Save the Siskiyou Crest Campaign

The Siskiyou Crest is a rugged, remote and relatively undisturbed region, located on the southwestern Oregon and northwestern California border. The Crest lies between the Cascade Mountains and the Coast Range, and is the only mountain range running east to west in the Pacific Northwest. Important for habitat connectivity and as a vital climate migration corridor, the region supports some of the most diverse conifer forests in the world, the highest levels of biodiversity in western North America, spectacular scenery, clear flowing rivers and streams, old-growth forests, and vast relatively intact habitats. The area also remains a thriving cultural environment associated with indigenous tribes who have interacted with this landscape since time immemorial.

Yet, despite the region’s world-class values, many of the most important habitat remains unprotected, under-protected, or inappropriately managed. The region’s federal land is also managed by a patchwork of land management agencies, including the Medford District BLM, the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, the Klamath National Forest, the Six Rivers National Forest, and a small portion by the National Park Service at Oregon Caves National Monument. Additionally, these agencies have sometimes conflicting, incoherent, inconsistent, or damaging management strategies.

We believe this region would benefit from a more consistent, comprehensive management approach, increased habitat protections, and more clear management guidelines focused on protecting biodiversity, habitat connectivity, watershed values, wildlife habitats, high quality scenic resources, and the unique, unparalleled biological values of the region. The Siskiyou Crest is a special place, deserving of special management. The region contains values of national and global significance, that should be matched with world-class habitat protections on federal lands.