Conservation Northwest

15 years of Northwest Ecosystem Alliance arbitrary 12 percent cap on new set-asides, the process did result in a number of new protected areas being declared two years later. Throughout the process Evan and I kept up our outreach and scientific work, explaining constantly why 12 percent was not enough, and conferring with regional environmental non-governmental organizations on priority areas for protection. This story has a (somewhat) happy ending. That damned road now snakes alongside the Midge Creek Wildlife Management Area, and ends at the edge of West Arm Provincial Park. Like most of the 1994 protected areas in the Columbias, it's not everything we wanted. But as Joe Scott will tell you, we ain't done yet. NWEA is still actively campaigning to protect the Columbias, side by side with my organization ForestEthics and other regional partners. Thanks, NWEA, and here's to another 15 years. Fin: Whirlwind Tour for Salmon Brian Vincent was conservation director at NWEA from 1995 to 1997. He lives in California these days, where he works for animal rights. Eric Wittenbach and I pulled into Missoula close to midnight, exhausted from a non-stop drive from Seattle, hauling Fin, a 25-foot fiberglass salmon, on a boat trailer to Missoula, our first stop on a whirlwind tour across the US to raise awareness about the plight of imperiled species and to generate opposition. A noble cause, but all Eric and I could think about was finding a safe spot to park Fin for the night and catching some 'zzzs before showcasing the giant salmon the next day. As we looked for a good parking space, I turned into what was a dead-end road. As I attempted to turn the rig around, I heard a loud "snap"! Never having driven a vehicle pulling a trailer before I had torqued the trailer too far and broken the hitch that attached it to the van. At that moment it looked like the Endangered Salmon Adventure, instead of being a swimming success, was going to be a flop. As luck would have it though, we called on a couple of local environmentalists the next morning who put us in touch with a sympathetic welder. He had the trailer fixed by 11 o'clock the next morning and Fin was parked in Missoula's Caras Park by noon, attracting the local press and residents. Over a period of 20 days in 1995, Fin, the big fish, Eric, and I visited 29 cities in nearly 20 states, from Montana to New York. The 1995 "Endangered Salmon Adventure" sponsored by the Northwest Ecosystem Alliance took Fin to county fairs, aquaria, zoos, daycare centers, schools, universities, parks, shopping malls, and even the steps of the US Capitol. Fin and her message of protecting biodiversity received extensive media attention appearing in numerous newspapers, including the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Baltimore Sun, and many local press, as well as on local television and NBC's Nightly News. Wherever Fin went people took notice. She even received support from some unlikely folks. A logger at a rest stop in eastern Washington gave us the thumbs up after speaking with us. In a small town outside Cheyenne, a rancher saw Fin outside a restaurant where Eric and I were dining, came into the establishment to inquire who was towing the fish, and then paid for our dinners. Elderly women, toddlers, construction workers, and businessmen turned their heads when Fin arrived. The curious crawled into the 1,300 pound salmon's mouth to see a mural of endangered species and hear tapes of natural sounds such as the rush of a river. Nearly all who visited with us said they supported the Endangered Species Act and thanked us for spreading the word. Keeping the Northwest wild Greater Ecosystem Alliance view of the Pacific Northwest by ecosystem Fin swims into Bellingham. Gillian Vik Brian Vincent at the Sugarloaf timber sale protest in 1995. E Faryl Summer 2004 15

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