Range of Bull Trout in Oregon’s McKenzie River Indicates Improved River Health

Range of Bull Trout in Oregon’s McKenzie River Indicates Improved River Health

Posted by Trish Carroll, Pacific Northwest Region, U.S. Forest Service, on November 14, 2013 at 11:00 AM

Bull trout spawn in a spring of the Middle Fork Willamette River. They were transferred from the McKenzie River to historic habitats in the Middle Fork. (U.S. Forest Service)

The bull trout in the McKenzie River on the Willamette National Forest have a survival story to tell, thanks to U.S. Forest Service stewardship of local rivers and fresh, healthy sources of groundwater.

“We’re reintroducing the top predator back into the river ecosystem,” said Ray Rivera, the district fisheries biologist on the forest’s McKenzie River Ranger District. “Their presence means two things to us. First, because bull trout are very sensitive to environmental changes compared to other salmonid fishes, their existence means the river’s water quality is excellent and the physical quality of their habitat is also good. Second, since bull trout are the top predator and they are doing well this means the overall ecosystem is doing well. Their presence is an excellent barometer of a river’s health.”

Bull trout, which are actually a char, are a groundwater dependent species. They require the coldest and cleanest water in order to fulfill their life cycle, with stream temperatures between 39.2 to 50 degrees for spawning. Optimal fry growth occurs between 39.2 to 40.1 degrees.

Within the entire McKenzie River sub-basin, only five small stream segments – a total of less than six miles – meet these requirements and all are found on the district. These cold temperatures exist because of groundwater discharge and are one reason bull trout were able to hang on in the McKenzie River sub-basin while other sub-populations in the Willamette River basin became extinct.

However, the McKenzie is no longer the only habitat for bull trout. Their range has increased due to the forest’s efforts in the last 16 years to restore their habitat and re-introduce bull trout to their historic territory in the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. Now these splendid, groundwater-dependent species are living in ecosystems that better reflect their historic range because of cold water springs like those found in the McKenzie.

The McKenzie River at the base of Tamolitch Falls – meaning bucket in Chinook – flows during the spring runoff. Five miles downstream of Clear Lake, the falls was created when a lava flow dammed the McKenzie. (U.S. Forest Service)

Where does the cold groundwater come from? The source is young, porous basalt lava flows in the upper McKenzie River watershed.

“Volcanos erupted throughout the High Cascades region as recently as 1,500 years ago, leaving lava flows with a large network of underground fractures between the rocks,” said Gordon Grant, a fluvial geomorphologist with the agency’s Pacific Northwest Research Station. “Precipitation filtering from the surface collects in those fractures, creating a gigantic hydrological sponge. The McKenzie and other High Cascade rivers are fed by groundwater that literally springs out of the earth.”

By September, many western rivers that rely on snowmelt runoff are reduced to a trickle. But groundwater keeps systems like the McKenzie River robust with water temperatures ranging around 48 to 53 degrees. The temperature of the cold water springs in the McKenzie range between 39 and 44 degrees.

These very cold groundwater-fed streams where the fish spawn also benefit the main stem river by providing abundant, cold summer flows for adult and sub-adult bull trout that can tolerate temperatures up to 68 degrees. For example, Olallie Creek, with a constant 40 degrees year-around, provides a large influx of cold water to the McKenzie in the summer and allows bull trout to dwell in the entire river.

Bull trout associated with glacial melt water are in trouble. As glaciers recede due to climate change the cold water supply becomes less robust and may eventually disappear entirely. However, bull trout associated with cooler groundwater sources will fare much better in a warming climate.

A bull trout habitat in the upper McKenzie River is one of five segments in the McKenzie where bull trout can spawn. Most of the wood in the photo is material added during a U.S. Forest Service restoration and enhancement project. (U.S. Forest Service)

    

- See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2013/11/14/range-of-bull-trout-in-oregons-mckenzie-river-indicates-improved-river-health/#sthash.9FcmvKZG.dpuf

Mt. Hood Bicycle/Pedestrian Coalition

Mt. Hood Bicycle/Pedestrian Coalition

Organizers George Wilson and Petr Kakas held their first Mt. Hood Bike/Ped Coalition meeting at the Skyway Bar and Grill on Saturday; October 12, 2013. Attendees included representatives from the Mt. Hood Villages Board of Directors, Timberline Lodge and Skibowl, as well as permanent and part-time residents from Welches, Zigzag, Rhododendron, Brightwood and Government Camp. Discussion topics included mission statement, project goals and future funding.

