Thursday, October 29, 2009 Senator Murray on Alpine Lakes Legislation By Michael LanthierTaking a step towards permanent protection of the Pratt and Middle Fork River Valleys, Senator Murray (D-WA) submitted testimony at a hearing of the Public Lands and Forests subcommittee urging her colleagues to support the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act (S. 721).Read her press release and testimonial below:FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:Murray Press Office(202) 224-2834Thursday, October 29, 2009 Murray Continues Push for Alpine Lakes Wilderness Protection at Senate Hearing(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Murray submitted testimony at a hearing of the Public Lands and Forests subcommittee urging her colleagues to support legislation she introduced that would expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and designate both the Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers as Wild and Scenic. Murray’s bill, S. 721, the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers... Read More

Volcano Country Wild Rivers Campaign Washington's legendary volcanoes - Mount St. Helens, Mount Rainier and Mount Adams - are the source of wild, free-flowing rivers and streams that rush through deep gorges and basalt canyons on their way to the Columbia River. Major portions of the most unique and wild rivers in Volcano Country have no permanent protection from new hydropower, water storage dams, or other harmful projects. Protecting the wild rivers of southwest Washington's Volcano Country under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act - the strongest protection we can give to rivers - would permanently safeguard this region's unique and treasured natural heritage.Healthy rivers will be more precious than ever in the face of climate change. Free-flowing rivers with intact riparian corridors will be much more resilient to the pressures of a changing climate and will provide important benefits such as flood control and critical refuges for fish and... Read More

Conservation Alliance grantee Wilderness Support Center reports that Rep. John Salazar introduced legislation today that would protect 61,000 acres of Wilderness in the San Juan mountains of Colorado. The legislation would expand the existing Mt. Sneffels and Lizard Head Wilderness Areas, establish the McKenna Peak Wilderness in western San Miguel County, create the Sheep Mountain Special Management Area along the alpine ridge between San Miguel and San Juan Counties, and prohibit oil and gas development in Naturita Canyon near Norwood.

Click here for the full press release from Congressman Salazar.

Many of you remember seeing Bill McKibben speak at The Conservation Alliance Breakfast last January. His talk focused on 350.org, an international movement to convince climate treaty negotiators in Copenhagen in December to push for a treaty that will bring atmospheric CO2 levels down to 350 parts per million. The organization organized an international day of action on October 24. Here is video of McKibben talking about the day, and next steps.

 Tongass National Forest:  Our Tongass National Forest is a unique national treasure that we must safeguard for future generations with smart action now. Our Tongass warrants the same protections we have given other national gems like our Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone.  The future of our Tongass depends on all of us.  With every year we wait, more of the old growth forest and rare ecosystem it supports could be lost to unsustainable and short-sighted clearcut logging and road construction.We are at a critical juncture. Much of the most productive old growth with the largest trees has already been lost, yet nowhere else on earth does so much remain vibrant, healthy and wild. Unfortunately, too much of the most valuable fish and wildlife habitat remains open to clearcut logging. Additionally, pending legislation in Congress would continue controversial patterns of the past.The future is ours to shape. Alaska Wilderness League and the Alaska Coalition are... Read More

Recent press on the budget cuts impact on the Adirondacks/environmental funding. http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2009/10/what-patersons-proposals-mean-for.html ... Read More

Our Tongass National Forest is a unique national treasure that we must safeguard for future generations.  Nowhere else on earth does so much old growth forest remain vibrant, healthy and wild.  Unfortunately, too much of the most valuable fish and wildlife habitat remains open to clearcut logging.   Congress is currently considering legislation that would hand over public lands with high ecological and community values to a private corporation for intensive clearcut logging.  It's the wrong way forward.  Please take action today.... Read More

Conservation Alliance co-founder The North Face has teamed up with 350.org to raise awareness about global warming. Specifically, TNF is supporting 350.org's effort to convince negotiators at the upcoming climate summit in Copenhagen, Denmark to develop a treaty that calls for reducing atmospheric CO2 levels to 350 parts per million. Check out TNF's creative "Pass it On" video. I'm told that nearly every TNF employee worldwide is in the video. Cool stuff!

