Humans tend to attempt to twist nature into forms which are totally unnatural, which takes away from the natural symetry. When we allow nature to flow, without destroying her natural beauty, we can truly enjoy being part of nature’s balance. Enjoy this image of Beauty in Water, as my gift of the moment. This place is simply magical! What a great place to Dream…

I refuse to take blame for the mass destruction, wars, human suffering through neglect and purposeful harm, yet I too am responsible for allowing others to create such a hardship upon Nature. I too have lived a soft Life with luxuries which take a toll upon this planet to create. It is up to each of us to take a step back and look around at our own personal actions, and take responsibility for how we can make the changes which will save this planet and her inhabitants from certain destruction. Most certainly Mother Earth can shake, rattle, and roll, and our fragile human forms will cease to be. Yet in her compassion for all Life, she warns us in so many ways, if we are awake enough to pay attention.

I am heartbroken to know that I may never visit so many places on this planet which are being destroyed, and poisoned beyond recognition. The creatures which once abounded in this great and beautiful piece of ocean were not given a choice, nor warning of their imminent demise. The people who live along the coast are now devastated, their health and lives at risk, and now must decide what to do, and where to go. The beaches are poisoned beyond recognition. The air is full of toxins which place all in serious danger. This poison will be carried into the clouds and will rain down on the earth, creating even more sickness among the plants, animals, and people.

We need to seriously take action to prevent these disasters from occuring EVER again! How much will it take to wake this planet up? Must we destroy everything that flies, swims, walks, crawls and breathes? Are we really so foolish as to wait until it is too late to turn back? Our positive energy and actions can bring about powerful changes, in a good way, for this planet. If we stand together, instead of living in constant competition and judgement, then we CAN change our world Today! I know I create my own world, and I spend each moment sending out powerful Heart Energy to create a Beautiful World. I will keep striving for an awakening which will bring about the change and shift in this planets existence. I love this planet and all her wonders, and as long as I draw breath, I vow to walk in beauty, compassion, awareness, love, grace, balance, and with a greatful heart for all we are blessed with. Together, we can restore the Balance.

Pilamaye,

Aho Mitakuye Oyasin (All My Relations)

At last count earlier this spring, there were only 42 lobos left in the wild. At least half of the packs that bred last year have lost their alpha males. These latest killings couldn’t come at a worse time, and we need to step it up in order to save the remaining lobos from certain extinction.

Alpha males are crucial to the survival of the pack. They provide leadership and food for the entire family, including pups born just months ago. Without the alphas, the fatherless pups of at least two packs of these rare animals are less likely to survive… putting lobos ever closer to a second extinction in the wild.

Please consider donating to this most worthy cause in saving the wild lobos in the Southwest. Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the survival of these and other endangered species. The following is a list of how our contribution will help these highly endangered animals to survive…

~ Post rewards to help law enforcement capture lawless wolf-killers and put them behind bars.
~ Mobilize thousands of activists to demand more law enforcement capacity at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to catch and prosecute poachers.
~ Push federal officials to fast-track a science-based plan for restoring lobos to their rightful home in the Southwest.
~ Counter the hate-filled propaganda of extremists through a robust public education campaign.
~ Use proven on-the-ground techniques to keep wolves away from livestock and out of harm’s way.

Please consider making an Emergency Donation today!

Much gratitude and thanks to those dedicated to preserving the wildlife on this planet. We have much to be held accountable for, yet we give so much in the way of stewardship of this great and beautiful Earth. The balance can, and will be restored if we can remain dilligent in the care of those who cannot defend themselves in this time of need.

I simply love it when I am in the presence of organically responsible folks who allow nature to provide the means to care for ourselves in a manner which speaks to my ecolological personality. I am a firm believer in growing and producing our own products to enhance our lifestyles in a natural manner which does not take away from the land, or the environment. Why would I pay extra money to import a product which could be produced right in my own backyard? Each of us are responsible for the impact we have on this planet and our carbon footprint is the legacy we leave our future generations. I would like my own presence to blend in with nature as much as possible.

I truly delight in finding treasures which bring me the quality I seek, and I am quite positive the sustainable wool apparel which can be found at Ramblers Way Farm brings a great natural energy into the making of their natural wool products. This is a generational, family owned eco-friendly business, who appear to exemplify the high standards of ecologically friendly business ethics I look for on a daily basis. I am excited to try a sample of this next-to-skin soft material which is grown and made right here on American soil. The humane practices of this family impress me with the love and care they have for the sheep, in not treating them simply as a commodity, yet as fellow creatures who deserve respect in dwelling beside us on this planet.