The Mt. Hood Bike/Ped Coalition is an independent organization working as a subcommittee to the Villages at Mt. Hood Board of Directors.

Mission Statement:

                 

The Mt. Hood Bike/Ped Coalition will work proactively with local, state and federal government to develop a solid bicycle/pedestrian master plan for the Villages of Mt. Hood by developing strategies that include short, medium and long range plans to educate, promote and support safe access for cyclists and pedestrians.

Project Goals:

·       Advocate and seek funding for a Bicycle/Pedestrian a Master Plan, with safety being paramount.

·       Repair and improve our deteriorating roads to restore them to acceptable standards by eliminating pot holes and road defects that have become a danger to vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians.

·       Develop partnerships with like-minded organizations that understand the value of cycling tourism.

·       Provide future bike lanes and or bike/ped pathways that connect the villages of Mt. Hood.

·       Support Timberline Lodge, Skibowl and the National Forest Service in their efforts to build a well thought-out plan for an improved Mountain Bike Skills Park.

·       Plan and develop a paved bicycle pathway that parallels Hwy. 26, allowing cyclists to ride from Welches to Government Camp/Timberline Lodge, with the ultimate goal of making the connection to the Spring Water Corridor, connecting Portland to Mt. Hood via bicycle.

·       Improve existing mountain bike trails from Timberline Lodge/Skibowl to Welches.

·       Mt. Hood Bike/Ped Coalition Website listing project goals and accomplishments.

·       Social Media i.e. Facebook blog page

Mt. Hood Bike/Ped Coalition meetings will be held on a quarterly basis. Our next meeting will be in early January 2014, prior to the Villages at Mt. Hood Town Hall (time and date TBA in the near future) where we will formally announce our immediate project plans.

We encourage participation by any and all who are interested in making our community more sustainable and safe for cyclists, runners, joggers and pedestrians of all ages, especially our kids.

If you would like to be added to our membership list for updates and meeting schedules, please provide your contact information to George Wilson georgewilson@wavecable.com. We welcome all the community support we can muster. Our Mt. Hood Bike/Ped Coalition contact list includes 200+ people (and counting) who have expressed their interest in the Mt. Hood Bike/Ped Coalition. Come and see what we are all about!

George Wilson

Director

Villages at Mt. Hood Board of Directors

Why we live up here

Why your brain needs breaks from work

Jaymi Heimbuch
Living / Health
October 15, 2013

CC BY-NC 3.0 lindakowen

As if we really needed more science to tell us to take a break from work. We already know how important things like frequent walks, meditation sessions and yes, even naps, are for keeping our brain healthy. But we don't always listen to sage advice telling us to take it easy. We can often be a bit addicted to work, and fail to take these needed brain-breathers. So here is yet more science telling us why mental breaks are so important.

Scientific American reports:

In making an argument for the necessity of mental downtime, we can now add an overwhelming amount of empirical evidence to intuition and anecdote. Why giving our brains a break now and then is so important has become increasingly clear in a diverse collection of new studies investigating: the habits of office workers and the daily routines of extraordinary musicians and athletes; the benefits of vacation, meditation and time spent in parks, gardens and other peaceful outdoor spaces; and how napping, unwinding while awake and perhaps the mere act of blinking can sharpen the mind.

What research to date also clarifies, however, is that even when we are relaxing or daydreaming, the brain does not really slow down or stop working. Rather—just as a dazzling array of molecular, genetic and physiological processes occur primarily or even exclusively when we sleep at night—many important mental processes seem to require what we call downtime and other forms of rest during the day.

Downtime replenishes the brain’s stores of attention and motivation, encourages productivity and creativity, and is essential to both achieve our highest levels of performance and simply form stable memories in everyday life. A wandering mind unsticks us in time so that we can learn from the past and plan for the future. Moments of respite may even be necessary to keep one’s moral compass in working order and maintain a sense of self.

