Oregon's Legacy Wild Forests

Executive Summary

October 2005

National interest in roadless area conservation dates back to the 1970s when the Forest Service was directed by Congress to inventory roadless areas in response to the public's growing desire to protect wild landscapes primarily through wilderness designations. In 2001, President Clinton enacted the Roadless Conservation Rule to protect 58.5 million acres of inventoried roadless areas on Forest Service lands, including nearly 2 million acres in Oregon. However, on May 13, 2005 the Bush administration issued a revised rule that established a process for governors to propose locally supported regulations for conserving roadless area within their states. While some states, including Oregon, have legally challenged this rule change, State governments will continue to play a vital role in providing recommendations to the Forest Service concerning the protection of federal roadless areas. This report provides new information on the importance of roadless areas in Oregon that places these areas among the most ecologically valued in the nation, thereby providing a scientific foundation for protecting all of Oregon's roadless lands regardless of the method to achieve this outcome.

Oregon's inventoried roadless areas (IRAs) cover nearly 2 million acres (13%) of the national forest land in the state in five different natural regions (geographic areas sharing common climate, terrain, geology, and biological communities). These areas provide numerous conservation values to the citizens of Oregon. Besides providing unspoiled reference areas for conservation and land management research and important protections for numerous historic and cultural areas, IRAs provide:

• over 800,000 acres of old-growth forests;
• significant amounts of natural communities (including forests, grasslands, and shrublands), especially in the Cascades, Klamath Mountains, and Blue Mountains;
• important habitat for many mammals, including black bear, elk, fisher, marten, and many other species;
• important habitat for numerous birds, including northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, several woodpeckers, and numerous gamebird species;
• habitat for many of the state's threatened salmon species and other aquatic resources;
• refuge for many rare plant and animal species;
• clean drinking water for hundreds of thousands of Oregonians, especially in cities such as Bend, Ashland, and Pendleton; and
• a wide variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, including hiking, camping, hunting, and angling.