Oregon Governors Support the Wild Rogue

In a letter to Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski stated last week that Oregon is "ripe" for Wilderness and Wild & Scenic designations. The Governor's letter lists areas throughout the state that he believes deserves such protection, and the Wild Rogue is on that list, as well as other special places in southwest Oregon including Copper Salmon and Kalmiopsis Wilderness additions. Click here to read Governor Kulongoski's letter.

One week later, the Oregonian printed an opinion editorial from former Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber in support of strengthening protections for the lower Rogue River. Click here to read Governor Kitzhaber's op-ed, "A river, a fish and a region's future."

Here are a few things you can do to help build on this momentum for the Wild Rogue:

1. Keep the story at the forefront. This is a wonderful opportunity to follow up with Letters to the Editor. It would be very helpful if you have a little time to compose and email a letter to the editor in support of strengthening protections for the Wild Rogue. Below are word limits and email addresses for Letters to the Editor.  Also pasted below at the bottom of this email is a Letter printed last month in the Medford Mail Tribune on the Wild Rogue - to give you an idea.

Click here to read the Mail Tribune article Kulongoski pitches for additional wilderness protection

MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE - 200 words or less: letters@mailtribune.com

EUGENE REGISTER GUARD - 250 words or less: rgletters@guardnet.com

OREGONIAN - 150 words or less: letters@news.oregonian.com

2. Please encourage your friends and family to take action today for the Wild Rogue. Please direct people to our website where they can send an automatic email to Oregon's Senators in just a few minutes: http://savethewildrogue.org/take-action

3. Hike the Wild Rogue in 2008! Starting on May 31st, join the Save the Wild Rogue campaign on the last Saturday of every month for a hike into the Wild Rogue canyon. Enjoy diverse wild forests, extraordinary wildlife viewing and clear creeks tumbling into the mighty Rogue. We will discuss Wilderness and Wild & Scenic proposals for the area as well as the Bureau of Land Management's old-growth logging plans.

2008 Hikes: May 31, June 28, July 26, August 30, September 27, October 25.

Carpools leave the Gooseberries Natural Foods parking lot (1533 NE F St.) in Grants Pass at 10am and will meet at the Graves Creek Boat Ramp at 11am. Bring hiking shoes, clothing layers, food, water and your friends. Hikes are moderate and approximately 5-7 miles. For more information, contact KS Wild at lesley@kswild.org or 541-488-5789.

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Letter to the Editor in the Medford Mail Tribune, 2/14/08:

Protect wilderness

I want to thank Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Peter DeFazio for their efforts to designate the Copper Salmon Wilderness near Port Orford. I was happy to read about their work to protect the Elk River and its salmon populations ("Wilderness area backed by Senate committee", Jan. 31). The dramatic decline of salmon in the last century is cause for alarm that demands swift action. It is of the utmost importance to do all we can to safeguard and restore salmon in Oregon.

I support efforts to designate the Copper Salmon Wilderness. I also strongly urge Congress to turn their sights to the Wild Rogue. As anyone who has been to the banks of this mighty river knows, the Rogue is the crowning jewel of southwest Oregon. Unfortunately, the Wild and Scenic section is still vulnerable to degradation. Threatened by old-growth logging, mining and road-building, the lower Rogue deserves stronger protection. Rafters, anglers, outdoor businesses and conservation groups are proposing increased Wild and Scenic and wilderness protections for the Rogue downstream from Galice. Securing such protection would help foster a healthy river for fish, recreation and future generations. I urge Wyden and DeFazio to take action for the Rogue today. — Beverly Moore, Merlin