FIELD REPORT: Another proposed nickel mine threatens southern Oregon’s coastal mountains & communities
You may remember a few weeks ago when we reported on a Canadian mining company, Homeland Nickel, setting its target on Cleopatra Mountain in southern Oregon for mining exploration. Well, we are disappointed to report that the mining threats don’t stop there.
The same Canadian company has now targeted Red Flat, which is the headwaters for both Pistol River and Hunter Creek in Curry County.
Our Executive Director, Michael, recently had the opportunity to explore Red Flat with partners to experience the rugged wildness of the greater Kalmiopsis for himself and take count of the several dozen stakes marking exploration zones where Homeland Nickel intends to drill 50’ into the serpentine soils to test for mineral content.
What's the deal with the Douglas-fir die-off, the BLM's logging agenda, & KS Wild?
The climate-induced drought, flat headed wood borers, and heat domes that have massively impacted Douglas-fir mortality in SW Oregon are no joke and have our full attention.
As a community-led, grassroots organization, we at KS Wild take our job of advocating for the forests' ecological health and fire resiliency as well as our community's safety and concern very seriously.
To better understand KS Wild's position on the Douglas-fir mortality in the Applegate Valley of southern Oregon and the Bureau of Land Management's logging proposal, give our recent blog post a read.
KS in the Press
Today forest conservation organizations filed a legal challenge in Medford federal district court challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) latest old-growth timber sale located in the Cascade foothills east of the community of Sunny Valley, Oregon.
KS Wild and partners are litigating against the BLM’s Rogue Gold timber sale behind the community of Gold Hill and Rogue River, OR. The forests being targeted for logging are resilient, healthy, older forests that are designated as reserves for conservation, recreation, and water protection.
KS Wild and partners are taking the BLM to court on Tuesday, April 2nd against the BLM’s Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) project.
Breaking News! The D.C. Court of Appeals just affirmed the legality of an expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. This is a pivotal decision that means that Western Oregon BLM lands can be managed for social and environmental values, not just timber production.
In a legal victory, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today agreed to reconsider whether West Coast fishers in northern California and southern Oregon warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act. Read the full press release here.
A coalition of conservation organizations filed a legal complaint challenging the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) “Integrated Vegetation Management” (IVM) program that would aggressively log forest stands located within Late Successional Reserves, areas purportedly set aside for forest conservation.
Judge in the District Court for the District of Oregon ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service justification for Bureau of Land Management timber sales totaling nearly 18,000 acres including old growth forests violated the Endangered Species Act.
Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center joined the Center for Biological Diversity and the Environmental Protection Information Center in suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for denying endangered species protection to West Coast fishers.
Send an Action
🚨 URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Send a letter to your senator opposing the sell-off of millions of acres of public lands!
The Medford BLM is back at it. They’re targeting forest reserves…again…this time outside of Williams, OR in the footprint of their unsuccessful Late Mungers timber sale. Click to learn more and take action!
The Rum Creek timber sale was planned in secret with no public commenting process at all. That makes it hard to make your voice heard. If you'd like to contact the BLM with your views about clearcutting and logging, take action today!
Rather it is the result of decades of fire exclusion that allowed conifers to overtake hardwood ecosystems combined with the climate change-induced heat domes and drought. All of which result in young fir stands being especially vulnerable to mortality. Now the BLM wants to log their way out of the problem. Let's make sure they get it right.
The U.S. Forest Service is working to update every national forest plan in the country to protect old growth, which could become one of the most meaningful safeguards for federal forests that we have seen in decades. The agency is currently seeking public input on how they’ll manage public forests for generations to come. This is a unique opportunity that we don’t want to miss.
Currently the 8,150-acre "Last Chance" timber sale calls for logging most of the remaining mature and old-growth forests in the foothills between Sunny Valley and Galesville. Take action now to help defend this essential forestland.
Five Areas of Critical Environmental Concern within the CSNM are at risk. Please take a moment to click and write to the BLM that these special places in Monument need to be recognized and protected!
Latest News
Dive into our latest field report from Red Flat—headwaters to Pistol River and Hunter Creek, and new target for Canadian mining company, Homeland Nickel.
The climate-induced drought, flat headed wood borers, and heat domes that have massively impacted Douglas-fir mortality in SW Oregon has our full attention. Read more about KS Wild’s approach to forest management in the era of climate change.
There are currently two very large timber sales proceeding on public lands east of I-5 in southern Oregon. Both will produce a great deal of timber volume, both were planned simultaneously, and both were planned by federal agencies that manage federal public lands—but that is where the similarities end. Read more here.
Exploring Cleopatra Mountain: stunning views, rare plants, and a fight to keep one of Oregon’s wildest watersheds free from mining.
Upcoming events
Join us outside!
In celebration of National Seed Swap Day, Join KS Wild & Pollinator Project Rogue Valley as we celebrate National Seed Swap Day for our fourth annual Seed and Plant Swap!
Join KS Wild's Conservation Director on a 3 mile hike through the old-growth forests and meadows on Green Springs Mountain just a half an hour east of Ashland. Known for its diversity and expansive views, this hike is rated moderate to easy.
Enjoy a mellow cross country ski route in the area at Hyatt Lake reservoir in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. The grades are fairly gentle here. We will hug the edge of the reservoir to catch some beautiful views of Mt. McLoughlin and then loop back on E Hyatt Lake Road.
New & Improved:
A Guide to Living Rurally
A ‘one stop shop’ for all the resources you need to acquaint yourself with the forests of the Siskiyou region and how to prepare your home for a wildfire.