High Roberts Slideshow
Take Action! Speak up for Mt. Hood Wilderness and the Cooper Spur Solution
CRAG has been working to protect Oregon's Cascade Mountains and the watersheds, wildlife and forested slopes below them since our founding in 2001.
CRAG works closely with local groups to preserve Mt. Hood. We are working to increase Wilderness protections around the mountain, ensure sustainable water use in Hood River Basin, enforce the Clean Water Act at recreational facilities, and promote sensible fire risk reduction activities near homes and communities. We are also seeking alternative transportation options along Highway 26 to alleviate congestion on this busy thoroughfare.
Other mountain protection projects we are undertaking include:- Advising the Friends of Mt. Adams on their efforts to protect the Bird Creek Meadows area from a proposed destination resort development;
- Helping the Rogue Group of the Sierra Club to ensure that the Forest Service fully considers alternatives to Mt. Ashland ski area expansion and takes measures to protect sensitive plants and wildlife; and
- Working with local citizens to monitor old growth logging projects for violations of scientific integrity and accountability in the late successional forests and wildlife primitive areas in the dry forests in the headwaters of the Metolious River on the eastern and southern flanks of Mt. Jefferson.
2008 "Oregon Treasures" legislation by Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer and Senator Ron Wyden and 2008 Press Release of Senator Wyden
There is a strong importance for surrounding businesses and for the salmon and steelhead who call the River home that the water remains clean and healthy.
In a press release of Senator Wyden on June 18, 2008, the Senator talks about greater protection for Rogue River and Oregon Caves Monument and commends House for introducing Mt. Hood legislation. Senator Wyden introduced two separate pieces of legislation. The legislation calls for the protection of 143 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers in the lower Rogue River watershed and expansion of the Monument's boundary.
The first act, The Lower Rogue Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 2008, takes the level of protection beyond the river itself and into the waterways that feed the river. In 2008, the Rogue River was named the second most endangered river in the U.S. These waterways include Galice Creek, Little Windy Creek, Jenny Creek, Long Gulch and 36 other tributaries.
The second act, The Oregon Caves National Monument Boundary Adjustment Act of 2008, will add 4,084 acres to the Monument's already 480-acre boundary. This expansion, which is located in the Siskiyou Mountains, will include the Cave Creek Watershed. Not only will this preserve the contained areas, it will allow the areas to continue to house a lively ecosystem of plans and animals that reside in the area.
Lastly, the Senator commended the House for adding 128,000 acres of wilderness around Mt. Hood.
More information on the campaign to Save the Wild Rogue, including contact information for over 60 business and conservation partners, can be found at www.savethewildrogue.org.
To read the full reports on the press release and the introduction to the legislation, and to learn more, select the following PDF files:
Mt. Hood Land Trade: Absent Forest Service Seeks 11th Hour Review
On Sunday, August 6th, the Oregonian published a front page article on the Mt. Hood land trade. This trade is part of an historic agreement that would result in permanent protection for Cooper Spur and the protect Hood River County's watershed. The Oregonian article was highly critical of the deal, suggesting that the land valuation was inaccurate and that the related legislation is being pushed through Congress because of campaign contributions from Mt. Hood Meadows to members of the Oregon delegation.
The article missed the mark. The Hood River Valley Residents Committee's Mike McCarthy and the diverse groups in the Cooper Spur Wild & Free Coalition have told the Oregonian over recent years, the proposed land trade is the product of years of negotiations between the Mt. Hood Meadows ski resort and the Cooper Spur Wild and Free Coalition. The Coalition is a diverse community of groups seeking to defend the public interest. For over 30 years, the Hood River Valley Residents Committee and many others have been working to protect the Crystal Springs watershed and the unprotected wilderness areas on the North side of Mt. Hood. Now, after years of legal battles and a lengthy mediation, the coalition has persuaded Meadows to give over 2,000 acres of land on the North side of Mt. Hood in exchange for 120 acres in Government Camp. This agreement has drawn wide public support.