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Please write, call, fax to save dedicated funding for land acquisition.http://www.adirondackcouncil.org/EPFaa_1009.pdf ... Read More

*TONGASS: Our Tongass National Forest is a unique national treasure that we must safeguard for future generations with smart action now. Our Tongass warrants the same protections we have given other national gems like our Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone.  The future of our Tongass depends on all of us.  With every year we wait, more of the old growth forest and rare ecosystem it supports could be lost to unsustainable and short-sighted clearcut logging and road construction.  Alaska Wilderness League  and the Alaska Coalition are committed to protecting the Tongass National Forest - a national treasure – to ensure that our Tongass remains a place of wild majesty. Though our Tongass has been carelessly clear-cut in the past and lasting damage has been done to essential habitat, there is much we can do to conserve its last remaining old growth and restore critical fish and wildlife habitat. Alaska Wilderness League is working... Read More

*TONGASS: Our Tongass National Forest is a unique national treasure that we must safeguard for future generations with smart action now. Our Tongass warrants the same protections we have given other national gems like our Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone.  The future of our Tongass depends on all of us.  With every year we wait, more of the old growth forest and rare ecosystem it supports could be lost to unsustainable and short-sighted clearcut logging and road construction.  Alaska Wilderness League  and the Alaska Coalition are committed to protecting the Tongass National Forest - a national treasure – to ensure that our Tongass remains a place of wild majesty. Though our Tongass has been carelessly clear-cut in the past and lasting damage has been done to essential habitat, there is much we can do to conserve its last remaining old growth and restore critical fish and wildlife habitat. Alaska Wilderness League is working... Read More

After years of dedicated effort, Conservation Alliance grantee WaterWatch succeeded in its effort to remove the Savage Rapids Dam from Oregon's Rogue River. Crews completed the removal project -- ahead of schedule -- on October 10 at 11 AM. The Rogue now runs free for 153 miles. Check out the two videos below. The first is a compilation of the final day of the actual removal. The second chronicles the first drift boat run through the new Savage Rapids, where the dam once stood. Congratulations WaterWatch!

The final removal:

The first run:

On September 30, the US Senate unveiled its climate change legislation.  New York's Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who is considered a strong supporter of the bill, was at the event announcing its introduction.  Now we need Senator Gillibrand to use her important position as a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee to ensure that the bill also addresses acid rain and mercury, which have harmed the Adirondack Park for over 30 years.  Please take a few moments to call  Senator Gillibrand's Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-4451.  Let the person who answers the phone know that you want the Senator to improve the climate change bill by adding provisions that reduce the levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, the ingredients of acid rain, as well as mercury.   ... Read More

September 10, 2009 marked the beginning of the fall bear trophy hunt season.  Pacific Wild continues to urge the provincial government to stop this scientifically indefensible and unethical hunt.  Progress is being made but we need your help. To learn more about this issue visit www.pacificwild.org. British Columbia, Canada is host to the 2010 Winter Olympics.  Contact the government of British Columbia and the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games-let them know that you will consider avoiding the Games as long as trophy bear hunting continues in the Great Bear Rainforest. Please visit our Take Action page to find out more about how you can help.... Read More

Washington State Closing in on New Wild and Scenic River DesignationsIn partnership with the Conservation Alliance, American Rivers is working to protect hundreds of miles of wild rivers through Wild and Scenic River designation in the North Cascades. Here are just some of the rivers we are working on and why they are so deserving of Wild and Scenic protection: The Middle Fork Snoqualmie River is only 45 minutes from Seattle and provides outstanding hiking, fishing, camping, paddling, and mountain biking for thousands of people virtually in their backyard. The Pratt River is truly unique because it is one of the very few low-elevation valleys near Seattle that still retains much of its wild character.  It offers remote hiking experiences with a high degree of solitude, and critical low-elevation winter habitat for wildlife. Illabot Creek, a key tributary to the Skagit River, is one of the most important producers of... Read More

Conservation Alliance grantee California Trout reports that a deal was reached last week to remove four dams on the Klamath River, and restore 300 miles of important salmon habitat. Cal Trout was a party to the negotiations, which would result in the largest dam removal in US history. The Klamath dams are widely blamed for a massive salmon die-off in 2002. If implemented, this agreement will lead to the dam owners -- PacifiCorp -- removing the four structures beginning in 2020.

Click here for the full story from the San Francisco Chronicle.