Siskiyou Wild Rivers News

In this Issue:
1. Action Alert: Protect Wilderness in Oregon
2. Biscuit Fire Update
3. Siskiyou Field Institute Courses - Starting Soon!
4. Siskiyou Ecology: the Rough-Skinned Newt

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1. Action Alert: Protect Wilderness in Oregon!

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden has released a draft proposal to provide Wilderness
protection for some roadless forests in Oregon. His initial plan would protect
roadless forest in the Mt. Hood area - but he has stated openness to protecting
areas in other parts of the state.

Two forests in the Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion could be included in Senator Wyden's
bill: Soda Mountain and the Copper-Salmon roadless areas. Soda Mountain is in the
heart of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, but is still threatened by
cattle-grazing and mis-management by the Bureau of Land Management. The
Copper-Salmon roadless area is a lush, wild forest that feeds the salmon-rich Wild &
Scenic Elk River in the northwestern corner of the Siskiyou National Forest. Both
areas deserve protection.

Please call and write the Senators below:

Gordon Smith
One World Trade Center 121 SW Salmon St., Suite 1250 Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503)326-3386
Fax: (503)326-2900
email submission form: http://gsmith.senate.gov/webform.htm

Ron Wyden
700 NE Multnomah St., Suite 450 Portland, OR 97232
Phone: (503) 326-7525
email submission form: http://wyden.senate.gov/contact/

Ask them to:
1. Protect Soda Mountain and Copper-Salmon Roadless Areas as Wilderness
2. Protect the entire Siskiyou Wild Rivers area as a National Conservation Area

For more information, contact Rolf at the Siskiyou Project: (503) 222-6101 or
rolf [at] siskiyou.org

Please take action today - together we can protect more of Oregon's remaining
roadless forests.

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2. Biscuit Fire Update

photo: A very large amount of logging has already occurred in the Biscuit fire area
as roadside "safety" logging. How much is enough? When will real restoration and
fire safety for communities be prioritized? (c) Rolf Skar

The Forest Service's final plans for logging (a Final Environmental Impact Statement
- abbreviated FEIS) is due out sometime in the next two weeks. Despite overwhelming
opposition from the public, scientists and politicians, the Bush Forest Service is
expected to stubbornly stick with plans to log old-growth reserves, roadless forests
and Wild & Scenic River watersheds at a huge loss to taxpayers while fire safety and
real restoration efforts are ignored.

Your help will be needed when the FEIS is released. Because the Forest Service is
not heeding the will of the public, we will need to let elected officials know that
Americans want the wild Siskiyou protected - not recklessly logged. We are
concerned that the Bush Forest Service may use an "emergency determination status"
label to cut the public out of the process. This means that you would not have a
chance to comment on the government's plan to log your Siskiyou forests!

MORE INFO
The Biscuit fire has received attention in local, regional and national press. To
read these articles and get links to more information, go to the Siskiyou Project
website:
http://siskiyou.org/campaign/intro.cfm

A new report from a taxpayer's watch-dog group, Taxpayers for Common Sense, offers a
devastating critique of the Forest Service's costly Biscuit logging plan. Read the
summary and report at:
http://www.taxpayers.org

A new website promotes a plan to create jobs and conduct restoration in Biscuit fire
affected parts of the Siskiyou Wild Rivers area. On the site you can read recent
news reports and hear a radio ad that is airing all over Oregon.
http://www.siskiyourestoration.info/

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3. Siskiyou Field Institute - Starting Soon!

The Siskiyou Field Institute courses will begin soon. The Western Siskiyou session
is first (starting June 3rd) and includes exciting courses exploring medicinal
plants, serpentine ecology, backcountry navigation skills and much more.

The annual banquet is the highlight of the Siskiyou Field Institute for many. This
year the event will take place on June 5th in Takilma and will include a keynote
address by Kathleen Dean Moore entitled "What It Means to Love a Place" as well as,
of course, a delicous dinner. Moore is a distinguished professor of philosophy at
Oregon State University, and is best known for her books which include:
Riverwalking: Reflections on Moving Water and Holdfast: At Home in the Natural
World. The banquet is only $15.

For more information, or to register for Siskiyou Field Institute courses and
events, check out http://www.siskiyou.org/sfi/

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4. Siskiyou Ecology: the Rough-Skinned Newt


photo: a male Rough-skinned Newt swimming through aquatic vegetation

Without protective scales, shells or fearsome teeth and claws, most amphibians hide
from predators using camoflage, shelter or the cover of darkness to protect
themselves. The Rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa) saunters about in broad
daylight. Why? Because toxins in its skin makes this relatively bold creature
among the most poisonous salamanders in North America. Its protective skin poisons
are strong enough to kill most of its would-be predators. Toxicity varies from
population to population, and some predators, such as garter snakes, have developed
an immunity to the poison. Although not a real threat to humans, its toxic skin is
one reason people are advised not to handle Rough-skinned newts.

When threatened, Rough-skinned newts will often show off its bright orange
underbelly by lifting its chin and raising its tail. The bright orange is warning
sign advertising the danger of eating a Rough-skinned newt dinner!

Unlike other newts and salamanders, the Rough-skinned newt has dry, bumpy skin. In
the spring, that changes for male Rough-skinned newts as they undergo a dramatic
transformation. Their skin turns smooth and their tails widen - then they plunge
into small ponds, lakes and slow-moving streams to mate. Their smooth skin and wide
tails help them swim and compete with other males for female partners.

Using navigational skills not yet understood, Rough-skinned newts return to the
bodies of water in which they were born. Sadly, when ponds, small streams and
wetlands are degraded or destroyed, Rough-skinned newts return to the site of their
natal waters, but fail to reproduce. This is one more reason to protect native
forest habitat like those in the Siskiyou Wild Rivers area.

If you enjoy learning about Siskiyou ecology, you'll love the Siskiyou Field
Institute - a chance to learn about the wonders of the Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion
with experts in a hands-on way. Go to: http://www.siskiyou.org/sfi/ for more
information on courses and events.

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Siskiyou Project
9335 Takilma Road, Cave Junction, OR 97523
(541) 592-4459
http://www.siskiyou.org

Siskiyou Project - Campaign Office
917 SW Oak, Suite 407 Portland, OR 97205
(503) 222-6101

Protecting the world-class Siskiyou Wild Rivers area for future generations of all
species.