For Immediate Release: October 13, 2005

For More Information Contact:
Dr. Dominick A. DellaSala, WWF - (541) 482-4878; 541-621-7223 (cell)
Dr. James Strittholt, Conservation Biology Institute - (541) 757-0687
Erik Fernandez, Oregon Natural Resources Council - (503) 283-6343ext202

New Study: Federal Roadless Policy Threatens Clean Water, Old-Growth Forests, and Wild Salmon

Portland/Medford - A new study released today provides the first comprehensive evaluation of the importance of Oregon's 2 million acres of unprotected roadless forest lands for clean drinking water, old-growth forests, salmon recovery and a host of other ecological and economic values. More than 500,000 acres of pristine forestlands are located within municipal drinking watersheds in the state and help supply clean drinking water to cities such as Bend, Ashland, and Pendleton. More than 800,000 acres of old-growth forests are located in roadless areas that lost protection from development when the Bush Administration repealed the popular Roadless Area Conservation Rule last May.

"The science is clear about roadless areas being our best hope at holding the line on what little we have left of Oregon's natural heritage, as most of the state has been logged and roaded repeatedly, " said Dr. Dominick A. DellaSala, a forest ecologist with the World Wildlife Fund. "This is exactly why we are supporting Governor Kulongoski's efforts to seek protections for Oregon's remaining 2 million acres of federal roadless lands triggered by the Bush Administration's state petitioning process for roadless protections," said DellaSala.

Thousands of miles of roads criss-cross Oregon's forests and watersheds, contributing to fish and wildlife habitat degradation, erosion and sediment runoff into streams, spread of invasive exotic plants, and elevated fire risks through human-caused fires.

"Oregon's roadless areas are among the most important lands in the nation as they contain pristine areas ranging from old-growth forests and grasslands to wetlands and high deserts, and they provide important habitat for many threatened and endangered species, including the northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, and salmon," said Dr. James Strittholt, Executive Director of the Conservation Biology Institute based in Corvallis, Oregon.

According to Erik Fernandez of the Oregon Natural Resources Council, "Oregon's remaining roadless wildlands are some of the best places in the state to get outdoors to hike, camp, hunt, and fish. Backcountry recreation is becoming more and more important to our economy and our families, and we can't afford to lose these roadless forests." This includes roadless areas from such popular destinations as Mount Hood to the back country of the Blue Mountains and the diverse Kalmiopsis roadless forests in southwest Oregon.

The report was based on computer mapping assessments using published and federal databases and satellite imagery. Other key findings include:

• 643,000 acres of Oregon's roadless areas are in key salmon watersheds and wild salmon strongholds critical to the success of Oregon's salmon plan. Examples of where roadless watersheds are especially important to wild salmon include the Elk River and Illinois River watersheds along the Southern Oregon Coast and southwest Oregon, respectively.
• Oregon's roadless areas are a living smorgasbord of fish and wildlife habitat, including old-growth forests, native grasslands, coastal dunes, free-flowing rivers, oak savannas, mountain glaciers, sagebrush deserts, and canyonlands that make up Oregon's nationally significant undeveloped landscapes.
• Roadless areas provide habitat for black bear, elk, fisher, marten, gamebird species, woodpeckers, and many threatened species such as salmon.
• Roadless areas are among the places Oregonians cherish most for hiking, camping, fishing and hunting and are a foundation of Oregon's scenic beauty and high quality of life.
• Roadless lands have relatively lower fire risks as they are least likely to have experienced fire suppression effects (due to their higher elevation and relative remoteness) and less likely to have altered fire regimes more typical of heavily logged and roaded landscapes.

National interest in roadless area conservation dates back to the 1970s when the Forest Service was directed by Congress to inventory roadless areas in response to the public's growing concern for their protection. In 2001, President Clinton enacted the Roadless Conservation Rule to protect 58.5 million acres of inventoried roadless areas on Forest Service lands, including nearly 2 million acres in Oregon. The Bush administration overturned the roadless rule last May, initiating an uncertain process whereby state governments can petition the Secretary of Agriculture for protections.

Oregon joined the states of California and New Mexico in challenging the Bush Administration's ruling. Conservation groups are calling on Governor Kulongoski to protect Oregon's nearly 2 million acres of national forest roadless lands by any means available.

Copies of the report are available at: http://consbio.org/cbi/pubs/indexLegacy.htm