Conservation Northwest

ConservationNW-Newsletter-Fall2013

Conservation Northwest protects and connects old-growth forests and other wild areas from the Washington Coast to the British Columbia Rockies, vital to a healthy future for us, our children, and wildlife. Since 1989, Conservation Northwest has worke

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Inside Conservation Northwest Mitch Friedman Executive director, mitch@conservationnw.org View from the Director The long road home I started college as a Montana State Bobcat more than 30 years ago. It meant a lot to me to live in a state with an identity tied to charismatic mega-fauna like grizzly bears and wolverines. I finished college as a University of Washington Husky, moving to a place identified with salmon, giant trees, and spotted owls. Lewis and Clark wouldn't have recognized that distinction. Their West included big carnivores throughout. The ensuing scarcity of large carnivores in Washington was a consequence not of nature, but of what we might generously consider human error. Thankfully, errors can be corrected. Fifteen years ago, Conservation Northwest led a successful fight to save the wildlands of the Loomis State Forest, last bastion of Canada lynx in the Pacific Northwest. Had the Loomis been logged, the predator tide here may have continued its long ebb. Instead, it has reversed to flow back in. Today we celebrate the homecoming of these creatures. In the last five years, we've seen the return of wolves, wolverines, and fishers. Individuals of all three species are now residing in our state for the first time in more three human generations. Within five more years, we aim to add reintroduction of fishers into the Cascades, expanding beyond the forests of the Olympic Peninsula of today; restoration of lynx in the Kettle Range; and the beginning of grizzly bear recovery in the greater North Cascades and work recovering southwest BC's threatened grizzly bear populations, keeping the wildlife connections robust and strong. As with many changes, there can be a period of adjustment. Learning to live with wolves is a big deal, and Conservation Northwest has committed its resources to demonstrating peaceful coexistence. We now fund three range riders, successfully reducing conflict and keeping the peace, within the ranges of three of eastern Washington's wolf packs. That's what we mean as we celebrate a homecoming of our wildest animals. As these once-native species return to the landscape, so too does an important aspect of our history. The legacy we hand forward to the next generation is to leave this landscape wilder and more biologically intact than we found it. Thank you for doing your part. Keeping the Northwest wild Mitch Friedman. © Gary Ide Today we celebrate the homecoming of wildlife. In the last five years, we've seen the return of wolves, wolverines, and fishers. Within five more years, we will add more. Fall 2013 3

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