I would never compromise quality for quantity, and I love the lasting quality of wool. Wool is a natural, renewable fiber with multiple uses, and truly is a complex fiber with properties for superior insulation, water repellency, water absorption and odor control. Wool naturally resists wrinkling and soiling, and is flame resistant. At Ramblers Way Farm, the wool garments are natural, non-synthetic, and chemical-free.

At Ramblers Way

What makes our worsted wool products sustainable?

On our American Farms
~ We use organic, no-till, and best management practices.
~ We protect wildlife habitat and preserve critical ecosystems.

For our Sheep
~ Our sheep breed and lamb naturally, graze rotationally.
~ We use gentle combs and humane handling systems when shearing and sorting.
~ We employ trained animals to protect and move our flocks.

In our Manufacturing
~ We partner with Rambouillet sheep farmers only in America
~ Our environmentally-sensitive enzyme wash is a chlorine-free, patented treatment.
~ We use minimal packaging, made from reclaimed materials that are compostable and recyclable.
~ We generate our own renewable solar and geothermal energy.
~ We use bio-fuels in our trucks and tractors.

For the Community
~ We give 10% of our profits and 5% of our paid time back to our community.
~ We create worsted wool from natural, renewable fibers that are durable and non-toxic.
~ We connect American farms with American manufacturing, we invigorate local economies.
~ We preserve open space, farmland, and working landscapes.
~ We are web-based, connecting with our customers, with low-impact on the environment.

Wow! This really tells me a lot about this family owned business. Sound, environmentally responsible business ethics, coupled with a eco-friendly product my family can really use makes this a company I would absolutely delight in doing business with! I love to share these rare and wonderful finds, and hope this helps those of like mind in finding that which makes this Life a unique and blessed experience.

I would like to take this moment to give the latest report from those members from Defenders of Wildlife on the ground in Louisianna. On June 8th, 2010 Jamie Rappaport Clark reports on Day 49 of the Gulf Coast catastrophe, with a personal visit to the area. This is truly still only the beginning for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. My heart quails at the thought of what is soon to follow this giant spill.

Back on the ground and into the belly of the Beast

June 8th, 2010
Written by – Jamie Rappaport Clark
Defenders of Wildlife

It’s day 49 of the Gulf oil catastrophe and I am back on the ground, this time in southern Louisiana with Cindy Hoffman and Krista Schlyer to see for myself the true impact on wildlife.

We hit the road early this morning and headed to the BP incident command headquarters to meet with Rowan Gould, the acting director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Kind of odd (and a bit disconcerting) to go into the belly of the beast, but once we were there, I was glad we entered. Lots of activity, a lot of intensity and even more security. After some negotiating by Rowan, we were able to get into the back rooms where all the action was happening. Before he negotiated with Mike Ulster, the head of the efforts for BP in Louisiana, the BP security would not even let us look in the windows of the rooms.

As Rowan toured us around, I was astonished at the number of people from all over the country and from numerous agencies that had been deployed to tackle this crisis. Mike Ulster, the overall incident commander for La. from BP’s north slope operation in AK, and I saw FWS staff from Florida, Tennessee, California, Virginia and many other points across the country (former colleagues of mine had left already full-time jobs back home to respond to this disaster). The place was also crawling with military, Coast Guard, National Guard troops, and Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries staff. I have to admit, I was impresed by how coordinated the effort actually seemed to be.

Rooms full of FWS, Coast Guard and other staff at computers and phones tracking the data on the spill, printing out real-time maps, and directing others on the ground where to go to deploy booms, skimmers and conduct wildlife rescues. Rowan told us that helicopters fly a grid every day to gather data on the oil and wildlife. They report back to this central command center, which then deploys boats out to where wildlife is being impacted the most. Over fifty boats are staffed with rescue personnel and are out on the water every day, throughout the day, to capture oiled animals and bring them in for rehab. Just yesterday, they had captured 170 birds, five of them dead. He said it is really hard to get the oil off the birds, it’s just like Jello. This oil is way different than the oil in Valdez, AK. It’s not like anything I’ve ever seen.

