increase and expand logging projects on public lands.

One of the largest is the so-called “Fix Our Forests Act.” Despite its name, this bill is merely a timber industry giveaway that would allow more logging on public lands and remove public oversight, scientific review, and environmental analysis of those logging projects. The bill passed the House of Representatives in January and is now in danger of being voted on by the Senate and sent to President Trump’s desk.

Earlier this spring, the Trump Administration issued an Executive Order and secretarial memo focused on expanding industrial logging across 60% of our National Forests–including millions of acres of roadless areas, old-growth forests, wilderness-protected lands, and critical wildlife habitat.

These proposals have nothing to do with reducing wildfire risk, and everything to do with handing control of our national public lands over to private industries that stand to profit off them.

What can you do

Contact your Senators today and tell them to oppose the Fix Our Forests Act. Reach out to your members of Congress and let them know that more logging is NOT the answer.

Advocate for the solutions that do work and do protect communities:

  • Funding and investment in home hardening, defensible space, and community preparedness (learn about how you can make your home safer from fire) 
  • Cultural and prescribed burning in forests that have become unnaturally dense due to fire suppression 
  • Redirect resources used to log backcountry forests to restoration-based burning and small-diameter tree thinning projects in areas near homes and communities.

To learn more about fire and forests in Oregon, check out our blog about the Ten Things Oregonians Should Know About Forest Fires.

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