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Copper Salmon Wilderness Jim Rogers |
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Location: The proposed Copper
Salmon Wilderness (CSWA) is located on the Powers Ranger District of the Siskiyou
National Forest. About 80% of the area is in the upper reaches of the Elk River in
Northern Curry County on Oregon's South Coast. Most of the remainder is in the Sixes
River watershed. The Elk enters the ocean just south of Cape Blanco; the Sixes just north
of the Cape. Cape Blanco is about 50 miles south of Coos Bay, Oregon. |
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| Size: The size of the entire Elk River watershed is
approximately 60,000 acres, of which about 50,000 is Siskiyou National Forest. Of this,
roughly 9,000 acres are in the 17,000 acre Grassy Knob Wilderness Area (the remainder of
which is in the Sixes watershed). The proposed Copper Salmon Wilderness Area would extend
the Grassy Knob Wilderness on up the river, protecting most of the North Fork and the
north side of the South Fork. This would add another 9,000 acres of wilderness protection
to the Elk and another 2,000 to the Sixes and S. Fork Coquille. Approximately 40% of the
federal land in Elk River would then be protected as wilderness. Boundaries: The west CSWA boundary parallels the Grassy Knob Wilderness boundary along the 5201 road, then continues east along the 5201 road excluding most logged off land from the wilderness. The north border is on the private land boundary north of Salmon Mountain. The east boundary essentially follows the 3353 road. The south boundary leaves the 3353 road to exclude cutover land in the S. fork of the Elk, and then connects with the 5325 road which it follows to Butler Bar. It was impractical to exclude all of the cutover land, but most of it along the boundary was excluded to allow for future rehabilitation work and eventual selective timber harvest to improve wildlife habitat. |
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Geography: The elevation ranges from less than 700 feet along the river to over 3500 feet at the summits of Copper and Barklow Mountains. Topography is quite steep, averaging approximately 80% slope. Soils are moderately to highly unstable. |
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Vegetation: The north-facing slopes are primarily Douglas-fir and Port-Orford cedar while tanoak and Douglas-fir predominate on the south-facing slopes. There are lesser amounts of numerous tree species including grand fir, Pacific yew, western red cedar, sugar pine, knobcone pine, western white pine, lodgepole, etc. Underbrush runs heavily to rhododendron on the south slopes and evergreen huckleberry on the north. The east boundary borders the Iron Mountain Botanical Area, which contains the northernmost stand of Brewer spruce, as well as approximately 300 species of plants. Some of the old-growth stands of fir and cedar are among the finest examples remaining of the ancient low-elevation coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest. |
Some of the old-growth stands of fir and cedar are among the finest examples remaining of the ancient low-elevation coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest. | ||
Fisheries: All three rivers partially protected by the CSWA are highly productive fisheries. This would add significantly more to the fisheries protection afforded the Sixes by the Grassy Knob Wilderness. Most importantly, it would totally protect the North Fork of the Elk, which is possibly the most productive salmon fishery, on a fish per square meter basis, in the Lower 48. The North Fork is a high producer of Coho salmon which is listed as Threatened from the Elk on down the coast. It is also heavily used by Chinook salmon, steelhead, sea-run cutthroat, and resident cutthroat and rainbow trout. |
Most importantly, it would totally protect the North Fork of the Elk, which is possibly the most productive salmon fishery, on a fish per square meter basis, in the Lower 48. | ||
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Wildlife: Nests of both the ESA Threatened northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet have been found in the CSWA. The area is thought to be especially critical for the survival of the murrelet. Deer, bear, and mountain lion as well as numerous smaller mammals, including the ringtail cat are found throughout. The American marten is known to inhabit the area and Elk River is considered to be one of the most likely areas to be inhabited by the fisher. |
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The area is thought to be especially critical for the survival of the murrelet. |
Existing Protection: The mainstem from Butler Creek up to the confluence of the North and South Forks is in the Federal Wild & Scenic Rivers System, as is the lower two miles of the North Fork. The mainstem and both forks in their entirety are part of the Oregon Scenic Waterway System. The entire area is designated Tier 1 Key Watershed and Late-Successional Reserve in President Clinton's Northwest Forest Plan. Most of the area is encompassed in the Copper Mountain Roadless Area. None of this protection was adequate to prevent Congressional override in ordering clearcut logging and road construction in the north fork under the Salvage Rider. A permanent Congressional ban against further incursions into this pristine ancient forest is the goal of Friends of Elk River's Copper Salmon Wilderness campaign. January 1998 |
None of this protection was adequate to prevent Congressional override in ordering clearcut logging and road construction | ||
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