We would soon experience this all for ourselves, as he suggested that we head down to Grand Isle to meet up with some of the Fish and Wildlife folks that would take us out on a boat. So off we went, to Grand Isle, a small fishing and beach community that looked like every house on stilts was brand spankin’ new. We later learned from our boat captain that Hurricaine Katrina hit this part of the Gulf head-on and leveled most of the houses, so just about everything we were seeing was newly built. They were not even yet fully recovered from that natural disaster.

We boarded a small boat captained by one of the hundreds of fishermen recently hired by BP. He had been fishing these waters his whole life, (he told us he spends way more time on the water than on land) and now he and his son and their boats are employed by the very people that put him out of business. He was clearly from southern La. He was delightful to talk to, knew so much about the area and shared his knowledge about the whole reshaping of the region over the years, from the diversions of the mighty Mississippi River to the ongoing attempts to shore up the ecologically rich barrier islands scattered all throughout Barataria Bay. While the whole area is incredibly vast, the maximum depth is only about four feet, which make the globby oil all the more devastating to the ecology of the area.

He took us first to Bird Island, and boy was it! It was undeniably magical.

The island was teeming with birds, a busy rookery for pelicans, egrets, roseatte spoonbirds and others. The sounds coming from the island were amazing, it was truly like listening to a bird symphony. I will say though, the smells were quite a bit less enchanting! A whole lot of birds in one place aren’t the neatest housekeepers around. The island was boomed with two rings all around, but the oil had easily made landfall due to some severe storms over the past couple of days. Many of the birds looked surprisingly clean, but some were obviously covered in oil.

Among those was a family of pelicans, with chicks that were coated in a thick carmel colored oil. Even the brush they were perched on was covered in the slime. These chicks can’t fly yet, but their parents, in their effort to feed and care for their young, head out into these now deadly waters searching for food. When they dive down to make their catch, they get covered in oil. Once they get back to their nests, in the process of feeding and sheilding their young from the blazing sun, the oil on their feathers drips off onto the very chicks they are trying to protect. Combined with many of the nests being “waterfront” property and subject to the tidal surges of oil, this easily put these and other chicks directly in harm’s way. As a mother myself, this was heartbreaking. While it was obvious the parents were doing all they could to raise these chicks, I fear it will be all for naught given how compromised they already are.

Rescues of birds are very challenging, as you can imagine. Officials need to be careful that they don’t cause more damage to the thousands of other birds nesting and rearing young on the island by getting in close to try and rescue one or two. The rescue team recorded what they saw, but needed a smaller boat that would not spook the birds as much as the motor boats we were in, which they did not have at the time. They would go back later for the oiled chicks.

Sadly after the completion of the afternoon inspection, we headed out to Queen Bess Island. I was particularly interested in getting out to this island because of all of the press on this area over the weekend. With so many birds drenched in oil, I feared the site would be unbearable to see. Our boat captain told us that Queen Bess had recently been restored, adding land and a rocky coast to protect the thriving rookery. Apparently all of the rechanneling of the Mississippi River by the Army Corps had really impacted this thriving island, causing water to erode these bird hotspots to the point of almost totally disappearing. The rocks around the island were coated in the slimy oil, clear evidence of the impact that was reported in the papers. They had managed to capture many of the worst-off birds over the weekend, and replace the booms, although the booms we saw were already saturated with oil once again and globs of it were floating all around.

By the time we got to Queen Bess, our rescue team had managed to get the smaller boat they could paddle up to the island. One of the rescuers, donning a white hazmat suit, got into the boat and paddled towards shore. His mission: to gently flush the birds on the shore so he could see which ones were so covered in oil that they could not fly. Fortunately, this trip was better than those of the recent past, and he did not find any in such a debilitating state. With the rescue mission over for the day, we headed back to shore. As we crossed back over Barataria Bay, it was hard not to notice the flotilla of fishing boats that have been converted with long simmers that almost look like wings hanging off each side of the vessels. These “fisherman” spend all day out in the Bay skimming the oil off the surface trying to “clean” the area. It’s hard to imagine ever getting an area that vast with such fast moving water ever clean, but you can’t help but be overwhelmingly impressed with the fortitude and determination and comraderie of all those hard working folks who are working tirelessly in unbelievably harsh weather conditions to get this job done. The daily temperatures and heat index rose above 112 degrees F, high enough to wither most humans, including me.

