Owyhee - a Model in Collaboration

Where the remote corners of Idaho, Oregon and Nevada come together lies one of the most spectacular unprotected high deserts remaining in the United States - a landscape that truly characterizes the American West. The Owyhee - Bruneau Canyonlands region is a special place.

Wilderness designation was recently given to 517,000 acres of Idaho's Owyhee Canyonlands and 316 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers.  EcoFlight is privileged to have participated in flights that inspired and helped citizens create this wilderness proposal . The Owyhee Initiative was crafted by local ranchers, county representatives, conservationists, outfitters, the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe and others to permanently protect this area and its way of life.

Scientists have called the Owyhee Canyonlands some of the most biologically rich and diverse landscapes in the country, ranging from river canyons over a thousand feet deep to vast expanses of sagebrush and grassland, to mountains of juniper forest. An enormous diversity of wildlife depends on the interconnections of this landscape, including the world's largest herd of California bighorn sheep.

EcoFlight recently overflew the Owyhees to celebrate the Wilderness victory and to draw attention to the importance of the  Owyhee Canyonlands of Oregon which are not included in the wilderness designation. Representing one of the last great expanses of undeveloped high desert in the West, the Owyhee Canyonlands of Oregon hold nearly 2 million acres of wilderness-quality landscapes.  The sagebrush steppe ecosystem supports a number of key species and the steep rhyolite canyons provide ample opportunity for quiet recreation pursuits like fishing, camping and birding.

The remoteness of the Oregon Owyhees does not shield the area from many threats. The Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) is working in a collaborative process involving local stakeholders, activists, landowners and government agencies to resolve issues.  As Chris Hansen of ONDA stated after the recent overflight of the Owyhee's:  "By flying the landscape with a group of people from differing perspectives, EcoFlight helped build trusting relationships with the ongoing goal of protecting this awe-inspiring place".

Letter from the President

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As a writer friend of mine likes to say "when you get into the airplane looking for the wildness of the land you become aware of both time and vast distances".  It gives you perspective and, as I so often say, it lets the land speak for itself.

 I have been flying over our mountains and the West for more than 20 years doing conservation work and watching the profound changes on our landscape.  From the dulling of the azure blues of the skies in Utah due to power plants; the industrialization of spectacular landscapes by oil and gas drilling, to the clear cutting of our forests.

This is a large and magnificent land that I fly over and I am constantly reminded it is a land for all Americans.  It is a country steeped in the traditions of democracy and everyone needs to have their voices heard and their votes counted.  But it is also necessary to compromise. Positions should not be taken ideologically but logically. 

It is the debate on wilderness that can open contentious doors of discussion and ideologies.  I can literally tell which state I am over by the types of fragmentation and extent of fragmentation on the land. In Montana the rolling forested hills are cut up like the peeling of an apple.  The plains of Wyoming are dotted by oil and gas as if the nearby ant hills are on steroids.  And here in Colorado there is a myriad of growing concerns as the landscape becomes more industrialized. 

During the 80's and 90's we tried to pass numerous wilderness bills as our last special lands became carved up.  This year with the passing of the Omnibus Bill, we are celebrating the final touches on many of these wilderness packages: The Wyoming Range in Wyoming, Dominguez Canyon and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and the protection of spectacular red rock country in Utah.  EcoFlight is proud to have participated in these designations.

Now as we debate new additions to the wilderness system Ecoflight has been busy flying the areas being proposed by Senator Jon Tester in Montana, and the soon to be introduced Hidden Gems Wilderness Bill in Colorado.  We still believe that the best way to protect many of our last remaining pristine areas lies in thoughtful wilderness protection.  It is our best chance for healthy and sustainable ecosystems.

Best,
Bruce Gordon

Thompson Divide - Canyon Country in Colorado

The Thompson Divide is our backyard here in the Roaring Fork Valley that we at EcoFlight call home.  The Thompson Divide Coalition is an outstanding example of a grassroots organization that has been formed to secure permanent protection from energy development for the federal lands in the Thompson Divide area. Much of this backcountry west of the Crystal River and north of McClure Pass has already been leased for natural gas drilling. Development of these leases would have disastrous social, economic and environmental consequences for the area. 

