There’s been some great news this week that has made it’s way onto the blog and various spots on the website:

Senator Wyden held hearings on the East Side Old Growth Bill, The Obama administration defended the 2001 Roadless Rule against development interests in a Denver courtroom, and thanks to the help of hundreds of our supporters the Forest Service called a meeting that we hope will be the beginning of a meaningful collaborative process to scale back the destructive DBug Timber Sale.

However, we are also aware of a pair of genuinely sad events that ought to be shared as well.

Earlier this week, a school teacher from Pennsylvania was found dead in Chignik Alaska.  The investigation is still ongoing; however it appears as though she may have been killed by a pack of wolves.  This is sad news indeed, and we expect you’ll hear a fair bit about it in the coming weeks, months, and maybe years – mostly because if confirmed this would be such a staggeringly rare incident.
 
If in fact she was killed by wolves, this would be the first confirmed incident of a human being killed by healthy wild wolves in the United States since before the turn of the last century.  It would be, at most, the second in all of North America in the same time period (a death in Canada in 2005 was officially attributed to wolves, but many still have their doubts).  Honest wolf advocates have never shied away from the fact that wolves are predators that do kill for food and that they do have the tools to kill humans. 

That this would be the first death attributed to wolves in well over a century is certainly of little solace to the effected family.  However, when assessing the risks we face in day to day life, being killed by wolves is far less than being struck by lightening, getting hit by a car, falling off a ladder, or being attacked by your neighbors dog.

Somewhat closer to home, we were sad to see the search for Katherine Huether called off.  Many of you have seen the news stories about Katherine’s disappearance while hiking in the Columbia River Gorge.  Many folks are still optimistic about her safe return, but that the search was called off is certainly an unwelcomed and disheartening sign.  Katherine has volunteered for Oregon Wild in the past so the sad news has hit home here as well. 

When asked what constituted a successful climb, the world’s foremost mountain climber, Ed Viesturs once responded – “it’s any climb that’s a round trip…where I make it back home safely”.  While none of us are on the level of Ed Viesturs, all of us here at Oregon Wild are avid outdoor enthusiasts and we lead hundreds of people out on the trail each year as part of our outdoors program. 

Leading hikes, and leaving home always has inherent risks.  Sometimes being cautious and conscientious isn’t enough to avert accidents.  However, when tragedy does strike, it is a good reminder to take every reasonable precaution when going out into the great outdoors.  Just as you ought to buckle your seatbelt for the ride to the trailhead (probably the most dangerous part of the journey), be sure to plan ahead and prepare yourself for your trip, tell someone where you are going or better yet go with a partner, treat wildlife and nature with respect, and remember when in doubt call it off and live to hike another day.

We are sorry for the tragedy these two losses represent.  However, I’d argue going for a run in the woods, taking a day hike to a place of solitude, and living in a landscape where top predators still exist is a positive.  We should minimize our risks, but also keep them in perspective.