This October, Oregon Board of Forestry (BOF) will decide whether it will help nurture in-state steelhead, salmon, and trout populations by increasing the size of riparian buffers that shield streams and rivers from chainsaws and excavators.
Currently, Oregon requires only a 20-foot buffer—far smaller than neighboring states and, according to the science, totally inadequate for providing the cool water these species need. Studies show that rivers require at least 120 feet of cushion for adequate shade 90 percent of the time.
“By comparison, Federally managed forests in the Northwest require a 300-foot buffer on fish bearing streams,” says TU. “We are asking for a mere 110 feet—a reasonable compromise. We urge you to take a moment and stand up for a positive change for fish and habitat that is supported by both the science and the angling community.”
CONTACT INFORMATION
General email for Board of Forestry:
BoardofForestry@oregon.gov
Tom Bie is the founder, editor, and publisher of The Drake. He started the magazine in 1998 as an annual newsprint publication based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He then moved it to Steamboat, Colorado (1999), Boulder, Colorado (2001), and San Clemente, California (2004), as he took jobs as managing editor at Paddler, Senior Editor at Skiing, and Editor-in-Chief at Powder, respectively. Tom and The Drake are now both based in Denver, Colorado, where The Drake is finally all grows up(Swingers, 1996) to a quarterly magazine.