Here is some more reading on the benefits of resting the mind:

Study Links Meditation to Telomerase, An Anti-Age Enzyme
"They compared a group of 30 meditation retreat goers at the Shambhala Mountain Center in Colorado to a control group, those who didn't attend the retreat but who were on the wait list. The meditators, who spent six hours per day for three months meditating on their breath and loving-kindness, were found to contain about 30% more activity of an enzyme called telomerase than the wait listers."

Disconnecting Your Brain from Tech Can Reconnect It to Reality
"A group of five neurologists took a trip to Glenn Canyon National Recreation Area to find out what actually happens to our brains when we remove email, cell phones, text messages, televisions -- even watches -- from our field of vision and daily tasks. During the week-long experiment (that sounds like one of the world's best experiments to be a participant in) the neurologists rafted down the San Juan River, camping along the way, and analyzing how the heavy, perhaps even chronic, use of technology changes how we behave and how a retreat to reconnect with nature reverses the effects."

Study shows a walk in the park fixes a fuzzy brain
"Researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh used portable EEGs to monitor the brain activity of 12 healthy young adults. Different participants walked through different areas of Edinburgh -- one was an historic shopping district, one was a park-like setting, and one was a busy commercial district. You can guess which walkers were the least stressed and frustrated -- those in the park."

Want to Feel More Alive? Study Shows You Need to Go Outside
"Published in this month's issue of the Journal of Environmental Psychology, the study shows that getting out and communing with nature is better for feeling rejuvenated than reaching for the ever-so-urban cup of coffee. "Nature is fuel for the soul, " says Richard Ryan, lead author and a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. Both physically and mentally, we're zippier when we step into the wild."

Nature Makes Us Nicer People, New Study Says
"The University of Rochester reports what we all have been savvy to for awhile now, that seeing naturescapes helps reduces stress, and even having a window in a hospital room helps people recover more quickly. "While the salubrious effects of nature are well documented... this study shows that the benefits extend to a person's values and actions. Exposure to natural as opposed to man-made environments leads people to value community and close relationships and to be more generous with money, find [Richard] Ryan and his team of researchers at the University of Rochester."

source:  http://www.treehugger.com/health/why-your-brain-needs-breaks-work.html

Federal shut down of our forests and parks

The government has shut down a number of operations that require little or no oversight.  I'm assuming this is political - to force quicker agreement on the budget and debt ceiling.  But a number of citizens has lost money and had to change plans over minor budgetary dollars.

The following post is also important

Timber seeks injunction barring contract suspensions

October 16, 2013

By American Forest Research Counci
Timber Industry Seeks Injunction Barring Federal Government’s Suspension
of Timber Contracts
Purchasers of federal timber sales and stewardship contracts filed suit yesterday against the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). They are asking the Oregon Federal District Court to enjoin the agencies from suspending timber contracts during the government shutdown.
The American Forest Resource Council (AFRC), an industry trade association, joined an action brought by Murphy Company, High Cascade, Inc. and South Bay Timber, LLC.
“It makes zero sense for the cash strapped government to shut down operations that pay millions into the United States Treasury,” said Tom Partin, President of AFRC. “These companies employ loggers and truck drivers that need to be making money to feed their families. Getting logs out of the woods and into mill decks is especially important at this time of the year. Otherwise, these companies won’t be able to operate through the winter.”
Under contract law, the government cannot summarily stop timber operations. Contractors operate under harvest plans already approved by the agencies before ground work begins. As long as critical inspections are not needed, they can continue to work. Scheduled payments are made electronically, similar to those made by businesses making quarterly income tax payments.
“One of the purposes for these contracts is to improve forest health and reduce fuel for forest fires and protect federal and adjoining property. Issues of public safety in campgrounds and along roads are involved. Shutting down operations means these objectives won’t be met and things will get worse,” Partin said.
“A timber operation isn’t something you can turn on and off like a light switch. Once equipment has to be moved out, it can be months before it can be moved back in. For example, operators have waited through the fire season for helicopters to be available. If they can’t fly, they will start work on private contracts and it could be another year before they can come back. Meanwhile, downed timber rots on the ground,” Partin said.
“What is happening to our members is particularly frustrating when other businesses with contracts to operate on federal land, such as ski areas, are being allowed to continue working,” Partin said.
The National Forest System includes approximately 190 million acres of public land throughout the United States. The BLM administers approximately 264 million acres of public lands. A blanket, unwarranted suspension of revenue-generating timber operations on these vast acres will have a devastating effect on individuals dependent on the timber industry and will exacerbate the impact of the government shutdown on the nation’s economy.
Murphy Company employs over 500 people in its manufacturing facilities in Oregon and Washington. Timber from Forest Service and BLM contracts supplies over one-third of the raw material needs of its Oregon plants. High Cascade purchases timber from the Gifford Pinchot, Mt. Hood and Ochoco National Forests to supply mills in Carson, Washington and Hood River, Oregon. South Bay Timber currently has cutting rights under four stewardship contracts with the Forest Service and BLM on which it employs about 40 people.
AFRC is a regional trade association representing some 60 lumber, plywood and wood products manufacturers in California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Its members utilize public timber in their manufacturing operations. In many areas where its member mills are located, the national forests are a significant source of timber supply because there are few private lands.

