Category Archives: Oregon Conservation News

Congressmen Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer recently proposed an “Oregon Treasures” bill that would add 132,000 acres of wilderness, 34,550 acres of recreation area and 80 miles of wild and scenic river designations to the Mount Hood National Forest as … Continue reading →

The proposed Copper-Salmon Wilderness area in the headwaters region of the Elk River in southern Oregon came another step closer to becoming a reality yesterday.  The bill came out of committee in the House of Representatives as a clean bill with … Continue reading →

Two pieces of Oregon salmon news this week. First, Oregon fisheries managers say it’s likely that anglers will be facing tighter restrictions this year in light of the dismal chinook returns predicted for the Pacific Northwest. According to an article … Continue reading →

There was a great article by former Oregon governor John Kitzhaber in the Oregonian last week, calling for more protection on the Rogue River. While the lower Rogue has a narrow strip of protection along the river’s edge, it is … Continue reading →

Our own Karl “One Mule Team” Mueller is taking on the whole damn Bonneville Power Administration on his personal blog. In the final installment of his series on removing the Lower Snake River Dams, The Mule gets into a monster … Continue reading →

A recent application by Chetco River Mining & Explorations, LLC proposes to mine for gold between river miles 14 and 38 on the Chetco River in southern Oregon including sites within the Kalmiopsis Wilderness and Federal Wild and Scenic designated … Continue reading →

For those of you that fish the Elk and Sixes rivers in Southwest Oregon, I’m sure you’ve been following the Sportsmen for Copper-Salmon Wilderness campaign to protect the Elk River’s headwaters. This wilderness proposal has support from both of Oregon’s senators … Continue reading →

The Medford Mail Tribune reported today that Jackson County received a $100,000 grant to study the composition of sediment behind the century old Gold Ray dam. This is a necessary first step in determining whether to notch, remove or improve … Continue reading →

Check out the March/April 2008 issue of Northwest Fly Fishing magazine, on newstands now. Chip O’Brien wrote an article on Willamette Valley coastal cutthroat fishing, much of which deals with fishing the lower McKenzie River. And the conservation section features … Continue reading →

Traditionally, coastal rivers in the state of Oregon were stocked with one strain of steelhead, the standard Alsea stock. The Alsea hatchery stock is an early returning fish known affectionately as the “Alsea ugly.” But each strain of steelhead is … Continue reading →

ODFW reports that next month the agency will partner with Oregon State University to begin a six-month study of large redband trout in the Blitzen River in southeastern Oregon. The Blitzen River, which flows off Steens Mountain through the Malheur … Continue reading →

The Snake River was once the most prolific producer of spring/summer chinook in the Columbia basin averaging 1.5 million of those fish per year.  In addition to spring/ summer chinook the basin supported fall chinook, coho, steelhead and a strong sockeye run.  … Continue reading →