Congress is the only body that can provide permanent protection for this area as wilderness and a watershed protection zone. Over the past four years, Senators Smith and Wyden, and Oregon’s Congressional delegation including Walden and Blumenauer have demonstrated strong support for the historic agreement. The bipartisan support for this bill from the Oregon delegation is not the result of a few isolated and relatively insignificant campaign contributions, rather it is championed because of a broad base of community support for the deal.
In May of 2004, the parties began mediation, yet the Forest Service refused to participate. Throughout the process, the parties consulted with the Forest Service and provided them with information and updates on the mediation. Now, as Congress readies to consider and pass Mt. Hood legislation, a retired Forest Service employee steps forward to contest the process that led to the appraisals and the property values in the deal. The Oregonian article suggests that the deal was unfairly dominated by Mt. Hood Meadows, when in fact the Residents Committee and the Cooper Spur Wild & Free Coalition have been holding Meadows feet to the fire for years. In fact, appraiser Steve Hall was selected from a list of qualified and certified appraisers that was put forward by the Residents Committee with the help of its expert Bob Bancroft. The Residents Committee had hired Bob Bancroft to assist with a legal challenge to a previous land trade between Hood River County and Mt. Hood Meadows.
Mr. Hall’s appraisals were done through a neutral process, and the Residents Committee relied on his expertise and neutrality, finding his data credible. The initial Oregonian article missed the real deal, and two days later, argued that the proposal was in the public interest because it proposed to trade "the Cooper Spur ski area and hundreds of acres of attached land for 120 acres of prime federal land in Government Camp" The Oregonian cautioned that the proposal must "not be viewed in isolation."
This widely supported land trade provides an opportunity to protect the priceless wilderness on the North side of Mt. Hood and the integrity of Hood River Valley’s drinking water source. It should not be sacrificed to Forest Service politics. The initial Oregonian article, the Oregonian's editorial on the land trade, and letters to the editor are available below.
2006.August.6, The Oregonian -- Mt. Hood swap could be sweetheart deal(PDF)
2006.August.8, The Oregonian -- Mountain land swap hits hurdle in senate(PDF)
2006.August.8, The Oregonian -- Oregonian Mt. Hood editorial(PDF)
2006.August.9, The Oregonian -- Mt. Hood Op-ed by Mike McCarthy and Russ Pascoe (PDF)
2006.August.10, The Oregonian -- Mt. Hood letters to the editor(PDF)
2006.August.16, Hood River News -- Mt. Hood land swap draws fire (PDF)
Protecting Mt. Hood and the Forested Flanks, Rivers and Family Farms Below
- Speak Your Mind * In August, Congressmen Blumenauer and Walden hiked around Mt. Hood and met with local stakeholders around the mountain. In early December, the duo held public meetings to discuss their proposed legacy for Mt. Hood in Hood River and in Portland. Many people came to those meetings and spoke up for more Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers! In early April the backpacking duo introduced legislation to accomplish the proposed solution for Cooper Spur and now Oregonians are looking to the entire delegation to bridge the gap and work towards a final proposal that gets full support from conservation groups, recreation clubs and stakeholders around the mountain.
Please consider contacting the Oregon congressional delegation and educate them on the importance of protecting the remaining wildlands on Mt. Hood and the Clackamas River area as Wilderness. The following map shows the special places that are up for protection.
For more information visit www.cooperspur.org or www.oregonwild.org on the proposed Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers. You can also click on the following documents for more information about the Cooper Spur Proposed Solution.
