Conservation Columns

The Conservation Column By Pepper Trail This month, the Conservation Column is all about the Greater Sage Grouse, one of America’s most iconic birds. The species, famous for its spectacular mating displays, is emblematic of the “sagebrush sea” in the inter-mountain West. Sage grouse populations have experienced sharp declines due to habitat loss and disturbance, [...]

The Conservation Column By Pepper Trail Hey, how about some GOOD news for a change? No, I’m not kidding! In February, the Senate passed the most important package of public lands conservation legislation in a decade, the Natural Resources Management Act (S. 47). This huge 662-page measure included lands in every state and passed 92-8—an [...]

The Conservation Column By Pepper Trail and Juliet Grable In early January, the Oregon Department of State Lands held a series of hearings on the Removal-Fill permit for the Jordan Cove Energy Project. The State requires that any person or entity planning to remove or add material to a wetland or waterbody must obtain such [...]

The Conservation Column     By Pepper Trail This is the first conservation column in a long while in which I can celebrate some good news. The results of the mid-term election provide real hope that the worst anti-environmental excesses of the Trump Administration will be reined in by the new Congress. The following post-election analysis [...]

The Conservation Column By Juliet Grable The annual Oregon Audubon Council (OAC) Conservation Meeting was a great success. Twenty-one members from chapters around the state attended the meeting, which was hosted at the Green Springs Inn on the weekend of October 12-14. During the day-long Saturday meeting we reviewed the 2018 Conservation Priorities, identifying are-as [...]

The Conservation Column By Pepper Trail For this Conservation Column, here is an update on the 2018 conservation actions and priorities of the Oregon Audubon chapters, compiled by Joe Liebezeit of Portland Audubon. On October 13-14, Rogue Valley Audubon will host the annual conservation meeting of the Oregon Audubon Council (OAC) at the Green Springs [...]

The Conservation Column By Pepper Trail The Endangered Species Act under Assault The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is America’s strongest wildlife protection law, and has been remarkably successful in preventing the extinction of species. Only one percent of the more than 1,800 species listed in the United States as endangered or threatened have been declared [...]