Eco Advocates Early Summer 2020 Alert
Senator Wyden Proposes More Than $6 Billion (yes, that’s Billion) for More Logging on Public Lands As A Cure to Wild Fires
Senator Wyden has introduced the 21st Century Civilian Conservation Act (S. 3684) which he intends to attach to the future Covid-19 Pandemic Relief legislation this summer, 2020 (now). It is a $42 billion bill where he proposes more than $6 billion for so called fire fuels thinning “ logging” across all public lands as a snake oil cure for wild fires in the western U.S.. For more info on S. 3684 go to our webpage here.
The Wildest Area of the Oregon Cascades and Windy Lakes Still Threatened By Mt Bike Road
We continue to request a response on this Mt Bike Road project from the Middle Fork Ranger as well as Willamette NF Recreation Resource staff and we continue to be left in the dark about whether this destructive project is moving forward. Only if we unite our comments for the protection of the Windy Lakes and the wild things which reside there will we be able to convince the Willamette National Forest to cancel this destructive and unnecessary Mt. bike road project. For more Info:
Fall Creek’s Chinook Salmon and Water Quality of All Such High Use Waterways on the Willamette National Forest Face Even Greater Threats Over Covid-19 Homeless Inundation This Summer
Fall Creek Chinook salmon face great threats this summer because the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife refuses to cease stocking hatchery trout at the same pools where the Chinook hold up all summer. We have urged ODF&W Springfield Fisheries person, Jeff Ziller, to close these pools to stocking and fishing of any kind. Most poachers pretend to be fishing for the stocked trout while they attempt to poach the Chinook salmon. I watched this happen over and over again the last 2 summers. Only swimming, tubing, and salmon watching should be allowed in those Chinook salmon pools.
Contact Jeff Ziller at the ODF&W at 541-726-3515 ext. 26
Illegal Camping, Dumping and Trash Burning Destroys and Pollutes Waterways Across the Willamette National Forest and Beyond
Another issue we urging the Middle Fork Ranger District to address is illegal camping over 14 days, garbage dumping and burning, RV dumping, shooting across the creek towards the trails and dispersed campsites (both of which I personally experienced last year), and improper human waste disposal occurring at all of the dozens of so called “dispersed campsites” along Fall Creek. This waste and dumping languishes for weeks and months with some it washing into the creek itself. Some “camp sites” are literally within 10 to 20 feet of the banks of the river.
We have urged the Willamette National Forest over the last 2 years to designate all such “dispersed campsites” as Day Use Only with no campfires allowed.
We noticed one such site with tables near the Dolly Vardon Site is designated with a metal sign as “Day Use Only” but why this is not implemented at all Fall Creek dispersed camps along the waterway not to mention all Willamette National Forest waterways is a mystery?
We urge everyone who appreciates Fall Creek and all other such high use waterways on public lands to please continue visiting these areas as “watchful stewards”. In addition call or email the Middle Fork District and Willamette National Forest Supervisors office as much as you can to urge the protection of these waterways prevent ever increasing resource damage.
Protecting Fall Creek and all High Use Waterways in the Willamette National Forest is Protecting Your Community’s Drinking Water Supplies
Most of these waterways also drain into Eugene and Springfield’s municipal water supplies so consider the above as acts of protecting your community’s drinking water from dangerous toxics and pathogens.
Our High Pressure Tactics of Employing Billboards to Pressure Policy Makers and Enviro NGOs Continues
Some good news, the billboard we rented back in November pressuring some of the Northwest’s biggest and well funded groups like Earthjustice – with a budget of about $80 million per year - to step up their efforts protecting the Coho salmon and Northern Spotted owl from extinction was still up on Interstate 5 inside the Albany city limits as of the first of June, 2020.
Please keep up your efforts to help save wild places and those beings within and I’ll try to keep doing my part for the wild things too.
Shannon Wilson
Eco-Advocates.org