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Faith Leaders Stand Up for Mining Reform, River Protections in Southwest Oregon

Over 150 sign on to letter urging protections for the Siskiyou Wild Rivers

Signers say protecting rivers and wildlands from mining necessary to protect God's creation.

Saying that their faith compels them to speak out, 157 members of the Oregon religious community sent a letter today to federal land managers urging them to reform an outdated national mining law, and protect the Siskiyou Wild Rivers area of southwest Oregon. In the letter, prepared by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s Interfaith Network for Earth Concerns and others, the group calls the natural world “a gift not meant for destruction” and recognizes the 1872 Mining Law does not provide for sufficient care of the land.

In recent months, support for protecting the wildlands and rivers of southwest Oregon has been growing. The faith community letter comes on the heels of last month’s effort by 18 state legislators to urge the Department of Interior and U.S. Forest Service to withdraw the Siskiyou Wild Rivers from mining while Congress addresses broader mining reform.

“When you live in the midst of God’s beauty, you can’t help but to fight to defend it from misuse,” said Reverend Daniel Houghton of the Drain-Yoncalla United Methodist Church in Drain. “As stewards of the earth, we are called to use its resources for the benefit of all God’s creation.”

The growing movement to protect the Siskiyou Wild Rivers (known as Oregon’s Yellowstone because of its astoundingly biological diversity) comes amidst a drastic increase in mining activity. Since 2001, over 800 new mining claims have sprung up in the area. Some of the mining proposals threaten federally recognized Wild & Scenic Rivers like the Chetco. The Obama administration has been slow to act despite pressure from Sen. Ron Wyden, Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Peter DeFazio.

Oregon is not alone in facing threats from antiquated federal mining laws. Last year, the California legislature responded to an outbreak in suction dredge mining on sensitive northern California rivers by banning the practice in areas where salmon may be impacted. With the record-high price of gold, California miners have turned their sights to southern Oregon’s pristine streams. According to a recent Associated Press story, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued 1,205 suction dredge permits so far this year – a 30 percent increase from 2009. Similarly, permits issued to Californians number 85 this year, up 67 percent.

Oregon DEQ is currently working to draft new permitting guidelines for 2010. The old permit expired on June 30. State officials expect to have the new permit ready any day.

“The rivers, forests, and wildlife in our state do not belong only to us,” added Jenny Holmes, Environmental Ministries Director at Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. “They belong to a greater community and to future generations. We have an obligation to care for what God gave us so that it may be revered by those who follow.”

Read a copy of the letter.

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