Hells Bells, July 2018

Blue Mountain Forest Plans

The long awaited Blue Mountain Forest Plan Revisions have finally dropped. (Need a refresher on why Forest Plans are a Really Big Deal? Check out our blog from 2014.)

We are now in a 60 day period during which parties who commented on the draft plans can object to them. You can bet that we are hard at work preparing our objection. Make no mistake: these plans are prioritizing logging, while pushing to the side the mandated wildlife and fish purposes of National Forests.

The new plans as written double the amount of trees to be cut, at the expense of roadless areas, wildlife habitat, rare plants, and imperiled fish. In order to “increase outputs” (log more), protections for big trees, wildlands, and other important public resources are being thrown to the wind. And there will be no change to the amount of livestock grazing, despite this public land activity being a barrier to listed fish recovery.

As we decipher and object to these dense documents, we’ll keep you updated on how we’re working to protect the Blue Mountains ecosystems and how you can be involved.

New History Book Available

A new history book detailing the story to save Hells Canyon from the High Mountain Sheep Dam is available for purchase from Amazon. This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand in full the setting, scene, and characters of this seemingly impossible conservation victory. It is an exciting read!

THANK YOU so much to authors Larry Williams, Brock Evans, and Doug Scott for generously donating the royalties of this book to GHCC, and to Rodney Stubbs for your hard work pulling it all together. All proceeds from book sales go directly to protecting this incredible region!

Buy the Book

Speaking of Amazon...

While we advocate for shopping locally, there are times when online shopping is the only option. For those of you who shop on Amazon, please consider using the AmazonSmile version of the site (smile.amazon.com) and selecting Greater Hells Canyon Council as the recipient of the Amazon Smile Foundation's donation. While 0.5% of your purchase might not seem like much, it adds up for us!

For those of you who were already participating in the program, you may still see our old name (Hells Canyon Preservation Council) as the recipient of your donation. Click the image below to update to our new name!

Submit Comments to ODOT

The Oregon Department of Transportation is hosting an online "open house" discussing their upcoming work to make Interstate 84 more safe to drivers. While they address some of the serious challenges to safety in the corridor between Boardman and Ontario (cutting right through our mission area!), they make no mention of wildlife collisions.

This is a great opportunity to advocate for wildlife crossings, key for habitat connectivity for many species, but also important for reducing collisions and roadkill. Wildlife crossing are good for people and critters! You can use their easy comment form (scroll to bottom of page, item 6) to advocate for wildlife overpasses and underpasses being included in their safety upgrades.

Don't delay, the comment period ends on Friday!

Our Summer Potluck is Just Around the Corner!

Be sure to mark August 29th in your calendar for our Summer Potluck! The potluck is a fun and relaxing way to connect with other conservation minded people in the community, eat great food, drink free beer, and listen to some live music.

Who: Open to all friends of GHCC!

What: Potluck dinner in a beautiful outdoor setting. Please bring something to share and your own plates and silverware.

When: August 29th, 6:00 p.m.

Where: Avella Orchard, 2807 N. Fir Street, La Grande, OR

Give Now

GHCC works to connect, protect, and restore an extraordinarily diverse and beautiful wild area and its native inhabitants in the Northwest. Your support makes our work possible. Thank you!

~ Darilyn Parry Brown, Executive Director

Upcoming Events

Aug. 29: Summer Potluck
Sep. 7: Free the Snake Flotilla
Oct. 27: Fall Gala

We're Hiring!

Did GHCC is hiring for the position of Connections Coordinator! We are seeking candidates who:

Have a strong belief in the GHCC mission;
Are passionate about the Greater Hells Canyon Region;
Work well independently and as a member of a team;
Value a work culture based on respect, trust, and consensus; and
Are excited about launching our Wild Connections initiative.

Learn More

Interesting Bits

Have trouble sticking to a diet? Just do as the Gigantopelta chessoia does and go through a crypto-metamorphisis that saves you from the hassle of ever needing to eat again! "Once the snail reaches a certain body length, its digestive system stops growing. Its teeth, stomach and intestine make way for an expanding esophageal gland. . . Bacteria colonize it, and the snail, which grazed for food when it was smaller, no longer needs to eat. Instead it just sits there getting bigger, surviving on energy the bacteria produces inside the snail’s cells.

To make a human comparison, imagine growing from an average size adult to one 30 to 60 feet tall, with a giant sac of bacteria living inside you."
How long does a snail sleep? Looks like it's up for debate.

Sponsor of the Month:

Thank you to Mazamas for supporting our Wildlife Watchers program!

GHCC Wishlist

We're always looking for a few things. Your donation is tax deductible, and helps us save time and money. Thank you!

1st class stamps
Postcard stamps

Thank you Mary Karl for the air purifier!!! We're on a roll of having our wishes fulfilled.

Thank you EarthShare Oregon for supporting us through your workplace giving campaigns! Learn how to donate a portion of your wages to Oregon causes here.

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105 Fir St. Suite 327 PO Box 2768
La Grande, OR | 97850 US

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