Driving back through Grand Isle at sunset, we decided to check out the beach and see what was happening there. We ran across a large clean-up crew that was packing up for the day. There were big man-made berms of sand that had recently been mounded all along the coast line. Huge culvert-like tubes fronted the sand berms for as far as we could see in either direction along the once (I’m sure) densely populated swimming area. Cars with Coast Guard and others were driving up and down the beach. It reminded me of the border wall, along the Mexico/US border. A safety officer came over to us to warn us not to touch anything or attempt to crawl over the berm to the ocean (why in the world would we do that?!). The whole area is now considered contaminated and if we got too close, we would be required to go through decontamination procedures. That was enough to discourage me from any significant exploration.

We headed back to New Orleans for the night, overwhelmed by what we saw but incredibly impressed by all the people working so hard to beat this beast of a spill. It’s so clear that this region is overwhlmingly impacted on so many levels for the future as far as we can see it. Let’s just continue to hope the the spectaular wetlands and incredible biological diversity can hang on while humans work hard to right this horrible wrong on the landscape.

Click here to visit Defenders of Wildlife Blog

We couldn’t see much on our way through and into California, yet this shot was taken by my daughter on the way back into Oregon. We were graced with clear skies, and a lovely visit to view the lake was a delightful treat. So much beauty surrounding us!!

I would like to share a bit of trivia surrounding this beautiful and sacred mountain…

A Lovely Place of Power

Located in the Cascade range of northern California, Mt. Shasta is a double peaked extinct volcano rising to 14,162 feet (4317 meters). The largest volcanic peak in the continental United States, Mt. Shasta has five glaciers and numerous steam vents that feed three separate rivers. Long venerated as a sacred place by numerous Indian tribes, including the Wintu, Karuk, Okwanuchu and Modoc, the mountain takes its name from the local Sastise (Shastan) Indians. These tribes have used specific sites on Shasta for the training of medicine men and women, for spiritual vision quests, and for healing and guidance. On the mountain’s lower, forested slopes, plants and other natural materials are still gathered for food, medicinal and ceremonial use. Shasta’s wildlife includes eagles, black bears and wolves but the bighorn sheep, grizzlies and antelopes commonly sighted in the 19th century are now extinct. The mountain was first seen by Europeans in 1827 and the first recorded ascent was in 1854. Trails to the summit now allow the climb to be made up and down in one day.

Numerous mysterious legends and psychic messages speak of the significance of Mt. Shasta as a place of powerful earth energies. Some of the oldest legends tell of a tribe of dwarf-like people who are believed to live within the center of the mountain and be descendants of the pre-Antlantean culture of Lemuria. Hunters and campers exploring the high altitude forests of Mt. Shasta occasionally report seeing these small beings running through the woods. Contemporary psychics speak of the mountain as the center of a powerful energy vortex that radiates a vitalizing and healing energy throughout the northwestern US. More than any other mountain in North America, Mt. Shasta is a focal point for contemporary spirituality, attracting individual seekers as well as a variety of religious groups. Mt. Shasta is also said to be energetically linked with Mt. Katahdin, a sacred mountain in the state of Maine. The great forests and wonderful peacefulness of Mt. Shasta are constantly being threatened by logging interests and resort developers. Prayers and focused attention of contemporary pilgrims will assist in the protection of this magnificent sacred place.

Native American Significance

The north side of Mt. Shasta has been inhabited since at least 600 BC, possibly 2500 BC. Artifacts in the greater area suggest 9,000 years of Native American habitation. Mt. Shasta was a corner territorial boundary for four Native American peoples – the Shasta, Modoc, Ajumawi/Atsuwegi, and Wintu – and within the view of the Karuk Tribe on the mid-Klamath River and the Klamath Tribe of the upper Klamath River.

For all these native peoples, Mt. Shasta was the center of creation. The Shasta people believed that the Great Spirit first created the mountain, by pushing down ice and snow through a hole from heaven, then using the mountain to step onto the earth. He created trees and called upon the sun to melt snow to provide rivers and streams. He breathed on the leaves of the trees and created birds to nest in their branches. He broke up small twigs and cast them into streams, where they became fish; branches cast into the forest became animals.

The nearby Modoc people shared this creation account and taught that the Great Spirit lived on Mt. Shasta after creation. His daughter fell from the mountain and was raised by grizzly bears. She married one of their clan, and their children were the first humans. In punishment, the Great Spirit condemned the bear to walk on four legs and scattered their children all over the world.

