Facts, not rhetoric should guide management

The public lands on the Siskiyou Crest need better management, not overblown rhetoric.

Unfortunately, rhetoric has come to dominate the discussion about management of the remarkable Siskiyou Crest. In fact, if you listened to Rep. Greg Walden in Medford recently, you might be preparing for the arrival of the U.S. Calvary on the way to kick everyone out of the Rogue Valley.

For the past 15 years, KS Wild has worked to protect and restore the forests and watersheds of the Siskiyou Crest. Along the way, we have not only sought protection for public wildlands but also worked with landowners, federal managers, and even timber companies to advance sustainable forestry and restoration. Two years ago, we proposed that a national monument could be a way to protect the most pristine public lands while also encouraging restoration of the crumbling road system and forests that would benefit from thinning.

The proposal for the Siskiyou Crest is a starting place for discussion. KS Wild is not wedded to a monument as the only solution to the management issues on the Siskiyou Crest. There is no reason to believe a monument would be designated any time soon. Our elected leaders and the administration have already stated that no such management changes would occur without extensive public process. However, it is time to have useful conversations about the best management for this special area. To help us get back to reasonable debate, let's set the record straight on a few things.

Rhetoric around private property would scare most, if it were true. But the Siskiyou Crest proposal would in no way impact any private property or water rights. We never have, and never will, support the taking of private property or water rights. To illustrate, KS Wild is working with landowners to protect homes, farms and ranches from "eminent domain" seizure for the Liquefied Natural Gas Pipeline proposal that would pump imported fossil fuels across Southern Oregon to supply California's energy market.

So why did KS Wild propose a Siskiyou Crest National Monument?

Fire: Three different national forests in two different regions and a BLM district currently manage the Siskiyou Crest with no unified plan for fire and fuels management. We need integrated fire planning, fuels reduction and emergency response in rural communities.

Ecological Importance: The Siskiyou Crest sits at the center of the Klamath-Siskiyou region. The mountain ridges and river valleys in this region are some of the most spectacular in America and support hundreds of unique plants and animals. The Siskiyou Crest deserves cohesive, coordinated management that protects and highlights these world-class ecological qualities.

Forest Management: Decades of fire suppression, logging and overgrazing have taken a toll on the forests and watersheds of the crest. Yet the three national forests and one BLM district have widely different management strategies. A unified plan for these public lands could help prioritize and fund needed forest thinning and restoration activities.

Flexibility: Management on the Siskiyou Crest needs to be flexible. National monuments are all unique, including their designation and management plans (which have extensive public process). A monument on the crest could protect deserving lands and support active management on the areas in greatest need.

Roads: Unmaintained roads can be unsafe for the public, and crumbling roads are bad for water quality. The Forest Service just doesn't have the budget to maintain roads and trails, and the four different management units have no unified plan to prioritize road access to meet recreational and management needs.

Grazing: Irresponsible public land grazing on the crest is a big problem. Cows from the Klamath National Forest have annually trespassed onto allotments on the Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest for the past 30 years.

Economics: Public areas with a sustainable recreation emphasis are economic engines that improve the quality of life and make communities desirable for businesses and homeowners. Across the American West, counties with protected areas have stronger and more diversified economies than neighboring counties.

The "Stop the Land Grab" group has organized to fight a monument on the Siskiyou Crest. All land proposed as a monument is already federal land, so the concept of a land grab does not apply. However, on their website one statement is striking: "As residents of this region, we are well aware the Siskiyou Crest is an environmental gem. We wholeheartedly support sound environmental stewardship "…"

So do we! Maybe if we put the rhetoric aside, we can have an honest conversation about the Siskiyou Crest and leave this place better than we found it.

Joseph Vaile is campaign director for the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center.