Oregon is home to some of the most magnificent wild places in the United States. Filled to the brim with expansive forests, soaring mountains, and crystal clear alpine lakes, it is a sought after destination for experienced outdoorsmen and novices alike. Acting as the gateway to this forested wonderland is the Bureau of Land Management’s Medford District, nestled in the southwestern quadrant of the state along the path of I-5. This area encompasses 876,009 acres which include the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Rogue River, and the Soda Mountain Wilderness.
The Bureau of Land Management forests contained within the Medford District include a diverse range of forest types, including intermixed conifers, hardwood deciduous, and broadleaf evergreen. Elevations range from approximately 1,600 to 5,000 feet, and the variations in terrain lend themselves to the formation of diverse ecological communities within this area. Some of the wildlife found within the forests of the Medford District include the Northern Spotted Owl, Northwestern Pond Turtle, and Coho Salmon .
Unfortunately, these threatened species are at risk of further deterioration by the Bureau of Land Management with the proposed Last Chance Forest Management Project. This project encompasses nearly 57,000 acres of land, including 32,272 acres of Bureau of Land Management land, approximately 20 miles north of Grants Pass, Oregon. The proposal for this project includes 8,240 acres of commercial logging, 253 miles of road renovation, and 29 miles of new road construction. These activities will not only destroy and fragment wildlife habitats, but also remove thousands of old growth trees from the landscape, threatening the resiliency of these forests in the face of a changing climate and increased wildfire risk.
Old-growth trees are a critical contributor to resilience in dry forests due to their resistance to fire, drought and changing climates. The state purpose of the Last Chance project is to reduce fire risk and the outbreak of insects and disease among trees in the Medford District, but the proposed actions in this project plan will not achieve that goal.
Cutting down old growth trees is not the right way to mitigate wildfire hazard or prevent insect or disease outbreaks. The benefits old growth provides to the forest when left standing outweighs the risk of them contributing to wildfire spread. There is a 100% chance that a tree will die when marked for logging; there is a less than 100% chance that a tree will burn if left standing. For old growth trees, which are less prone to fire damage and disease than younger, less-established trees, this statement is especially true. That is why we need to keep older trees off the chopping block in Oregon.
Another problem with the Last Chance project proposal is that it poses an undue burden on already threatened wildlife species in the area. At particular risk of habitat destruction is the Northern Spotted Owl, which has been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 1990. This species has been declining at a rate of about 2.9 percent per year due to habitat destruction and competition from non-native Barred Owls. The habitat destruction that would result from this project would only put them at greater risk of extinction.
The Bureau of Land Management should address wildfire risk in southern Oregon, and has a responsibility to take action to protect the people living in and around Medford from the dangers associated with severe wildfires. The agency should take action in the most appropriate way possible, using the best available science.
Our friends at KS Wild have been in the forest, checking out the proposed logging area
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Ellen runs campaigns to protect America’s beautiful places, from local beachfronts to remote mountain peaks. She sits on the Steering Committee of the Arctic Defense Campaign and co-coordinates the Climate Forests Campaign. Ellen previously worked as the organizing director for Environment America’s Climate Defenders campaign and managed grassroots campaign offices across the country. Ellen lives in Denver, where she likes to hike in Colorado’s mountains.
As the Conservation Advocate for Environment Oregon, Justin runs our campaign to Protect Owyhee Canyonlands. Justin has worked on campaigns to protect the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, clean up superfund sites along the Willamette River and promote solar energy in Oregon. In recent years, he was part of the Public Interest Network’s Creative and Editorial team where he developed campaign logos and materials connected to dozens of campaigns, turned deep-dive research into digestible interactive features for our websites, and created myriad tools for campaigns to help win real results for the environment and the public interest. Justin lives in Portland with his wife and children where they regularly explore the diversity that Oregon’s environment has to offer: From the coast to the high desert and the many amazing rivers, lakes, forests and mountains in between.
