Kettle Range Conservation Group

The Kettle Range Conservation group is among the most diverse, successful, and powerful grassroots community groups in the Northwest. For the past 26 years, Kettle Range has challenged hundreds of projects that threatened ecosystem health and inspired thousands of individuals to speak out for responsible management of their public lands. Together with our collaborators, we have safeguarded more than one half million acres of forest in the Okanogan and Colville National Forests in northeastern Washington State. In the past six years we have:

Stopped forest plan projected development of 650,000 acres of wild roadless forests of the Colville and Okanogan National Forest.
Produced a 2002 report titled, "OUT OF BOUNDS!" a 120-page report, with Abridged (28 pages) and Executive Summary examination of ORV recreation regulations and impacts on the Okanogan and Colville National Forests.
Produced a detailed 158 page report in 2001 regarding noxious weed spread on our national forests entitled: "Risky Business: Invasive species management on National Forests."
Organized funding and facilitated development of a study by Dr. Thomas Michael Power in 2000 entitled "The Economic Impacts of Protecting Washington’s Roadless National Forest," illustrating the economic values of wilderness protection.
Organized a collaborative group of eastern Washington grassroots groups in 1996 to stop roadless area and ancient forest timber sales. In 1998 this group became the Wild Washington Campaign, a coalition now containing 43 groups working for permanent protection of over 3 million acres of wild forests in Washington State. Kettle Range continues to facilitate and play a leading role in the campaign.
Awarded $19,600 in scholarships since 1996 to northeastern Washington high school seniors who have been accepted into university Natural Resource/Conservation programs.
Co-produced an in-depth science analysis of the Kettle River Range, "Scientific Justification for the proposed Columbia Mountains National Monument" to determine its suitability for designation as a national monument.
Organized free public hikes since 1977, leading several hikes per year into roadless wild forests that are at risk of logging to better connect individuals with actual wildlands at risk, and to increase Kettle Range’s constituency in urban and rural eastern Washington.
Partnered with Canadian forest activists to protect over 200,000 acres of the southern Kettle-Monashee Mountains as Wilderness Parks, safeguarding the habitat of 30-40 grizzly bear and other sensitive species including lynx and wolverine.

The Kettle Range Conservation Group is in a unique position. We are one of the very few Eastern Washington grassroots groups working to protect roadless areas, forests, deserts, water quality and wildlife. We anchor a largely urban-based conservation movement from our office in Republic. We couple our Forest Watch ecosystem defense work with public outreach emphasizing the economic connection of community to a sustainable environment.