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If you look back in history at the formation of the US Forest Service during the (Teddy) Roosevelt Administration, you will find that there was a great battle between those who would turn over federal lands to private concerns for them to develop and profit from vs those who insisted that these lands belong to the people of the US.  The public lands faction won out then but the private profit folks have continued to pressure their way into the system. 

Bagby is just another example of how public ownership of National Forests is getting farther removed from the public and being turned over to private interests.  Already campgrounds, that used to run by professional Forest Service staff with degrees in outdoor recreation, forestry, wildlife, etc has been replaced by proivate contractors who hire unprofessional staff, pay them next to nothing and give them little or no training.

Those who care about their birthright, their public lands should be outraged by this situation and demand the return of funding to the Forest Service that will keep people responsible to the public in the position of managing recreation on our National Forests.

posted 1 year, 5 months ago
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As far as I know, there is no data to support the contention that hatcheries do anything positive for rivers.  If the same money was spent on improving the environment for fish, the fish would come back and occupy the environment.  Hatcheries are a solution in search of a problem.  They are expensive, non-sustainable and ultimately hurt rivers and wild fish.

Jeffry Gottfried, Ph.D.

posted 2 years ago
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It is never a good thing to discover E coli in the water system.  The good news is that Portland Water Bureau found it due to required daily repeated testing of our water. Bottled water, on the other hand, has no required testing and offers no potential for informing the public of contamination until people get sick.

Bull Run Water is still the safest, most excellent water available to Portlanders.

posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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As lead educator for Educational Recreational Adventures, I help lead 6-7 canoe trips a year for the Oregon Youth Conservation Corps.  During Sept-early Nov, we paddle from Salem to St Paul with two overnights where we help to remove invasive plants.

Along the way, we have observed river otters, deer, coyotes, eagles, owls, falcons, ospreys, salmon and many hatches of aquatic insects, all of which point to great potential.

Sadly, we also see huge growths of invasive species, bass, crappie, carp and other exotic fish, introduced species of clams and snails.  The water temperature of the river is often very warm in Sept but is well within good temperatures for trout by october.

Paddling the Willamette is a wonderful educational/spiritual experience for kids and staff alike.  We should do everything that we can to improve the quality of the Willamette.  I look forward to the day when we can catch trout on our trip.

Jeff Gottfried

Educational Recreational Adventures

503-750-2416

There 

posted 3 years, 1 month ago
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