Ask Obama to Protect the Chetco and South Kalmiopsis from Mining

The National Wild and Scenic Chetco River is a world class fishery, flowing from the Kalmiopsis Wilderness to the spectacular Wild Rivers Coast. It was designated a Wild and Scenic River in 1988 in recognition of its strikingly clear blue and emerald green waters, wild salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout populations. The river is now threatened by a proposal to mine nearly half its length using suction dredges - on public lands.

Rough and Ready Creek is a prime example of the botanical diversity for which the Siskiyou Mountains are globally recognized. It flows through the South Kalmiopsis Roadless Area, the Rough and Ready Creek Botanical Area and an Area of Critical Environmental Concern.  It hosts the highest number of rare endemic plants in Oregon and in 2004, the Bush administration proposed much of this area as Wilderness additions to the Kalmiopsis. It is also an eligible Wild and Scenic River.

In November 2009, Oregon Senators Wyden and Merkley and Congressman DeFazio asked the Obama Administration to reinstate a Clinton-era mining withdrawal in the Siskiyou Wild Rivers area. Due to immediate threats, they specifically requested immediate withdrawal of the Chetco River, Rough and Ready Creek and the South Kalmiopsis from mining. This action was requested in order to reserve time for legislative solutions. To date the Secretaries have not acted.

On April 7, the Oregonian wrote in their editorial "Slow down the gold rush," that, "The ultimate solution in the Siskiyous is congressional expansion of wilderness and wild and scenic river protections, if not a national monument or park designation. However, getting those kind of lasting protections in place takes time, and with a growing number of mining conflicts, including threats of violence, the Chetco and other streams in the Siskiyous don't have that kind of time."

TAKE ACTION: It is time for the administration to act. For decades this area has been recognized as a valuable public asset and in need of protection. The entire Siskiyou Wild Rivers area deserves special designation-such as Wilderness, National Monument or National Park. Today we have an opportunity to protect part of this area that is imminently threatened by mining.

Click here to send a quick auto-email to the Obama Administration asking that they implement a withdrawal from the 1872 Mining Law for the Wild and Scenic Chetco River, Rough and Ready Creek and South Kalmiopsis.

For more information, click here to visit the "Save Our Chetco River" website.

Click here for background documents on the Chetco and mining withdrawal.