930 acres along the PCT protected in the “Galapagos of North America”

Another portion of the Pacific Crest Trail once held by a private timber company in Southern Oregon is now permanently protected.

Late last week the Conservation Fund announced that it transferred 930 acres once owned by the Hancock Timber Resource Group to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for protection as part of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. The monument now includes about 61,700 acres.

“Partnerships with organizations such as The Conservation Fund are vital to the Pacific Crest Trail Association’s work to fully protect the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail,” said Ian Nelson, PCTA Regional Representative in Southern Oregon and Northern California. “In addition, PCTA’s strong working relationship with the BLM in Southern Oregon has helped to make acquisition of lands that include sections of the Pacific Crest Trail a high priority.”

Located at the intersection of the Cascade Range, Siskiyou Mountains and Klamath Mountains, the landscape of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument encompasses a diverse array of landscapes, from the high, dry deserts of the Great Basin to the wet, lower-elevation forests of the Pacific Coast. The monument has been called the “Galapagos of North America” because it supports a staggering 3,500 plant and wildlife species, many of which are found nowhere else on earth.

Money for the land purchase came from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a federal land protection program that receives funds from the development of federally owned offshore oil and gas leases. No taxpayer dollars are used to support the LWCF, which has been protecting forests, natural resources, state and local parks and recreation areas since 1965. The fund is up for reauthorization in 2015 and PCTA, along with other trail groups from across the country, support its renewal.

The LWCF is an important tool in permanently protecting the PCT. Despite its designation as a National Scenic Trail, more than 200 miles of the PCT still remains privately held. Between 2000 and 2013, the U.S. Forest Service received nearly $21 million for PCT-related land purchases. For 2015, federal land managers are seeking another $4.9 million for the purchase of five PCT-related parcels in California, Oregon and Washington.

Oregon’s two U.S. senators both released statements praising the recent land deal.

“Today’s land transfer means that the project to increase public lands at the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument — which is truly one of Oregon’s special places — is more than halfway complete,” said Sen. Ron Wyden. “Conserving this land within the monument means more opportunities for hikers, hunters and the rest of Southern Oregon’s robust recreation economy.”

Sen. Jeff Merkley, called the monument one of America’s most treasured ecological places.

“This land transfer will help conserve this area for future generations,” Merkley said in a release. “This will help provide protected habitat for many native plants and animals, and also provide new recreation opportunities for Southern Oregon. Preserving this important area reminds us of how critically important it is to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which was essential for this to happen.”

Find out more:

• Read PCTA’s FY 2015 Appropriations Request and learn more about the LWCF at the LWCF Coalition webpage.

Get involved:

• PCTA needs your financial support to do this important work. Please become a member or donate today.
• And please take the time to let your representative and senators know that renewing LWCF is important legislation for trails across the country. Contact the Congress can help you identify your federal legislators and connect with them.