BLM's Illinois Valley Logging Plan Receives Overwhelming Opposition
BLM plans draw protests, by Illinois Valley News
Update: Northwest Ecosystem Survey Team has Found Dozens of Red Tree Vole Nests in East Fork, Tennessee Lime, and Anderson West sale areas. BLM is being asked to accept new data and protect all known red tree vole nest sites.
Please take a moment and call or write Abbie Jossie/ Medford BLM (address below) and ask them to:
- Verify and accept new red tree vole data for the East Fork, Tennessee Lime, and Anderson West sale areas.
- Protect all red tree vole nests sites (not just the tree itself) for the above three sales and beyond.
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A red tree vole nest. Photo by N.E.S.T. |
What the inside of a nest looks like, resin ducts, fecal pellets and cuttings. Photo by N.E.S.T. |
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| A N.E.S.T. surveyor shooting a line in a tree to climb at the East Fork sale. Photo by Justin Rohde. |
"The Northwest Ecosystem Survey Team (N.E.S.T.) has been surveying in southern Oregon in three timber sales: Tennesse Lime, Anderson West and East Fork. We found 35 previously undiscovered red tree vole nests, when verified by the Bureau of Land Management, these nests will require protection that will lead to the reduction of these timber sales to the possible cancellation of certain timber sale units.
N.E.S.T. is a group of forest defenders committed to protecting the habitat of rare species associated with old growth and late-successional forests. NEST enforces environmental protections built into the Northwest Forest Plan (NWP) by finding species listed in on the Survey and Manage list. One of the species that we survey is the red tree vole. The red tree vole is a small arboreal rodent that lives in the tops of Douglas firs and feeds on its needles. It makes its nest from the discarded interior of the needle, which is called a resin duct.
Put simply, under the Northwest Forest Plan, documented red tree vole sites get roughly 10 acres of protection. Our documentation of this species has led to the protection of hundreds of acres of old growth forest in about a dozen timber sales. Our surveys have also been instrumental in court cases resulting in federal injunctions.
The Siskiyou Project is working with NEST to double-check the work of federal agencies on logging projects in the Siskiyou. If you would like to learn more about NEST's work, or learn how to help survey for rare species, contact the Siskiyou Project: (541) 592-4459.
Illinois Valley BLM Logging Sales:
East Fork Illinois comments were due August 7th 2006
Tennessee Lime comments were due August 7th, 2006
Anderson West comments were due August 7th, 2006
The spectacular forests of the Illinois Valley, administered by the BLM, have been targeted for sale to the highest bidder. Given that much of the surounding area has been logged, these low elevation mature forests are exceptionally rare and represent some of the last low elelvation old-growth habitat in Oregon.
The Illinois Valley Forests provide critical habitat to rare plants and animals and beautiful scenery to residents of the area. These forests are important for the quality of life of local residents. The BLM Forests are places poeple go to hike, hunt, mountain bike, horseback ride, bird watch, and otherwise enjoy nature. The logging would likely degrade the character of the area.
The BLM has initiated six timber sales, called the East Illinois, West Fork Illinois , Althouse Sucker, Tennessee Lime, Anderson West Addendum (2003 EA, not shown on map below), and the South Deer Landscape Management projects as marked on the map below. Letter to the Editor help guide.
The BLM has initiated six timber sales, called the East Illinois, West Fork Illinois , Althouse Sucker, Tennessee Lime, Anderson West Addendum (2003 EA), and the South Deer Landscape Management projects as marked on the map below.
In a report titled, "The importance of western Oregon BLM lands to fish and wildlife habitat conservation" states, "In general, lands administered by the BLM in western Oregon make up a key portion of the public lands in this area and contain significant amounts of old-growth and mature-forest essential to the recovery of federally listed species and the health and integrity of the larger region." Read the full report here.
You can make a donation directly to our efforts to stop these sales here.
Talking Points
Biological Importance:
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| Threatened Althouse-Sucker BLM logging sale area. Port Orford Cedar. |
• The interior valley lands of the Illinois Valley: provide important connectivity for species migrating to and from the East and West Siskiyou, have a greater number of species at lower valley floor elevations and adjacent hill sides than way up in the mountains, are important as wildlife habitat, and are especially rare and should be preserved as habitat.
• Protect our unique serpentine landscapes. Do not use destructive slashbusters in these areas.
• The BLM forests are our watersheds and critical for the protection of wild salmon and trout, riparian reserves must be protected.
• Retain high canopy closure so that forests function as high quality wildlife habitat for closed canopy dependent species.
• All areas proposed for logging need to be surveyed for nesting spotted owls and necessary protections applied. Red Tree voles need to be protected with ten-acre closed canopy buffers.
• Specific to the East Fork Illinois Project: Demand that BLM not log any lands that are part of the proposed Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) nomination, or lands proposed for the Research Natural Area (RNA) nomination. Insist that BLM engage in their original proposal to conduct a full scale Environmental Impact Statement in partnership with the Siskiyou National Forest before preceding any further.
Social/Economic Importance:
• The BLM forests are important for the quality of life of local residents.
• BLM forests feed our watershed and are critical for drinking water to residents.
• The BLM forests are important to our local economy and to the future of tourism. People travel far and wide to visit local businesses such as the Out n About Tree House Resort and the beautiful forests surrounding Takilma.
• Retain closed canopy forests for their scenic, recreational, quality of life and wildlife values.
Real Fire Safety & True Restoration
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| Tennessee Lime Logging Sale Area. Free and Easy Creek, Port Orford Cedars, Serpentine. |
• Logging and reducing the forest canopy will increase the risk of a severe fire. Flammable slash will be created, there will be increased tree blow-down, the forest floor will be hotter and drier with brush species creating dense, flammable fuel.
• Native stands of mature and old growth forest must be retained. These stands provide shade, wind protection and maintain moisture for fire safety. Mature and old growth trees must be retained as they have the thickest bark and are likely to withstand fire. In fact, old fire scars on large diameter trees are proof of their ability to survive.
• The Siskiyou forests are born in fire. Natural forest fires release tree seeds and aid in maintaining diverse species and forest structure. Recent suppression of forest fires has led to unnaturally dense young forests. Fuels reduction must focus on removing dense, small diameter trees (< 9 inches in diameter) and brush and must concentrate on safety of residential areas. Perform intensive fuels reduction within 300 yards of homes and other structures where it will do the most good.
• Conduct true restoration projects. Many meadows have naturally been maintained by fire. Due to forest fire suppression, young trees encroach upon native meadows. Reopen the meadows by thinning small diameter trees and through controlled burning. Many riparian areas need restoration, as do many historic mining areas. Roads often produce sediment harmful to salmon. Decommission roads whenever possible.
• Build no new or temporary roads. Temporary roads are only temporary in the sense that they are used temporarily for log truck traffic. Temporary roads leave permanent scars on the landscape lead to lawless offroad vehicle use, spread invasive weeds and diseases, and fire starts.
Send comments to:
Abbie Jossie
Field Manager
Grants Pass Resource Area/Medford District BLM
2164 NE Spalding Ave
Grants Pass, Oregon 97526
541-471-6652 or email medford_mail@blm.gov
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| Clearcutting on private property has continued to expand around the last remaining unentered ancient forest left in southern oregon. This photo was taken from Forest Service road 9938 near sections of the West Fork logging sale. Photos taken and stiched together Feb. 23, 2006 by Justin Rohde. |
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