BLM Acquires Key Lands for Conservation at Heart of Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
ASHLAND, OREGON (Dec. 7, 2010) – The Pacific Forest Trust (PFT) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), today announced the conservation of approximately 300 acres that have been purchased from willing sellers and added to the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (CSNM), the nation’s first monument created solely for the preservation of biodiversity.
PFT, a non-profit conservation organization, previously purchased the properties from Forest Capital Partners and Superior Lumber to safeguard until the BLM could acquire the land and officially designate it as part of the Monument. Located near the core of the CSNM, the newly conserved acreage includes tributaries to Keene Creek, as well as important wildlife corridors and habitat. It also will increase the protection of adjacent BLM lands with rare old growth forest qualities.
The BLM purchased the land for $451,500 drawn from the federal Land Water Conservation Fund, which is funded by a portion of receipts from offshore oil and gas leases. A map showing the transferred parcels is available.
“These lands are located at the heart of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, so their conservation is especially meaningful,” said Laurie Wayburn, PFT president and co-founder. “Connecting these fragmented landscapes helps protect the integrity of this unique Monument dedicated for biodiversity and extends a corridor of conserved forests, meadows and wetlands deep within its boundaries.”
With this transfer, PFT has helped add a total of nearly 2,000 acres to public ownership for the CSNM. These properties will join together previously fragmented sections of conserved land within the Monument’s planning area, improving protection of its watersheds and wildlife habitat. By purchasing and safeguarding these properties, PFT and its partners are helping to unify the region under a common conservation strategy.
“Pacific Forest Trust has gotten to the heart of preserving the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument with this latest land transfer, because it further protects the core of its unique landscape,” said U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). “The natural beauty of this area can now be preserved for future generations. Pacific Forest Trust and the BLM have shown that partnership is the key to getting things done for the environment and preserving the lasting legacy of biological diversity that makes the Monument the gem it is.”
Oregon lawmakers and donors have been major supporters of PFT’s work in the CSNM. Senator Wyden, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) worked together to secure appropriations from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the transfers. Oregon’s Collins Foundation was also a key supporter, providing funding to help PFT initially secure the land.
“My very first vote as a U.S. Senator was to approve a public lands bill that created hundreds of thousands of acres of new wild and wilderness areas across the country, including a new wilderness area within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument,” said Senator Merkley. “I have been honored to partner with the Pacific Forest Trust to continue to make sure the Monument can effectively fulfill its conservation mission. Today’s announcement demonstrates the PFT’s outstanding commitment to continued conservation and stewardship in the region.”
While 60 percent of the land located within the CSNM planning area is publicly owned and conserved, thousands of key acres remain vulnerable to development and conversion to non-forest uses. Recognizing the need to act quickly to protect the most important and vulnerable parcels, PFT has been acquiring threatened lands as they are offered for sale. PFT has purchased 4,725 acres for addition to the Monument to date.
“This acquisition will help create a more contiguous landscape allowing for more effective management,” said John Gerritsma, BLM Ashland Resource Area Manager. “Including these parcels in the monument will provide important wildlife corridors for many avian species with protected status including the northern spotted owl, bald eagle, northern goshawk and the pileated Woodpecker, and protect several critical riparian areas.”
This land transfer delivers on the promise made by PFT’s Campaign to Complete the Vision of a more fully conserved Monument. The CSNM was established by Presidential proclamation in 2000 to help conserve a vital region that is home to more than 3,500 plant and animal species, many of which are found nowhere else on earth. The Monument itself is known for its complex, interconnected biological and geological features that support a tremendous variety of species in a geographically small area, encompassing high desert plant life of the Great Basin and flora and fauna of the Cascade Range and Pacific Coast temperate rainforests.
“We want to thank those who have supported this initiative, including those who financed the project, The Collins Foundation, our collaborating landowners, Oregon’s congressional delegation, the Bureau of Land Management and the Soda Mountain Wilderness Council,” Wayburn said. “Working together, we are completing this important haven for biodiversity in the Klamath-Siskiyou region and conserving its resources for future generations.”
* * *
About the Pacific Forest Trust
Since 1993, the Pacific Forest Trust (PFT) has been dedicated to conserving and sustaining America’s vital, productive forest landscapes. Working with forest owners, communities and our partners we advance innovative, incentive-based strategies to safeguard our nation’s forests and their wealth of public benefits, including clean water, sustainably harvested wood, green jobs, wildlife habitat and a livable climate. Recognized as a national leader in sustainable forestry and conservation, PFT has provided expert advice and other services to the owners and managers of more than 10 million acres of forestland from coast to coast. To date, PFT has directly conserved more than 50,000 acres of forestland in California, Oregon and Washington valued at more than $160 million. Learn more about PFT: http://www.PacificForest.org.
About the Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management manages more land – 256 million acres – than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western States, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.