Mitch Friedman reflects on wilderness in a changing planet Fifty years ago, after a persistent bruising effort, Congress passed The Wilderness Act to set aside and protect areas “where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man.” You can use Google as well as me, so I won’t bore you with how many, how large, … Continued
While tense encounters can happen, Washington’s wild canines pose no serious threat to humans on the trail Related post: July 2018: Understanding wolf behavior—for your safety and theirs The Pacific Northwest is hiker central, with hundreds of trails from the Olympic coast to the Cascades and Columbia Highlands. With thousands of people hitting the hills … Continued
Happy Friday Conservation Northwest members and supporters! Want to close out your work week with something special? Check out these awesome animal GIFs from the Washington State Department of Transportation’s remote cameras! The deer, coyote, geese and merganser ducks below are some of the first animals to use the two Gold Creek undercrossings in the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass … Continued
You may have heard by now that Conservation Northwest and the Methow Valley Citizens’ Council (MVCC) appealed the Okanogan County Commissioners decision to triple the amount of roads open to ATV’s in that county without a thoughtful environmental or community review. ATV’s are fundamentally designed, marketed and sold for off-road use. It’s right in the … Continued
I’m delighted that Okanogan County, faced with a difficult trial against Conservation Northwest and the Methow Valley Citizens Council, chose to rescind two ordinances it passed last year that would have opened up county roads to an unlawful level of ATV access. The county commissioners had been overly aggressive in trying to use new authorities the Conservation Northwest, … Continued
We need to end the epidemic of illegal and harmful use of Off-Road Vehicles. Unethical ORV riders have created thousands of illegal and damaging trail miles on Washington state lands and cost ranchers and tree farmers millions in property damage. They can be a noisy disruption of a quiet backcountry for those who hike or … Continued
Mitch Friedman appeared before Washington State’s Senate Natural Resources and Park Committee today, regarding several wolf bills. Below are his comments. I’m Mitch Friedman, executive director of Conservation Northwest. We have staff and directors in Colville, Orient, Twisp, Omak, and other communities affected by wolves. Change can be disruptive; and after a 70 year absence, wolves … Continued