Oregon Wild: Endangered Forest Wilderness
Some of the dreams in this book have come true (e.g additional wilderness areas on the Mount Hood National Forest, the Soda Mountain Wilderness, the Devil’s Staircase Wilderness) and others will eventually.
Before Oregon Wild (née Oregon Natural Resources Council) called themselves Oregon Wild, the organization commissioned me to author a book by that name (Timber Press, 2004). Copies of the book are still available on Amazon and elsewhere, some for as little as $0.32 (you do have to pay postage and handling).
Oregon Wild, the organization has granted me permission to post Oregon Wild, the book, on line. You may download any and all chapters of interest below by clicking on the bulleted entries.
Erik Fernandez of Oregon Wild did the cartography and photography was graciously provided by Sandy Lonsdale, George Wuerthner, Elizabeth Feryl, Gary Braasch, David Stone, Ellen Morris Bishop, Larry N. Olson and others. Kathleen Dean Moore provided a foreword.
• Front Cover and Front Matter
Table of Contents
Foreword by Kathleen Dean Moore
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
• Chapter 1: A Brief Natural History of Oregon's Forests
The Forests of Oregon
Major Oregon Forest Ecoregions
Major Oregon Forest Types
Featured: Whitebark Pine
Major Oregon Forest Owners
Old, Mature and Young Forests
Featured: Quaking Aspen
Featured: Western Larch
Selected Fish and Wildlife in Oregon's Forests
Carnivorous Mammals
Lynx
Marten
Fisher
Wolverine
Cougar
Wolf
Black Bear
Grizzly Bear
Herbivorous Mammals
Beaver
Elk
Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep
A Maybe Mammal
Bigfoot
Birds
Brown Creeper
Goshawk
Marbled Murrelet
Northern Spotted Owl
Pileated woodpecker
White-headed Woodpecker
Fish
Bull Trout
Pacific Salmon
Enigmatic Microfauna
Mollusks
It's the Water
The Carbon Connection
• Chapter 2: A Brief Unnatural History of Oregon's Forests
Deforestation in Oregon
Featured: The Worst of All Microbes by C.D.S. Wood
Roading Oregon's Forests
Forests and Fire
Featured: The Warner Creek Fire
Featured: A Top Dozen Threats to Oregon's Forest Wilderness
Livestock Grazing: A Major Factor in Unhealthy Forests
• Chapter 3: A Brief Political History of Oregon's Wilderness Protections
Inadequacy of Administration Protections
Featured: Judge John b. Waldo: Oregon's John Muir
The Wilderness Act
Featured: Other Congressional Protections
Oregon Wilderness Protection 1930-2002
Before The Wilderness Act of 1964
Featured: U.S. Senator Richard L. Neuberger
Mount Jefferson, Oregon Island and Three Arch Rocks
Minam River and Hells Canyon
Endangered American Wilderness Act and More Oregon Islands
The Oregon (Forest) Wilderness Act
Wilderness Designations on Hold
Almost a Thaw
Unfinished Legacy and Even More Oregon Islands
Featured: U.S. Senators Mark Hatfield and Bob Packwood
Oregon's First Desert Wilderness
• Chapter 4: A Brief Political Future for Oregon's Forest Wilderness
Why Wilderness?
Small Wilderness
Wilderness Economics 101
Featured: Top Dozen Reasons for Wilderness
Across the Landscape Over Time
Wilderness: Expanding Concept, Shrinking Supply
Top Ten Arguments Against Wilderness (and Refutations)
Other Threatened Forest Wildlands
Get Involved
• Chapter 5: A Long-Term Vision for a Wild Oregon
Inviting Nature Back
Unloading the Wild
More Public Forestlands
Self-Restraint for the Betterment of All
• Chapter 6: Home to Oregon's Rainforests: Coast Range Ecoregion
Ecoregions of the Oregon Coast Range
Coast Range Wilderness
Featured Unit: Mount Hebo
Elk River Wilderness
Featured Unit: Copper Salmon
Oregon Dunes Wilderness
Featured Unit: Umpqua Dunes
• Chapter 7: World Class Biodiversity: Klamath Mountains Ecoregion
Ecoregions of Oregon's Klamath Mountains
Kalmiopsis Wilderness Additions
Featured Unit: Rough and Ready Creek
Siskiyou Crest Wilderness
Featured Unit: Dakubetede
Soda Mountain Wilderness
Featured Unit: Jenny Creek
Wild Rogue Wilderness Additions
Featured Unit: Zane Grey
• Chapter 8: Young Volcanoes and Old Forests: Cascades Ecoregion
Ecoregions of Oregon's Cascades
Clackamas Wilderness
Featured Unit: Roaring River
Columbia Gorge Wilderness
Featured Unit: Larch Mountain
McKenzie Wilderness
Featured Unit: Chucksney Mountain
Mount Hood Wilderness Additions
Featured Unit: Twin Lakes
North Umpqua Wilderness
Featured Unit: Mount Bailey
Rogue-Umpqua Wilderness
Featured Unit: Bitter Lick Creek
Santiam Wilderness
Featured Unit: Iron Mountain
South Cascades Wilderness
Featured Unit: Pelican Butte
Three Sisters Wilderness
Featured Unit: Waldo Lake
Upper Deschutes Wilderness
Featured Unit: Little Deschutes river-Big Marsh Creek
Upper Willamette Wilderness
Featured Unit: Hardesty Mountain
• Chapter 9: Dry Open Forests: East Cascades Slopes and Foothills Ecoregion
Ecoregions of the Oregon's East Cascades Slopes and Foothills
Fremont Rims Wilderness
Featured Unit: Dead Horse Rim
Klamath Basin Wilderness
Featured Unit: Yamsay Mountain
Metolius Wilderness
Featured Unit: Metolius Breaks
Newberry Volcano Wilderness
Featured Unit: Newberry Crater
• Chapter 10: Neither Cascades Nor Rockies, but with Attributes of Both: Blue Mountains Ecoregion
Ecoregions of Oregon's Blue Mountains
Blue Mountain Wilderness
Featured Unit: Forks of the Walla Walla
Grand Ronde Wilderness
Featured Unit: Joseph Canyon
Hells Canyon Wilderness Additions
Featured Unit: Lord Flat
Malheur Basin Wilderness
Featured Unit: Myrtle Creek-Silvies River
Malheur Canyons Wilderness
Featured Unit: North Fork Malheur River
North Fork John Day-Elkhorns Wilderness
Featured Unit: Elkhorn Ridge
Ochoco Mountains Wilderness
Featured Unit: Lookout Mountain
South Fork John Day Wilderness
Featured Unit: Murderers Creek
Upper John Day Wilderness
Featured Unit: Dixie Butte
Wallowa Mountains Wilderness
Featured Unit: Lake Fork Creek
Afterword
Footnotes and Sources
Bibliography
Appendices
About the Contributors
Colophon
Index