Beavers are known as “ecosystem engineers”, or “nature’s architects”, because their dam-building work has such a huge effect on the habitats around them. Beavers critically influence the ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest and play a fundamental role in creating and maintaining a diversity of flora and fauna associated with Oregon’s streams, rivers, and wetlands. Prior … Continue reading Beavers: Protecting Ecosystem Engineers
July 26, 2019 — Late Wednesday afternoon after hours of deliberation, the Oregon Board of Forestry voted 5-2 to accept a petition for rulemaking on coho salmon. The petition was brought by 22 different conservation and fishing groups under a rarely used portion of the Forest Practices Act which requires the Board to consider forest protections on private and state land when species are listed under state or federal endangered species acts. The Board is required to identify “resource sites” for listed species and subsequently develop rules to protect these species if threatened by state and private logging practices.