Stand up for wildland firefighters, and a bill to do so

At the blog,  A NEW CENTURY OF FOREST PLANNING, our own Steve Wilent posted about a pending legislation in Congress to support our forest fire fighters.

His post includes a link to the legislation, an opinion piece by Lindon Pronto, and a link to a petition to show your support for the bill.

I already signed the petition and posted it on FB.  Please consider doing the same.

link  http://forestpolicypub.com/2013/10/15/stand-up-for-wildland-firefighters-and-a-bill-to-do-so/

Pro GMO Bill Passed by Oregon's Legislature

A Not-So-Special Result from the Oregon Legislature’s Special Session

The Oregon Legislature convened on September 30 for what was supposed to be a one-day session to resolve some matters related to PERS and revenue reform. As many of you no doubt heard, the process was tarnished by the last-minute addition of a bill to remove local control of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and genetically engineered (GE) crops. The Sierra Club was dismayed by this development, but we worked with our allies to try and stop that bill. Unfortunately, because it was attached to the must-pass package of spending bills, the bill went through anyway (our coalition’s statement upon passage is below). While that result was certainly disappointing, we do hope that the Governor’s promise to meaningfully address the issues at a statewide level will bring about some real action on the regulation and labeling of GMOs in Oregon.
—————————————————————————————–
October 2, 2013
The rights of farmers to protect their crops from unwanted GMO contamination and the rights of consumers to make informed purchases should never have been at issue during a special session dealing with PERS and revenue reform. Trading away environmental protections in unrelated legislative negotiations is an all too common practice that’s bad for not just democracy but also the people of Oregon. Unfortunately, the PERS and revenue reform package included SB 863, which prohibits local communities from taking action to address issues related to their food and agriculture system, including conflicts related to genetically modified organisms.
While we strongly opposed SB 863 and its inclusion in the unrelated legislative package, we are encouraged by the governor’s commitment to making real, substantive progress on GMO issues across Oregon.
The governor committed to developing a statewide policy that prevents GMO contamination of non-GMO crops under existing Department of Agriculture authority by June 2014. He will also convene a special task force that will provide expert recommendations on state policy and on legislation that will be introduced in 2015 to address liability and compensation issues related to GMO contamination and consumers’ right to know what’s in their food.
While the legislature should never have agreed to remove the ability of local communities to have a say on GMO issues that affect them, we’re looking forward to working with both the governor and legislative leaders in creating a robust statewide policy that seeks to prevent GMO contamination, address compensation for farmers affected by GMO contamination, and protect Oregonians’ rights to make informed food purchasing decisions.
–
Oregon Environmental Council
Oregon League of Conservation Voters
Friends of Family Farmers
Organically Grown Company
Oregon Tilth
Sierra Club

Offbeat Oregon: Oregon's wandering timber town

an interesting piece about logging in central Oregon before and during the Depression

By Finn J.D. John
Special to the News-Register 

The U.S. Post Office inspector was puzzled. He’d just arrived at the tiny logging-company town of Shevlin, deep in the ponderosa pine woods south of Bend — and found it gone.

Shade trees still towered over manicured home sites. A stray whiff drifted in the wind from an open pit where an outhouse once had stood. 

And on the spot where he’d expected to find the Shevlin Post Office, there was nothing but the bare outline of a building.

The entire town of 600 was gone, as if abducted by aliens.

link to the rest of the article http://www.newsregister.com/article?articleTitle=offbeat-oregon-oregon-s-wandering-timber-town--1380563414--9599--