News
Eugene Register-Guard
Editorial
September 11, 2007
Protect Copper Salmon: Bill would designate 13,700 acres as wilderness
The Copper Salmon area has too long been an afterthought when it comes to Oregon wilderness legislation, so it's fitting that U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and Congressman Peter DeFazio have proposed designating this low-profile southwestern Oregon region as wilderness on its own considerable merits.
The two Oregon Democrats on Monday introduced the Copper Salmon Wilderness Act, which would set aside 13,700 acres of old-growth forest at the headwaters of the Elk River - an area that few Oregonians know about and even fewer have ever visited.
Therein lies the problem for Copper Salmon advocates who have no hope of matching the public support and awareness of other proposed Oregon wilderness additions, most notably Mount Hood, one of the state's leading destinations for tourism and recreation.
Adjacent to the existing Grassy Knob Wilderness Area, the Copper Salmon is nestled between Copper Mountain and Salmon Mountain in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. It contains one of the nation's largest remaining stands of low-elevation old-growth forest, including 300-foot tall Douglas firs, endangered Port Orford cedars and a wealth of wildlife, including elk, mountain lions and black bears.
The Copper Salmon should be a slam dunk for wilderness designation, if for no other reason that it would protect the historically prolific Elk River fishery from logging and development and ensure that its glorious runs of salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout survive to delight future generations of recreational and commercial fishermen.
The wilderness proposal has nearly universal support of south coast residents, the business community, the Curry County Board of Commissioners, the city of Port Orford, as well as a lengthy roster of environmental and hunting and fishing groups.
Because of the Copper Salmon's relatively small size, remote location and low profile, members of Oregon's congressional delegation have struggled to find the right strategy for gaining wilderness status for the area.
Many Copper Salmon wilderness supporters, including this newspaper, have urged that the Copper Salmon area be included in existing legislation, sponsored by Wyden and Sen. Gordon Smith, to protect 125,000 acres on and around Mount Hood as wilderness.
That still may offer the best chance for protecting the Copper Salmon. By introducing a stand-alone bill, Wyden and DeFazio have put the legislative ball in play and positioned themselves to either proceed with an independent bill or combine it with Mount Hood or other wilderness legislation - whatever option provides the best opportunity for success.
Senator Smith, who supported a 2006 proposal to designate the Copper Salmon as wilderness, should join Wyden in co-sponsoring the Senate bill and help make certain the Copper Salmon area soon is soon added to Oregon's wilderness inventory.