Today, descendents of these Native American tribes still live in the area and carry out ancient rituals in honor of the mountain. Each year, the Wintu invoke the mountain’s spirit with ritual dances that ensure the continued flow of the sacred springs.

New Age Use

At the same time, Mt. Shasta has taken on a new religious meaning. Over 100 New Age sects and groups now regard the impressive mountain as a sacred source of harmony and peace. Mt. Shasta has been identified by various groups as a cosmic power point, a UFO landing spot, the entry point into the fifth dimension (which is characterized by “playful tenderness”), a source of magic crystals, and one of the Seven Sacred Mountains of the World.

In 1932, the Rosicrucians popularized the belief that Shasta is the dwelling place of the Lemurians, super-humans who are so spiritually advanced that they can change themselves from material to spiritual at will. They were described as tall, graceful and agile, with larger heads and much larger foreheads than average humans.

The Lemurians’ power is enhanced by crystals they brought to Mt. Shasta when they fled their original home of Lemuria, a lost continent off the Pacific coast destroyed by a volcanic eruption. (The name “Lemuria” was first coined in a scientific context in 1864, by zoologist Philip L. Sclaterby, as a hypothetical sunken continent which could account for the migration of lemurs between existing continents.)

In 1930, Guy Ballard, founder of the “I AM” movement, reported that he met the Ascended Master St. Germaine on the slopes of Mt. Shasta. Ascended Masters are spiritually advanced beings who manifest “the luminous essence of divine love” and assist human evolution. These teachings have been especially popularized by Elizabeth Clare Prophet, a prominent New Age teacher.

In 1971, a Buddhist monastery was founded on Mt. Shasta by Houn Jiyu-Kennett. Mt. Shasta was one of the sites of the 1987 Harmonic Convergence, a gathering at a number of power points in the hope that united spiritual energy might avert world catastrophe and usher in an age of harmony and peace.

The popularity of Mt. Shasta among New Age enthusiasts has caused some conflict, as their rituals (such as “charging” crystals in a stream) sometimes interfere with the ways Native Americans wish to treat the mountain and its specific sacred places.

I was appalled to hear — on Earth Day of all days — that the International Whaling Commission has put forward a deal that would legalize commercial whaling for the first time in a generation.

Even worse, the Obama Administration has backed this deadly proposal, which would suspend the international ban on whaling and make it legal once again to kill whales for profit.

During his campaign, President Obama promised America he would oppose the killing of these magnificent creatures. It’s time for you and me to hold him to that promise.

Please call on the White House to oppose any deal that would legitimize the hunting and killing of whales.

Obama Administration officials claim that the IWC deal would be a “step forward” for whales because it could rein in Japan, Iceland and Norway, which have killed thousands of whales since 1986 by exploiting loopholes in the whaling ban.

But, in fact, this new deal is a giant step backward. It rewards those three nations for years of defying international law. It does their bidding by suspending the whaling ban for 10 years. It opens up the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary to whaling. And it will not stop them from trading in whale meat or killing whales under legal loopholes like “scientific permits.”

Don’t believe for a minute that this kind of deal would phase down whaling. Instead, it would breathe new life into a dying industry.

Worst of all, the deal gives moral cover to the absurd notion that we can save whales by killing them — instead of by banning their slaughter.

There is no moral justification for killing whales. There is no scientific justification for killing whales.

And if the Obama Administration persists in supporting a deal that encourages the killing of whales, it will tarnish not only the White House but our entire nation.

Please join me in telling President Obama to vigorously oppose this deal and instead push for a deal that closes the loopholes and ends commercial whaling once and for all!

Thanks to the efforts of NRDC, you and I have prevailed so many times in defense of our planet’s whales. We saved the gray whale’s last untouched nursery in Mexico’s San Ignacio Lagoon against Mitsubishi’s plans for industrialization. And we reined in the Navy’s use of dangerous sonar systems around marine mammals.

Now, with our own government supporting an unthinkable deal that would legalize the commercial killing of whales, we must unite again and say: Not on our watch!

I hope you’ll make your own voice heard inside the White House today. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Pierce Brosnan
Natural Resources Defense Council

Surely others feel the wonderful bond we humans have to nature, and can understand the integral part they play in Life on this beautiful planet Earth? We are conscious stewards who must remember to walk softly, with a great respect for these sacred lands. Because truly, all places on this planet are sacred, and we can each make a difference when it comes to preserving the pristine wild places. Please take a few precious moments to offer your support in caring for the land which provides for all of our needs. The following letter is the latest news from Oregon Wild. I give grateful thanks for your time.

