Wildlife

KLAMATH FOREST ALLIANCE

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Wildlife
The Klamath Forest Alliance believes that the best way to protect wildlife, is to protect the habitat that they depend on. We recognize the importance of roadless areas and ancient forest groves, and work tirelessly to defend these important ecological reservoirs. The World Wildlife Fund recognizes this area as a biodiversity hot spot, and we agree, as we focus on protecting the species listed below, and many, many more.

Wolf: Wolves once roamed the Klamath Mountains, but were expatriated from the area by trappers, settlers and a general loss of habitat. Today, we are working with Defenders of Wildlife, and other local environmental groups to bring back these beautiful creatures. Wolves need large areas of undeveloped land to roam on, so we are working hard to preserve and protect existing roadless areas and wilderness areas.

Pacific Fisher: An elusive member of the weasel family, the Pacific Fisher can be found in the lower to mid elevation ranges of the Klamath Mountains. Fishers need large logs to den in, and over 70% canopy for cover, so logging and road building have decimated this species. In 2000, 15 conservation groups including the Klamath Forest Alliance, petitioned the US Fish & Wildlife Service for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

Spotted Owl: The Northern Spotted Owl, and its cousin, the California Spotted Owl can be found in our region. Habitat loss from clearcut logging, and roadbuilding, have had a huge impact on these species, which led to the creation of the Northwest Forest Plan, and critical habitat designations. Over the years, we have challenged logging in spotted owl habitat, and stopped or had units dropped in timber sales that would have harmed these species.

Northern Goshawk: The Northern Goshawk is a fierce, wildly majestic and territorial bird. Found throughout the Klamath Mountains, this raptor prefers closed canopy old growth forests, to roost and hunt from. Logging and road building, especially on private lands has fragmented habitat, so today we are fighting to preserve and protect the ancient forests and roadless areas that this species depends on.

Salmon: The Klamath River and its tributaries, once supported native peoples, and later a commercial fishery before salmon runs were reduced over 90%. We have formed coalitions with other environmental groups to get salmon species listed under the Endangered Species Act, advocated for the removal of dams, stopped bad logging projects, and challenged the use of irrigation water throughout the Klamath Basin & Refuges.

Marten: Usually found in the higher elevations of the Klamath Mountains, Martens prefer good forest cover and large logs for denning. The American Marten, and the elusive Humboldt Marten require large tracts of undisturbed forest to move between watersheds. Stopping logging in roadless areas, and preserving pockets of ancient forests between watersheds, is critical to the long term survival of this species.

Eagle: Although Eagles can be found throughout the Klamath region, the greatest concentration of Bald Eagles can be found in the Klamath Basin and around Goose Lake. Both Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles prefer nesting in large trees with open branches, which is why we have focused on stopping logging projects that remove large trees in known nesting areas. In 2000, we helped ONRC stop a proposed ski area in Bald Eagle nesting habitat.

Green Sturgeon: This prehistoric fish that dates back to the time of the dinosaurs, can grow up to 7.5 feet in length, and weigh up to 350 pounds. The only remaining spawning populations are in the Sacramento and Klamath River Basins, and possibly the Rouge River in Oregon. It is estimated that each of the three known or suspected spawning populations, contain only a few hundred mature females, which is why a listing attempt was recently made.

Salamander: Although the Klamath Mountains are home to many salamander species, there are 3 species which can be harmed by logging projects. The Del Norte, Siskiyou and Shasta Salamanders live in loose cobble which can be easily disturbed by ground-based logging. By ground-truthing timber sales and new road construction projects, we are able to find potential salamander habitat, and protect these species from harm.