Conservation Northwest

15 years of Northwest Ecosystem Alliance near national forests, by reducing the flammability of homes adjacent to wildfireprone ecosystems. For Derald, this was much more than a mere lobby trip, it was his first trip away from the Pacific Northwest, and his very first time to fly in a plane. However, with his easygoing, humorous disposition, our work on "the Hill" was great, and Derald proved to be quite a trooper. Any seasoned lobbyist will warn you to wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to do a lot of walking. The long, marbled floors of Congress can be hard on the body. Even more so for a guy Derald's size— especially since he was scheduled for knee surgery in the next month. Derald took it all in stride, slogging along to the various offices for meetings. And when he spoke in meetings, people listened. With his country-boy charm, sense of humor, and straightforward manner, Derald commanded the attention of everyone he spoke to, regardless of party lines. No eyes glazed over or glanced at the clock with Derald in the room. The DC adventure wasn't simply limited to our lobby work. DC is a mecca of international cultures and there were many ethnic restaurants to choose from. The first night we ate Ethiopian food—an exotic choice for anyone, particularly a small town fellow like Derald. But Derald was open to the strange and new experiences DC had to offer. He dug right in, but shook his head the entire time, declaring that he didn't dare tell his young daughters he ate dinner with his hands. The next evening when asked what he might want to eat for dinner, Derald replied with a smile, "Anything that requires a fork!" Collaboration Story: There's a Reason He's Called Red Regan Smith is conservation associate for NWEA working on westside forest protection and collaborative work. She lives in Bellingham. Recently a reporter from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer called me with an interest to write a story on the Gifford Pinchot Collaborative Group. It was the ten-year anniversary of the Northwest Forest Plan on April 13, and the progress of the Collaborative Group was an excellent anecdote to demonstrate the potential of the Plan, despite the criticism and rollbacks recently enacted by the Bush administration. Eager to share this story, I agreed to pull together a few members from the group and accompany the reporter on a field trip to look at the Cat Creek Thin, our collaborative restoration project. The field trip was going well, with several us, including our most colorful, resident old-timer, Red Rogers, in attendance. Red has roamed the forests of the Gifford Pinchot for ages, hunting elk, deer and turkeys, and earning a good living as a logger. In his early years, he operated steam-driven logging machinery, and I tease him that he never did get all that hot air out of his system. Red has watched the rise and fall of the timber industry in his town, and has lived through both the prosperity and the poverty. Randle was once the second largest timber producing community in the country, falling just behind the town of Packwood, a mere 15 miles up the road. Red has taken to calling me "sis" and I like to think that we have somehow spanned the five decades that separate us to reach an understanding and respect for each other's points of view. However, Red wouldn't be Red without some mischievous antic up his sleeve, and so it was that day in the field. Around lunch time, we all agreed that the Grove of the Matriarchs, an ancient cedar grove rising elegantly beside East Canyon Creek, would be the perfect picnic spot. As I sat amiably chatting with the reporter about the joys and challenges of collaboration, Red took an ax out of his truck and began chopping off bark from a 500-year-old Doug fir. Keeping the Northwest wild Ellen Trescott, Red Rogers, and John Squires of the Gifford Pinchot Collaborative Working Group. Regan Smith Summer 2004 21

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