Radical Faeries—counter-culture, earth-loving queer folk who have a sanctuary in Wolf Creek, Oregon, among other places—are confronted with the very real threat of BLM-endorsed logging of over 2,000 acres, 500+ of which of old-growth forest.

The logging project, according to the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center’s website, risks endangering creek-based water sources and wildlife in the area. Wolf Creek Sanctuary depends on natural streamwater for its summer water supply.

The BLM’s deadline for public commentary requires letters be in hand by August 8.

I will be in Southern Oregon at Wolf Creek this weekend and will let you know what I hear in the community.

Photo courtesy of www.kswilds.org

Click the link below to see a call to action and sample letter for the Governor and the BLM from a Faerie who brought the issue to one listserv’s attention:

Dear Friends of the Wolf Creek Faerie Sanctuary,

Recent developments threaten to impact our Sanctuary and badly damage the ecology of the Wolf Creek watershed. Fortunately you, our extended community, can make a difference if many of you answer our call for help and take just ten minutes in the next week.

The Federal Government (BLM) proposes to log over 2000 acres in this area, including over 500 acres of clear-cuts in healthy old-growth forest. In one place, over half of a square-mile section is slated for logging. According to their plan, a clear-cut would appear in the South hills above our spring; to the West across the creek, large sections of forest would disappear – damaging the creek with silt, drying up our creek-water supply in summer, destroying irreplaceable habitat and riparian areas, greatly raising the fire danger and disrupting our Sanctuary.

They may push to write the contracts quickly and make things permanent before January ends the current Administration.

However, there is good news: a massive response can scale back or even prevent this damage. Between the faeries, others who pass through here, and the neighboring wimmin’s communities, we might be able to generate hundreds of letters; it’s a rare forest with such a large network of people to come to its aid. The BLM is in the first phase of their timber sale, collecting public comments as part of “project scoping.” They’re legally bound to publish all relevant letters received by the Aug 8 deadline, and to keep a public count of whether people were in favor and what issues they raised. 

We don’t naively expect the BLM to have a change of heart based on your letters, although they might back down in the face of so much opposition. A large letter count will be important for the subsequent public campaign; writing now is also the only way you can keep the right to send further comments or be involved in later steps (it gives you legal “standing”).

This early phase is the time when we can have the most impact this timber sale. (There are other steps we can take later, but they’re much more difficult.) We need your letters now. Late letters don’t count; BLM must have them in hand by 8/8/08. If you can’t send a letter to arrive in time, email comments to Katrina_Symons@blm.gov, but paper letters are preferable.

There’s a Website with a good summary of the situation: kswild.org/wolfpup . They give all the information you need for your letter. It doesn’t have to be fancy; just try to mention the key points (those things get checked off in the statistics). Enclosed is a sample letter, but it’s best to rewrite it at least a little yourself.

Please pass this news on to your friends and community. If each of us gets one friend to write, we’ll double our impact.

There’s an email list for updates; send a message to 

wolf-pup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com . 

Yours from Wolf Creek

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Sample Letter:

*** SAMPLE ***

((your street address and date))

Katrina Symons, Field Manager

Glendale Resource Area, Medford BLM

2164 NE Spalding

Grants Pass, OR 97526

re: 1790 (OR-118) Wolf Pup Timber Sale Project Scoping Report

Dear Ms Symons,

I am writing in opposition to proposed the Wolf Pup timber sale. My concerns are:

The steep hills and loose soils of this area will cause erosion, silting the streams and creeks. The loss of forest cover will cause the creek to dry up earlier in the summer, damaging my ability to benefit from lands in this area; riparian reserves should be protected.

Fire danger is a big concern in this area, and the raging California fires remind us of the problem. Established old-growth forests present less of a fire hazard than the aftermath of logging, even after regrowth has begun.

There is ample second-growth in this area which presents a fire hazard, on which the BLM should put its attention.

((rephrase, and add whatever other arguments you want. See the flier.))

I would appreciate a reply to my concerns.

Respectfully,

My Name

((If you don’t want your name and address to be published, say so  prominently at the beginning of the letter.))

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