Oregon Wild Supporter,

Here’s a quick quiz for you:

The Malheur, Wallowa-Whitman, and Umatilla Nation Forests in northeast Oregon cover 5.3 million acres of land. In the new draft Forest Service plan that will chart the course for their future management, how many acres of Wilderness is the agency recommending?

a)    1,800,000 acres
b)    953,000 acres
c)    16,000 acres

Click here to find out the answer and make sure your voice is heard as the Forest Service continues to draft their new plan.

Collectively, these national forests make up the spectacular and diverse Blue Mountains where Ponderosa pine forests and sweeping vistas are home to elk, steelhead, and now wolves. Out here, the forests are more open and the chance of running into another person out in the backcountry is slim.

The opportunities for expanded Wilderness protection are vast.

With only 4% of the state of Oregon permanently safeguarded with the highest level of protection Congress can bestow on public land, we have a long way to go to make up our Wilderness deficit. Sadly, the Forest Service (even with new leadership in the Obama administration) doesn’t seem to understand how vital Wilderness protections are to Oregonians today and for future generations.

Click on the chart below to see the numbers and find out what the Forest Service is recommending for Wilderness protection in the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revisions.

From Hell’s Canyon west to the headwaters of the John Day River, the national forests that make up the mighty Blue Mountains need your voice.

Write to the Forest Service today and urge them to protect the remaining wild places of northeast Oregon.

Thank you.

For the wild,
Erik Fernandez
Wilderness Coordinator
Oregon Wild

PS: The Forest Service doesn’t always move quickly. The Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision has been years in the making. Throughout the process, Oregon Wild staff have been diligently monitoring the process, attending meetings, and now holding the Forest Service accountable for a lackluster plan. We couldn’t keep the Forest Service honest without the support of people like you. Please donate or become a member today to support our work protecting our remaining wild forests. Thanks.

Check out the latest news on these beautiful and rare creatures, as passed along from Save America’s Wolves at Defenders of Wildlife.

Dear Teri,

First she was shot.

Then the body of this highly endangered wolf was dumped — like a sack of garbage — along the side of the road.

To scientists she was F386, a five-year-old female that represented hope for her struggling species.

To us, she was a beautiful animal who deserved the right to live in the wilds of America’s Southwest, where these wolves once thrived.

This terrible killing underscores the growing mindless hatred threatening Mexican wolves — or lobos – the rarest wolves in the world.

Please donate today to help catch the wolf haters who are stalking and killing lobos and put in place a protective recovery program for the most endangered wolves in the world.

Decades of trapping, shooting and poisoning exterminated lobos from the wild. In 1998, wild wolves returned to the Southwest — but more than a decade later, their lives are in grave danger.

Criminal wolf killers, mismanagement and a venomous anti-wolf movement have caused the Mexican wolf population to plummet to just 42 – putting these rare animals at risk of a second extinction in the wild.

Please stand with us today and give these wolves a fighting chance through your tax-deductible donation.

The bottom line is that lobos will not survive the fierce onslaught of these extremists without our immediate action. Your contribution will help Defenders…

• Post rewards to help law enforcement capture and put these lawless wolf killers behind bars.
• Push Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to fast-track a science-based plan for restoring lobos to their rightful home in the Southwest. Already, nearly 53,000 Defenders activists like you have sent messages to Secretary Salazar urging immediate action, including thousands of wolf supporters living in Arizona and New Mexico.
• Counter the hate-filled propaganda of extremists through an aggressive public education campaign.
• Use proven on-the-ground techniques to keep wolves away from livestock and away from those who would harm them.

Please donate now to help save the last 42 wild lobos and other wildlife struggling to survive.

The plight of lobos is desperate. Only two breeding pairs are left in the wild as these wolves struggle to survive — including the mother and father of the Middle Fork pack who have each lost a leg to a painful human-made trap and gunshot wound.

State officials have twice targeted this three-legged pair for removal from the wild. Defenders is again working on the ground to ensure these wolves stay out of harm’s way.

The fight to save these magnificent wolves from a second extinction in the wild will be tough, but with your help, I know we can succeed for them.

