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Oregon's Yellowstone and Global Warming
Oregon's Yellowstone and its role in global climate change
Siskiyou Wild Rivers
Global Warming
As the climate changes and temperatures warm, plants and animals will have to migrate either northward or up in elevation. This area has an elevation span from near sea level to 5,000 ft. Not only does this area provide for elevational maneuvering, but it also provides 50 miles of connected north-south habitat. Oregon's Yellowstone provides the only intact large tract of habitat along the Pacific Coast from the Olympics to south of San Francisco(map).
Wildlife 
The Siskiyou Wild Rivers host coho, spring and fall chinook salmon, summer and
winter steelhead, as well as sea-run cutthroat and coastal rainbow
trout. Rising temperatures from climate change pose a risk to our rivers in several ways. Most species of fish in Oregon prefer cold clear waters. Changes in precipitation patterns could also affect water levels that affect fish populations and salmon spawning. Protecting the rivers, and in particular the adjacent forests that shade the rivers, will be critical in keeping river water at healthy temperatures for fish.
On land and in the air this area is home to bald eagles, northern spotted owls, salamanders, Roosevelt elk, and black bear.
Oregon Wild's report on global warming and northwest forests
Photos: Rancherie Creek (Rolf Skar), frog on Darlingtonia (Karen Phillips)
