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©Steve Miller
Murrelet feeding fish to young
ŠPaul Englemeyer
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Coastal Old Growth. Magnificent ancient stands of Port-Orford-cedar, Douglas-fir and Western hemlock withstand hurricane-force winds and more than 100" annual rainfall.
A forest floor lush with giant rhododendron and evergreen huckleberry. On nearby Iron Mountain Botanical Area, serpentine soils support unusual plants, including the northernmost stand of Brewer spruce.
Home and Refuge for...
- Birds like the marbled murrelet, an endangered seabird that nests in old-growth forests, Northern spotted owl, peregrine falcon, bald eagle
- Fish: Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, steelhead trout, cutthroat, resident rainbow trout – for its size, the Elk is the most productive wild salmon and steelhead fisheries outside of Alaska
- Animals: Deer, bear, mountain lion, and the engaging ringtail cat. Charming river otters. The American marten. Perhaps even the fisher.
- Other creatures: Mollusks like the blue grey tail-dropper and amphibians like the rare Del Norte salamander seen in our Elk River Wildlife Surveyor’s Guide.
Threatened. For 37 years, FOER has been guarding against potentially damaging USFS management activities in this exquisite watershed.
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