Conservation

Proposed ESA Change Threatens Wildlife Protection

Published April 24th, 2025

**The federal government is proposing to narrow the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA),** removing habitat degradation from consideration. This means only direct injury or death of [...]

Conservation Update Spring 2025

Published March 7th, 2025

The Urgent Need to Act: Protecting the Spotted Owl

The Umpqua Watersheds Conservation Committee continues to work diligently to protect our environment, especially here in the Umpqua. Conservation is rarely [...]

NEPA is under attack!

Published February 27th, 2025

Please comment by March 27, 2025

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/02/25/2025-03014/removal-of-national-environmental-policy-act-implementing-regulations

Unfortunately, the CEQ itself cannot rescind an executive order issued by the President. Since Executive Order 14154 directs the removal of NEPA’s implementing [...]

Complex Tradeoffs

Published February 3rd, 2025

https://www.northcoastjournal.com/news/complex-tradeoffs-31988826

January 30, 2025

‘Complex Tradeoffs’
EPIC among conservation groups defending barred owl removal in court
By Kimberly Wear kim@northcoastjournal.com @kimberly_wear

Five [...]

Conservation Groups support US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Efforts to reduce barred owl impacts on spotted owls

Published January 21st, 2025

Conservation groups, including Umpqua Watersheds, issue press release.

Press Release January 21, 2025

The Trouble with Barred Owls

How a Fight Led to a Festival

Published January 4th, 2025

Umpqua Watersheds member Bob Allen has an article in the Oregon Humanities Magazine Winter 2025 edition.

https://www.oregonhumanities.org/rll/magazine/currents-winter-2025/posts-currents/

In the mid-1980s, my family lived outside Roseburg, not far from River Forks [...]

Hoopa Valley Tribe receives major grant to remove barred owls

Published December 17th, 2024

The success of the program to curtail the invasion of the barred owl on the Hoopa Valley Tribal Land gets a big boost from the federal government.

“The USFW’s controversial [...]

Preserving Oregon’s Public Lands

Published December 9th, 2024

by Rob Taylor….

As a lifelong Oregonian, taking our public lands for granted can sometimes be easy. Oregon’s public beaches, Crater Lake National Park, the Pacific Crest Trail- all these [...]

Conservation Update Winter 2024

Published December 9th, 2024

by Janice Reid…

The Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP), completed in 1994 and implemented during the Clinton Administration, was the result of extensive scientific collaboration. Its goal was to create a [...]

Despite Biden’s Promise to Protect Old Forests, His Administration Keeps Approving Plans to Cut Them Down

Published November 14th, 2024

https://www.propublica.org/article/biden-logging-blm-oregon-climate

Crater Lake National Park

Published September 30th, 2024

I had the joy of my annual visit to Crater Lake. The lake was in spectacular colorful array. The park is the crown jewel of the Crater Lake [...]

Conservation Update

Published September 16th, 2024

By Janice Reid….

bg-harvest-plan-vicinity-map Monitoring the conservation of our wildlife and wild areas is a full-time job. Most of us probably think that once a species is [...]

Cow Creek National Scenic Trail #1424

Published September 8th, 2024

Cow Creek is a major tributary of the South Umpqua River. The 6 mile trail follows the creek through a lush old growth forest, with trees 500+ years old. The [...]

Emile Old Growth Trees Grove

Published September 4th, 2024

I highly recommend a visit to Emile old growth trees grove. It is easy to get to for an inspiring outing a few miles up Little River. Complete directions are [...]

Conservation Update

Published June 9th, 2024

…by Janice Reid

Recently, we heard of a decision in a five-year-long legal challenge by Crag Law Center on behalf of our sister organizations KS Wild, Cascadia Wildlands, Oregon Wild, [...]