From the President
THE LORAX WANTS YOU!
I’ve been thinking lately of Dr. Seuss’ beloved character, the Lorax, who famously proclaimed “I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.”
Since 1995, Umpqua Watersheds has been speaking for the trees and for the entire panoply of life they support. Our faithful supporters over these two and a half decades will recall the determination and grit we have displayed standing up to the “Once-lers” who would destroy the majesty of our landscapes for short term profit.
To be sure, we understand the need for timber to support our friends and neighbors’ jobs, and we don’t oppose all logging (although our detractors would have you believe so). Rather, we believe that landscape restoration and maintenance projects can supply a sustainable flow of logs to our mills while in many cases returning degraded lands to a condition where they can supply logs AND clean water, fresh air, abundant fisheries, vibrant wildlife habitat, and a quality of life second to none.
Our board continues to stay active and engaged with agency scientists and managers to keep nudging them toward sustainability, and over the years, we’ve been very successful. But challenges remain (some of which you will read about in these pages).
Although our dynamic board and staff have been up to these challenges, we have experienced some attrition over the last few years (see Stan Petrowski’s heartfelt article in this issue). The simple fact is that we need more dedicated conservationists to join our board to share their talents and to help share the load.
We encourage folks who have been active volunteers with UW, former agency specialists, and/or members with skills in communication, grant writing, community organizing, and other proficiencies related to nonprofit organizations to step up.
So – if you have been thinking about getting more involved in local conservation issues, now is the time! Please email Executive Director Kasey Hovik, Kasey@UmpquaWatersheds.org to receive a board packet with all the information you’ll need to help you make the decision to join our merry band.
As the Lorax says: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Ken Carloni, UW Board President
