Bark Alert: Shocking News on the Jazz Timber Sale

Dear Barker,

After months of waiting, the Forest Service issued its decision on the Jazz Timber Sale, and the results are shocking. The final sale puts more forest on the chopping block, admits to additional road impacts, and has no plans to monitor logging impacts on the ground. Read on for more details in the Bark-Out below. Meanwhile, Bark has been busy expanding our traditional groundtruthing effort to include post-logging monitoring and we are ready to share the program with Barkers like you! Check out our Fall in the Forest event to plug in to trainings, a groundtruthing blitz, and a special opportunity to hike with a guest lichenologist and mushroom expert this month!

Sincerely,
Alex P Brown, Executive Director

PS- We’ve protected Mt. Hood National Forest from the Palomar LNG Pipeline, but many of our allies are still fighting Liquefied Natural Gas proposals throughout the Pacific Northwest. Get updated and plug into the movement later this month.




Bark-Out: Jazz decision worse than imagined – tell your congressperson today!
Bark-About: Mushroom mania
Giving Tree: We need your help – volunteer today!
Bark Tales: First annual Bark Summer School a success
Bark Bites: Legal updates on Airstrip, Concessionaires at Bagby Hot Springs, and Nestlé Water Bottling Plant



Bark-Out
The Forest Service dismissed your comments on Jazz- hold them accountable now!

The Forest Service heard from 3,000 people who opposed the Jazz Timber Sale. This was a truly unprecedented outpouring of opposition to the sale, which is why Bark was shocked to see the way in which the agency has casually dismissed our concerns in its recent approval of the Jazz Timber Sale. Rather than working to meaningfully address public concern over 12 miles of re-constructed road, an extremely high potential of landslides, effects to salmon habitat, and the watershed-wide impacts of Jazz, the only real change the agency made in response to public comment was to make the sale even worse by increasing the amount of logging and infrastructure!

This bold disregard for public input needs to be conveyed to our congressional representatives, elected officials who have power over how the Forest Service is funded and how our public lands are protected. Click here to learn more about the changes the Forest Service made to the Jazz Timber Sale, then take action. Contact your congressional representative and tell them the Forest Service has violated our trust in the process of public lands management, and we need their support.


Bark-About
Two ways to get down with fungus this month

October is Bark's annual mushroom hike! Mushroom Mark will lead us through the proposed Grove Timber Sale in the Clackamas River Ranger District where he will describe the many varieties of fungi we discover, as well as the key role they play in healthy forest ecosystems.

A note on mushroom permits: The Forest Service has made recent changes to their mushroom picking policy. In years past any hiker was permitted to harvest up to a gallon of mushrooms per vehicle without a permit. Starting this season, the Forest Service requires a permit for all individuals picking mushrooms, regardless of quantity. Permits are free and may be obtained from any Forest Ranger Station during normal business hours. We realize that obtaining these permits may create a barrier to recreation access for those who aren’t able to get to the Ranger Station and obtain a permit. You may call the Forest Service at (503) 668-1700 to inquire about these permits.

If you are unable to attend this hike but still want some quality time with mushrooms, join us for the Fall in the Forest Campout. On Friday, October 19th fungus is the theme of the day, with a special hike led by fungi and lichen expert John Villela who will teach us the ins and outs of surveying for rare and endangered mushrooms and lichens in Mt. Hood National Forest.

Bark-Abouts are led on the second Sunday of every month and are free to the public. Click here for more information about this month’s hike.


Giving Tree
Join our volunteer crew

Volunteers are at the core of Bark’s work. From designing and managing our webpage, to photography, leading hikes and field work in the forest, to organizing events and protests (see Bark Tales), defending Mt. Hood National Forest really is all about you.

Our volunteer needs are varied and constantly evolving, so chances are, there's something for you! Check out our list of needs and let us know if you can help.

Some of our current and upcoming needs are:
-Data entry of various types
-Designing trifolds for outreach
-Host a house party! House parties are a great way to help us gain members while spreading awareness about current threats to Mt. Hood
-Help spread the word by tabling at events and fliering around Portland
-And, as always, Groundtruthing (don't miss Fall in the Forest to get trained and join our team of volunteer Groundtruthers)

Contact Bark's Grassroots Organizer Meredith to get involved at [email protected] or 503-331-0374.


Bark Tales
Three cheers for the first ever volunteer-powered Bark Summer School!

As summer fades away and the first mushrooms of autumn begin to spring up, we can reflect on the summer past. This summer included the first ever Bark Summer School, a series of educational events to share our passion for the forest. Bark Summer School was the brainchild of the volunteer-driven Events Committee who put months of hard work into making this dream a reality. Highlights included an inspiring dance ode to Mt. Hood, an enlightening presentation at the Kennedy School and a Pedalpalooza ride to the Sandy River. Huge thanks go to Kristen Robison, Carolyn Evans, Elena Cronin, Sandra Preston, and Lola Goldberg for making this happen. We had a blast, and can't wait for the amazing events that next Summer School will bring.

If you want to be part of the fun, get in touch with our Grassroots Organizer Meredith at [email protected] to get involved with our Events Committee!


Bark Bites
Nestlé, Airstrip, and Bagby, Oh my!

Bark is working hard to keep our public land and water managers accountable, to ensure that decision-makers follow the laws to protect these critical resources. While we continue to monitor logging and other forest actions on the ground, we have been especially busy in the hearing room to correct mismanagement before it’s too late. Our legal work on the Nestlé Water Bottling Plant, the Airtstrip Timber Sale, and privatization of recreation management on public lands (like Bagby Hot Springs) is moving ahead and we’re hopeful that the end result will mean abundant clean water in Oxbow Spring, protected old-growth in the Clackamas River Watershed, and free access to swim in the rivers and soak in the hot springs of Mt. Hood National Forest. Find details on each of these issues, and the legal action Bark is pursuing, below.

Click here for an update on the Keep Nestlé Out of the Gorge campaign and our contested case hearing with the Oregon Water Resources Department.

Read this press release for an explanation of our appeal of the Airstrip Timber Sale.

Find details here about the national challenge against concessionaire fees on public lands, including Big Eddy Day Use Area ad Bagby Hot Springs in Mt. Hood National Forest.