February Digest

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Sign up to receive KS Wild’s eNews and stay up-to-date on issues, actions, and events in the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion. The monthly digest brings you the most up-to-date information from our programs and campaigns, including actions and events, in one easy email at the beginning of each month. Throughout the month, we’ll keep you informed on issues around climate change and wildfire, update you on important policy being considered on the state and federal levels that impact the waterways, wildlands, and wildlife of the region, and ask you to take action to protect public lands from timber industry interests and illegal operations.

Greetings, Welcome to February! It's officially the mid-point of winter, halfway between winter solstice and spring equinox. The Lunar New Year was Tuesday, entering the year of the Tiger, and February also marks Black History Month, a time of reflection and celebration for Black culture and history in the United States. It feels like the haze of the holidays and deep winter are behind us and the days start to stretch longer. Here in the Klamath-Siskiyou there is a general sense that we need more snow pack for what will likely be another long, hot summer.  This month you'll be hearing more from us on the Oregon legislative short session. KS Wild and Rogue Riverkeeper are tracking some important legislative bills, which you can read more about below. If you've been interested in getting more involved with KS Wild and Rogue Riverkeeper, we've put out a new call for volunteers! And don't miss out on this year's Wild & Scenic Siskiyou Film Festival. We'll be announcing the film lineup in the next few days, so get your tickets now! For the wild, Jessica Klinke, Communications Director In this month’s digest: Climate: Oregon's Legislative Short Session ForestWatch: Medford BLM Poised to Log Old-Growth Reserves Rogue Riverkeeper: Reporting Water Quality Concerns Volunteer Opportunities: Get Involved in 2022 Events: Wild & Scenic Siskiyou Film Festival North Fork Rough & Ready Creek. Photo credit: Northwest Rafting Co. Climate Oregon's Legislative Short Session The Oregon state legislative session kicked off on February 1. In odd-numbered years, the Oregon Legislature meets for "long sessions," but has five-week long "short sessions" in even-numbered years like 2022. KS Wild and Rogue Riverkeeper are working on a number of bills that will shape environmental policy. While short, this is shaping up to be a historic session for Oregon forests, watersheds, and wildlife.  Stay tuned throughout this session to learn more about priority legislation, but here are bills we have already identified: The Private Forest Accord Bills (LC 278, LC 276, and LC 251) These three bills make up the legislative enactment of the Private Forest Accord, an historic agreement between the conservation community and timber interests that will overhaul the Oregon Forest Practices Act in order to achieve a Habitat Conservation Plan for at-risk aquatic species. The Private Forest Accord represents the most sweeping upgrades to the OFPA since its enactment in 1971 and will immediately shift Oregon into the 21st century in protecting salmon, steelhead, and other threatened species. KS Wild was a key negotiator of the Accord.  Wildlife Connectivity Structure Bill  (HB 4130) The bill allocates $5 million to fund already identified wildlife connectivity and crossing structures in the state. KS Wild has been working alongside a coalition of groups in our region under the new heading of Southern Oregon Wildlife Crossings Coalition (SOWCC). There are a number of road crossings that need to be upgraded, where road underpasses could be enhanced or where wildlife friendly infrastructure could ensure safer road conditions and make wildlife passage easier.  A number of other bills deserve support, and others should not pass the legislature. We are tracking bills related to environmental justice, wolves, salmon, and other important issues to Oregonians. Please stay in touch with KS Wild and stay engaged!  ForestWatch Medford BLM Poises to Log Old-Growth Reserves  "Integrated Vegetation Management For Resilient Lands" (IVM) sure sounds great doesn't it? Unfortunately those flowery words are agency-speak for logging old-growth reserves down to 30% canopy cover and creating 4-acre mini-clearcuts across the landscape.  The IVM project calls for the removal of Northern spotted owl foraging habitat throughout "dry" late-successional reserve forests- undermining the very wildlife conservation purpose the reserves were designed for.  An IVM decision is expected soon, with the Penn Butte and Late Mungers old-growth timber sales to follow shortly. KS Wild and our allies intend to challenge the BLM logging plans.  Click here to read the BLM's IVM project page.  And KS Wild's comments can be viewed here. Rogue Riverkeeper Reporting Water Quality Concerns Have you seen evidence of pollution in our waterways? Rogue Riverkeeper is frequently contacted by members of the public about possible water pollution in our rivers and streams. Aquatic wildlife and your fellow community members rely on you to report pollution when you see it so the proper authorities can put a stop to it. Pollution in our water ways can appear as an oily sheen or a plume of discolored water but sometimes it can be hard to tell what is pollution and what may be a natural phenomenon. To learn more about water pollution and how to report it check out the Rogue Riverkeeper Blog! Volunteer Opportunities Ways to Get Involved in 2022 Are you looking for opportunities to get involved this year with KS Wild and Rogue Riverkeeper? There are many ways to help out—from being an Outreach Ambassador tabling at outdoor events to helping with tasks around events and fundraising to working outdoors on stewardship projects. Sign up today and receive monthly updates or specific requests for help from Community Organizer Allee Gustafson. Thank you for your interest and support! Film Festival volunteer opportunities this month! Help out with our live, virtual event and receive a complimentary ticket to the event & a free swag bag from KS Wild and Rogue Riverkeeper. Day-of-event support during the live show in the Chat Box on February 25 from 6pm-9pm. You can do this from the comfort of your own home or wherever you are in the world. You need to have wifi, a computer, be a bit tech savvy and willing to have fun conversation. Looking for 3 volunteers—first come, first serve. Sign up! Distribute flyers and handbills for the Film Festival. Looking for 5 volunteers—first come, first serve. Sign up! Interested in more ways to plug-in?  KS Wild's Public Lands And You (PLAY) Stewardship Program offers a variety of volunteer opportunities working outside on public land. Sign up for one of our stewardship days at Eight Dollar Mountain and Days Gulch Botanical Areas, Mariposa Preserve in the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument, Alex Hole a high elevation wetland meadow in the Siskiyou backcountry or get involved with our Grazing Monitoring Program during the summer months up on the Siskiyou Crest. Exciting developments are on the horizon for our PLAY Program, so stay tuned for more on how you can help protect and restore threatened landscapes in the Klamath-Siskiyou region. Events Wild & Scenic Siskiyou Film Festival Friday, February 25, 2022 Tickets on Sale NOW! The Wild & Scenic Siskiyou Film Festival brings together the community to celebrate our work to protect the Klamath-Siskiyou wildlands, and restore clean water in the Rogue Basin. It is a virtual night of fun with films, a raffle, prizes and more! Enjoy two hours of high-quality entertainment that’s LIVE, VIRTUAL, & AWESOME on February 25th. Included with your ticket purchase for the virtual event is a 5-day pass for video-on-demand to view the films, so get your tickets today! More information, including the soon-to-be-released film selection, is available at siskiyoufilmfest.org.   Support KS Wild Can you join us in the fight to keep old-growth forests standing?  $5 makes a difference Your support ensures our team's ability to continue safeguarding wildlife, retaining wildlands, preserving clean water, and fighting for protection of our communities in the era of climate change.    Connect With Us: Facebook   Instagram   Contact Info:   These emails are important to protect the KS. If you really want to, click here to {{if IsSentByTargetedEmail}} KS Wild is committed to building and maintaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive conservation organization. KS Wild understands that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential components of not only an effective conservation movement, but of resilient communities. We continue to seek the best practices of inclusion for our board, staff, supporters, event participants, and the general public.