On July 8, 2004, Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman sent to Congress a proposal to designate approximately 64,000 acres as wilderness in Southwest Oregon. The acreage proposed for designation by the Administration is encompassed in five remote and largely roadless parcels, ranging in size from 1,000 to 34,000 acres, some of which were partially burned during the 2002 Biscuit Fire. The lands are adjacent to the existing Kalmiopsis Wilderness on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests.
The announcement received a lukewarm reception as conservation groups in Oregon have identified substantially larger additions to the Kalmiopsis and the announcement came in tandem with the Forest Service’s Record of Decision which clears the way for its controversial plans to move forward with salvage logging projects in areas burned during the 2002 Biscuit fire in the Siskiyou forest.
"These lands have been noted for their outstanding wilderness characteristics for many years and there has been long-standing public interest in providing greater protections in this area," said Veneman. "The Bush Administration is pleased to move this important proposal forward and will begin work with Congress this session to provide this designation."
Background
In 2002, Oregon experienced one of the largest wildfires in the state’s history. The Biscuit Fire burned nearly half a million acres of land including large portions of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. The Forest Service has been preparing for controversial “salvage” timber sales for many of the areas that were burned during the fire. The Forest Service released their Final Environmental Impact Statement in early June at which time they indicated that they would be supportive of additions to the Kalmiopsis Wilderness as part of their larger plan providing for timber salvage sales.
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