Our community lives, works and recreates in this area. More than 30 traditional ranching families depend on these federal lands for their livelihood, and  the ranches preserve thousands of acres of scarce winter range for deer and elk.  Ranching operations in western portions of Garfield County have been marginalized by industrial oil and gas development. If these last remaining ranching communities are not protected now, the future of this area as a rural community will not exist. It is a shame that our governments do not permanently zone for areas for ranching and farming as is done in Europe, to protect ranching and farming not only as a culture but as a viable economic activity.

Protection of our quality of life for this valley is paramount to our communities.  This is both a recreation and ranching based community. Energy development would be toxic to the water, wildlife, and recreational opportunities that we so value here in this unspoiled pastoral community. EcoFlight stands firmly with the Thompson Divide Coalition in advocating protection of this both wild and rural area.

McCullough Peaks - Desert Badlands of Wyoming

Rising to just over 6,000 feet, the McCullough Peaks are an area of desert badlands which lie just to the south of Powell and east of Cody.  Ancient geologic activity cast harder rock on the relatively soft dirt of the ancient Big Horn Basin floor. Wind and rain sculpted the McCullough Peaks as the softer underlying soil was washed and blown away. The area is rich in fossils from the Eocene Epoch and home to wild horses, sage grouse, antelope, raptors, and many other species.  At its core lies the McCullough Peaks Wilderness Study Area.

The biggest threat facing this area at this time is natural gas development.  The BLM has approved an initial plan for Bill Barrett Corporation to drill 7 exploratory wells, along with 2 wells on state land, on land bordering the Wilderness Study Area and including land within a Citizens Wilderness Proposal and the Wild Horse Management Area.  If sufficient quantities of natural gas are discovered during the exploratory phase the McCullough Peaks will likely be transformed into an industrial landscape of well pads, roads, pipelines, and compressor stations.

EcoFlight and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition teamed up to fly the peaks and to identify areas in the McCullough Peaks too special to drill; so that when drilling takes place it is done so in an environmentally sensitive way, such as not using unnecessary wastewater pits. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition is also advocating that if drilling is allowed it should take place at a measured pace so that the Cody area is not overwhelmed in the way that nearby Pinedale has been.

Our flights also highlighted the McCullough Peak mustang herds which have a colorful heritage dating back to the 1700s when horses were first brought into this high plain desert area. The responsibility for the care of these mustangs now lies with the Bureau of Land Management.  Sadly, the BLM has limited resources for this task and has resorted to making drastic herd cuts on the range. These icons of the American West deserve better treatment than long-term holding facilities.

Protecting the Wyoming Range

EcoFlight is excited to celebrate the preservation of much of The Wyoming Range, one of Wyoming's best kept outdoor recreational secrets. This area has long been coveted for the natural-gas reserves beneath it.

 In March 2009, as part of the Omnibus Bill, President Obama signed the Wyoming Range Legacy Act, protecting 1.2 million acres of the Wyoming Range from oil and gas drilling. In August 2009, a further 24,000 acres were withdrawn and EcoFlight along with partners The Wilderness Society, Wyoming Outdoor Council and Greater Yellowstone Coalition are proud to have been part of this victory.

We are hopeful that the final remaining 20,000 acres of this special wild place will also be withdrawn and complete the protection of The Wyoming Range.

Students Empowered to become Leaders in Conservation

Flight Across America (FLAA) is an annual event in our Kestrel student program, and is designed to engage our youth in the pressing local and regional environmental issues of our time through aerial observation and education; to empower them to be a voice for western public wild lands.

Our latest chapter educated students in Colorado and Wyoming on the Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic that has reduced our local lodge pole and white bark pine forests to ghost forests. We look particularly at similar communities experiencing the same problems and what steps those communities are taking to be proactive about these issues.

Through a series of town hall type presentations we were able to reach over 200 students from eight different schools.  The White Bark Pine infestation in the Northern Rockies has repercussions for grizzly bear populations, while the Lodge Pole Pine infestation has implications for the urban rural interface in terms of fires and aesthetics.  Climate change and forest management experts, ecologists and conservationists shared their concerns and ideas for dealing with this epidemic.

Jump into the plane with our students and learn about beetle kill in the Rocky Mountain West http://vimeo.com/7551230 .

See more Newsletters and Captain's Logs from EcoFlight on our new Archive Homepage:  http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs094/1102184415607/archive/1102863186033.html