The Proposed Solution for Cooper Spur
2006.August.14, CRAG Law Center -- The "Real Deal" Behind the Historic Settlement for Cooper Spur (PDF)
2006.July, First Amendment to Settlement Agreement with Hood River County, Mt. Hood Meadows -- Settlement Agreement (PDF)
2006.July -- Cooper Spur Mediation Timeline (PDF)
2006.April.7, The Oregonian -- Blumenauer, Walden foresee Mount Hood plan passage (PDF)
2006.April.5, Hood River Valley Residents Committee & Cooper Spur Wild & Free Coalition -- Details on Proposed Solution for Cooper Spur (PDF)
2006.April.5, Hood River Valley Residents Committee (HRVRC) -- Testimony before House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health (PDF)
2006.April.5, Attachment to Testimony from HRVRC -- Map of Crystal Springs Watershed (PDF)
2005.July, Settlement Agreeement with Hood River County, Mt. Hood Meadows -- Settlement Agreement (PDF)
It only takes a few minutes of your time to make a call or to send a short letter!
You might want to tell your Oregon Representatives and Senators:- Oregon needs Wilderness designation for the special places on Mt. Hood. The current inventory of lands that could be protected by action on the part of our elected officials is 261,000 acres. These Wilderness-quality lands and eligible Wild and Scenic Rivers segments in the Mt. Hood National Forest, from the Columbia River Gorge to Mt. Hood, and south to the Clackamas River are the lands you love, and visit for solace and recreation.
- Urge them to protect these wild roadless lands in commemoration of the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial. 261,000 acres amounts to just 0.1 percent of the State of Oregon's land base.
- The special places up for protection include Larch Mountain, Lost Lake Butte, Marco Creek, Gorge Face, Tilly Jane, Mill Creek Buttes, Fifteenmile Creek, Jordan Creek, Lower Badger Creek, Upper Salmon River Meadows, Twin Lakes, Barlow Butte, Mirror Lake, North Boulder Creek, Little Clear Creek, North Mountain, Roaring River, Memaloose Lake, Big Bottom, Bull of the Woods additions, Olallie Lakes and Abbot Burn. Describe your experiences in these special places, specifically call them out by name!
- The Oregon delegation's leadership on this proposal can preserve the magnificent legacy of Mt. Hood, old growth forests, and abundant wildlife that so inspired Lewis & Clark 200 years ago.
- Wilderness, along with Wild and Scenic River designation, is the best way to safeguard these natural treasures, which are currently vulnerable to unsustainable development and resource extraction practices.
- Backcountry recreation stimulates local economies. Hikers, hunters, campers, fishermen and women, paddlers, and those simply seeking solitude and natural beauty provide a sustainable source of revenue for local communities.
Most congressional websites now do not allow you to contact a congress member via email unless you live in their district. It only takes a few minutes to call or send a short letter! You can visit www.cooperpsur.org or www.oregonwild.org for a sample letter and more information on what to put in your letter.
Senator Gordon Smith
World Trade Center
121 S.W. Salmon, Suite 1250
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: 503-326-3386
email: http://www.senate.gov/~gsmith/webform.htm
Senator Ron Wyden
email: http://wyden.senate.gov/
700 NE Multnomah St. Suite 450
Portland, OR 97232
Phone: 503-326-7525
Representative David Wu - District 1
email: David.wu@mail.house.gov
620 SW Main, Suite 606
Portland, OR 97205
Representative Greg Walden - District 2
email: greg.walden@mail.house.gov
843 East Main Street, #400
Medford, OR 97504
Phone: (541) 776-4646
Toll free in Oregon: (800) 533-3303
Representative Earl Blumenauer - District 3
Earl.blumenauer@mail.house.gov
516 SE Morrison
Suite 250
Portland, OR 97214
Phone: 503-231-2300
Representative Peter DeFazio - District 4
Toll Free: 1-800-944-9603
Peter.defazio@mail.house.gov
151 West 7th, Suite 400
Eugene, OR 97401
Phone: (541) 465-6732
Representative Darlene Hooley - District 5
darlene.hooley@mail.house.gov
315 Mission Street SE
Salem, Oregon 97302
Phone: 503-588-9100
- Contribute to CRAG -Your individual donations allow us to help local communities fight threats to mountain forests, watersheds, and wildlife. Help us protect the Pacific Northwest's landmark Cascade range! Send contributions to 917 SW Oak, Suite 417, Portland, OR 97205, or make a secure online donation.
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