Juniper Group News Headlines

American Avocet, Photo by Marilyn Miller

Wildcat Timber Sale Withdrawn!!

More Great News! The Umatilla National Forest withdrew the Wildcat timber sale decision on the eve of the Forest Service legal response to our lawsuit due in Federal Court. Similar to Cobbler and Farley (see below), which were withdrawn under appeals, the victory is likely a temporary reprieve that we will have to challenge once again after the Forest Service conducts new public NEPA processes – subject to new comment and appeal periods and subsequent legal review in federal court(s) – unless their logging plans are significantly revised to incorporate the recommendations of credible scientific research and the ecological needs of the forests, wildlife, and fish. Read the entire Wildcat Withdrawal News Release. For a description of the Wildcat timber sale and why it was appealed, go to the Umatilla NF page. (11-16-09)

Farley Timber Sale Withdrawn!

Great News! The District Ranger of the North Fork John Day Ranger District, Umatilla National Forest, issued a statement withdrawing the Farley logging project during the week of October 19th. This withdrawal followed the appeal of this timber sale by the Sierra Club and the Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project, with the assistance of the Crag Law Center and Oregon scientists. For more information on this good news, read the Farley Withdrawal News Release. For all the details on this project and on the appeal, go to our Umatilla NF page, North Fork John Day Ranger District section. (10-23-09)

Cobbler Timber Sale Withdrawn!

Decision Notice for proceeding with this project has been withdrawn by the Umatilla National Forest on August 17th. This is likely a prelude to conducting a full NEPA evaluation, one of our requests. So, a temporary reprieve for the forest!

The Oregon Chapter Sierra Club, jointly with Blue Mountains Biodiversity Project and the Hells Canyon Preservation Council, on July 2nd appealed to the District Ranger the Cobbler Timber Sale Decision Notice. This appeal was based on the Club's assessment that the decision contained the numerous failings that pose a threat to the health of the forests and the environment. A summary of these failings can be read on the Umatilla National Forest page. The full text of the appeal can be read at Cobbler Timber Sale Appeal. (8-18-09)

"Lords of Nature: Life in a Land of Great Predators" Documentary Film and Discussion

Juniper Group October Meeting A Success

Thanks to all of your who attended and to our panelists Clair Kunkel, Dick Waring, and Asante Riverwind. Both the film and panel question and answer period were very informative and stimulating. The information on "Lords of Nature" has been moved to a new page Oregon Predators,, so take a look there for the web links and other predator information. (10-14-09)

Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan Revision and Resort Remapping

The Deschutes County Comprehensive Plan is the blueprint for future county development. It determines how and where destination resorts can be built, how our groundwater and river resources are used, what regions must be preserved for wildlife, etc. The County Commission has directed the county planning department to undertake the first revision to this core planning document in decades. It may be just as long before the next revision is done. So it is critically important that the Comp Plan reflect modern realities and changing mores in our county.

Juniper Group Sierra Club urges members to get involved. We are working to assure the County incorporates new principles and language into this strategic document, to bring the County in line with current environmental science and conservation practices. We will be watch dogging the process to assure that new recommendations on wildlife management from state and federal agencies are adopted, that further degradation of natural resources is prevented, and that Deschutes County adopt smart growth practices.

For more on this issue, visit our Destination Resorts page. To volunteer, contact: Merry Ann Moore, merryann@bendcable.com, 541.549.2468 (9-21-09)

Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and Crooked River National Grassland Release Travel Management Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement

The Forest Service and Crooked River National Grasslands have jointly released a Travel Management Project draft Environmental Impact Statement for public comment on October 9, 2009. This Travel Management Project will cover major portions of Deschutes, Jefferson, Crook, Klamath, Lake, Grant and Wheeler Counties in Oregon. The Travel Management Plan implements the 2005 Travel Management Rule reversee the previous rule that allowed off road travel anywhere, unless specifically prohibited, to prohibit off road travel everywhere, unless specifically allowed. Clearly, the content of the travel management Plan will have significant meaning to the forests, deserts, and grasslands of Central Oregon and to its citizens. The Forest Service has posted extensively information on this Travel Management Plan and the draft Environmental Impact Statement on its web site at Planning and Environmental Analysis- Travel Management Project. You are urged to carefully read the Forest Service and Grasslands proposals and provide your comments to Asante Riverwind. The Forest Service is holding a series of Open Houses around the region from October 20th through November 5th to explain the Travel Management Plan from their perspective. The locations and times for these hearing are posted on the Forest Service web site linked above, and are also posted on our Community Events page. (10-16-09)

West End OHV Project Appealed

This project includes 91,000 acres of National Forest System lands located on the west side of the Heppner Ranger District west of Forest Road 22 and consists of portions of the Upper Rock Creek, Wall Creek, and Lower John Day River-Kahler Creek watersheds. The agency has proposed designating 233 miles of roads for OHV use, including 207 miles for Class II vehicles. The Sierra Club has jointly appealed this project to the Forest Supervisor, Umatilla National Forest, jointly with the League of Wilderness Defenders - Blue Mountain Biodiversity Project, Grant County Conservationists, and Oregon Wild. The appeal requests withdrawal and/or significant modification of the decision that authorizes the designation of OHV trail systems The full text of this appeal can be read at West End OHV Project EA Appeal. A summary of this project and the appeal can be read on the Umatilla NF page.

Objection to West Tumbull Project Withdrawn

Agreement Reached with Forest Service Satisfies Several Key Concerns

The West Tumbull "Fuels Reduction" timber sale is a 4,500 acre timber sale located 10 miles west of Bend. The area includes the recreationally popular gateway to Tumalo Falls and the Tumalo/Skyliner Recreation Area. The final Environmental Assessment contained logging and related fuels reduction practices that do not follow the current science for wild/urban interface fire protection. Consequently, the Sierra Club filed the West Tumbull HFRA Objection. A meeting with the Bend-Fort Rock District Ranger resulted in modifications to the project that bring it much closer to the current science for fuels reduction projects. The text of the agreement can be read at West Tumbull Objection withdrawal Letter. More information on this project available on the Deschutes NF page. (9-10-09)

Forest Service Lava Rock OHV Project

Project Threatens to Create Huge Legal OHV Playground Surrounding Newberry Monument

The Forest Service has proposed creating an OHV trail system in the area east of US 97 essentially surrounding the Newberry National Monument on the west and south sides. See the article on the Deschutes NF page for a full description and why you need to add your voice in opposition. Additional area OHV information is available on our OHV page. (5-09-09)

Help Wanted - a Wild Juniper Journal Newsletter Editor

We need a newsletter editor to help publish three issues a year of the Wild Juniper Journal (paper copy, four pages). Software knowledge required: Adobe InDesign (software provided), Microsoft Word, and Adobe Acrobat. You will be responsible for contacting authors, compiling and selecting articles, editing and proofreading, and graphic design of the final layout. Depending on your experience, minimal time is required. Please contact Gretchen Valido at junipergrp@yahoo.com if you’d like to know more about becoming WJJ’s Editor. (4-01-09)