Save something wild, Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife

P.S.  Wolf-haters are stalking the last 42 Southwest wolves in the wild.  Help us put wolf killers behind bars and secure protection for these beautiful animals with your secure online donation or call 1-800-385-9712 to donate by phone.

Wilderness protection for Oregon’s Yellowstone

By Guest Columnist
April 19, 2010, 7:00AM
By Erik Fernandez

The Siskiyou Wild Rivers area in southwest Oregon is one of the most important and unique natural areas in the state. Sadly, as The Oregonian editorial board recently pointed out it’s also one of the most threatened.

As the largest, most intact and most biologically diverse wild area in the state, the Siskiyous are Oregon’s very own Yellowstone. Known historically for healthy salmon runs, the region is gaining an unfortunate reputation of late for anything-goes mining. Congress and the Obama administration need to act to ensure that this natural treasure receives the protection it deserves.

Southwest Oregon has a history of mineral extraction, but we need to ask ourselves if harmful mining should take place in one of the most sensitive natural areas in Oregon. Should diesel-powered suction dredges be set loose to excavate critical spawning habitat for steelhead and chinook and coho salmon?

This isn’t the first time this corner of our state faced threats from harmful extractive industries. And those who care about clean water, wildlife and quiet recreation haven’t always been able to beat back misguided schemes.

In 1994 Congress green-lighted logging without laws with the infamous “salvage rider.” When President Bill Clinton signed the salvage rider, many acres of ancient forest in the Siskiyou Wild Rivers were toppled by chainsaws. After the Biscuit Fire of 2002, the Bush administration proposed the single largest logging project in Forest Service history.

Today, the area faces threats both new and old. No doubt, until Oregon’sYellowstone is permanently protected, private special interests will always work to reap a profit from these public lands. That’s why Congress should pass Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers legislation for the Siskiyou Wild Rivers. Wilderness designation remains the surest and most lasting way to ensure no further harm comes to this internationally significant landscape.

While Oregon has a green reputation, we don’t always live up to it. Nowhere is that more true than when it comes to protecting our natural legacy. Sadly, only 4 percent of the entire state has been permanently protected as wilderness, compared to 10 percent in Washington, 15 percent in California and 8 percent in conservative Idaho.

Protecting Oregon’s Yellowstone as wilderness would safeguard amazing salmon runs in the Chetco River, the unparalleled wildflower diversity of Rough and Ready Creek, and the only redwoods in Oregon that grow to a massive 15 feet in diameter.

Luckily, momentum is already building. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, along with Rep. Peter DeFazio and Gov. Ted Kulongoski have all called for increased protections for this area. In the short term, the Siskiyou Wild Rivers need an immediate timeout on mining so that Congress can address the broader need for wilderness protections. The Obama administration could easily and quickly enforce a mining timeout through an administrative withdrawal for the threatened wilderness areas.

While a timeout on destructive plans for this unique region is certainly necessary, it is but a short-term fix. For the salmon that swim its wild rivers, the rare flowers that bloom only from its unique soils and the many thousands who camp, fish and hike along its trails, wilderness is the long-term solution for the Siskiyou Wild Rivers.

Erik Fernandez is the wilderness coordinator for Oregon Wild.

Please take a few moments to educate yourself on this very important matter. As free citizens on this planet Earth, we all have the sovereign right to live and grow our own food to ensure the healthy survival of our families. Let’s take action, and hug a farmer today!

To commemorate the International Day of Peasant Struggle on April 17th 2010, the international peasant movement La Via Campesina calls upon member organizations, allies and supporters to unite against global agribusiness corporations, which seek complete control over food and agriculture systems around the world. Small and family scale farmers form the backbone of the global food supply and are essential for transitioning to a healthy and organic food system.

On April 17th 1996, nineteen landless Brazilian peasants who were defending their right to produce food by demanding access to land were massacred by the military police. Since the massacre at El Dorado dos Carajás, every year on this date actions are organized around the world by farmers’ organizations, communities, student groups, non-governmental organizations and activists, in order to demand food sovereignty and peasants’ rights to produce food.

Join Via Campesina and the Organic Consumers Association in the global struggle against multinational corporations, like Monsanto, that are threatening our food supply and undermining farmers across the globe. Visit OCA’s Millions Against Monsanto campaign center for more information.

To join the April 17, 2010 Day of Peasant Struggle, go to: viacampesina.org