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Note to You
Timothy Coleman, Executive Director
December 28th was the 51st anniversary of the signing of the Endangered Species Act.  Since its passage in 1973, more than 1,600 species in the U.S. have been protected. The ESA has helped restore populations of iconic species including humpback whales, gray wolf and our national symbol bald eagle.

This year marked Kettle Rangers 48th anniversary of rural, grassroots activism. Our mission to defend wilderness, protect biodiversity and restore ecosystems continues on a solid footing of science, advocacy and experience. 

In April KRCG was fortunate to hire Elizabeth Carr as lead staff working to protect wild carnivores, fish and ecosystems.  Liz and I are proud to represent Kettle Range Conservation Group membership doing our part as a continuum of defenders of Wild Nature, sentient wild creatures and ancient wisdom of biological nations that long existed even before us humans arrived. 

Our knowledge of the land plus decades of applied experience in law & policy has achieved significant legal and frontline administrative successes furthering our mission to promote evolutionary ecologic ecosystem integrity across north central and northeastern Washington. This sub-region of the upper Columbia River is small yet of critical importance to the survival of grassland, forest and aquatic ecosystems.  Landscape analysis shows this area is critical to the migrational pathway from coastal, Cascade and Rocky Mountain ecosystems for sensitive, threatened and endangered species.

Kettle Rangers have a rock-solid history as team players supporting grassroots activism nationally and regionally in the greater Rocky and Cascade Mountain bioregion.  And like so many other grassroots causes, we have more failures than successes. Though we have tried and failed to achieve congressional wilderness protection for deserving wildlands in the Colville and Okanogan National Forest, it’s not for lack of trying. We have no intention of giving up – we are tenacious and committed to Wild Nature that is Life.

Last Word
It’s my absolute devotion to wilderness, fish, wildlife and healthy ecosystems that makes life worth living. But then, as author/activist Edward Abbey did say: be a reluctant activist, get out and play. All work and no play is not good for one’s health nor longevity as an activist. Get active for sure, but never stop rejuvenating your youthful spirit exploring Nature.  This Winter Solstice reminds us that light follows darkness, the spring is just three months away. The dark times shall pass. 
Cheers & Best wishes!
Tim
PS: Click here to read the latest edition of HighlandsNews


Range Rider - Patagonia Filmsclick to play

In the Kettle River Range of Northeastern Washington, wolves are being killed to protect livestock that graze on public lands. A lone range rider, Daniel Curry, works year-round using nonlethal mitigation methods to help prevent wolves from looking at cows as a food source—and to prove that coexistence is possible.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO


Restoration of forest sidelined in Eastern Washington

Executive Director, Tim Coleman Guest Opinion in the Spokesman Review.
How are forests best restored to not only reduce wildfire risk to communities, but to also prepare for our changing climate? The first principle is to keep all the old fire-resistant trees, such as Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. Yet those are the trees that the Colville Na- tional Forest is targeting in the Sanpoil project, which a District Court Judge has found illegal.
CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY

District Court Finds Forest ServiceViolated Law in Sanpoil Case

Spokane, WA. The Kettle Range Conservation Group is celebrating today’s decision by U.S. District Court Judge Stanley Bastian finding that the U.S. Forest Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Forest Management Act in adopting the 2019 Colville National Forest Land Management Plan (Forest Plan) and deciding to proceed with the Sanpoil timber project.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE PRESS RELEASE
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL DECISION


Lawsuit alleges 43,000-acre forest treatment project will impact lynx
By Mateusz Perkowski-Capital Press -May 15, 2023

An environmental group seeks to overturn the federal government’s approval of 43,000 acres of forest treatments that will allegedly harm threatened lynx in Washington. Last year, the U.S. Forest Service decided to proceed with the Bulldog project to reduce wildfire fuels and improve aquatic habitat, among other objectives, within the Colville National Forest in Northeast Washington. Much of the project area will be treated with prescribed burning and vegetation removal but about 7,000 acres will be commercially logged and thinned in the Kettle Range portion of the Monashee Mountains.

Though the federal government determined the treatments likely will not adversely affect the Canada lynx, which is protected under the Endangered Species Act, the Kettle Range Conservation Group nonprofit has filed a lawsuit alleging that analysis was faulty.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE PRESS RELEASE


Feds Must Re-Analyze Impacts of Colville N.F. Cattle Grazing on Endangered Species

SPOKANE, WA.—The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service informed three conservation groups this month that in response to their litigation threat, it will conduct a new assessment of the impacts of cattle grazing on endangered species in the Colville National Forest. In November 2022, The Lands Council, Kettle Range Conservation Group, and Western Watersheds Project submitted a notice to the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of their intent to sue under the EndangeredSpecies Act.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE PRESS RELEASE

The Future of Forests with Dr. Jerry Franklin

RS Sources and the Center for Responsible Forestry's short film featuring preeminent forest ecologist Jerry Franklin, who is widely recognized as the father of ecological forestry. The Future of Forests with Dr. Jerry Franklin explains what ecological forestry is, and how it can help restore forests to be more resilient to climate change impacts.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS
10 MINUTE VIDEO


Wildlife for All is a national campaign to reform state wildlife management to be more ecologically-driven, democratic, and compassionate.
  • Ecologically-driven, because that is what is needed to protect species and ecosystems in the face of a global extinction crisis.
  • Democratic, because wildlife is a public trust and everyone should have a voice in wildlife decisions.
  • Compassionate, because wild animals deserve to be treated humanely and with respect.

 KRCG endorses Wildlife for All. Check it out: Click Here


Understanding Wolves - Wolf Behavior and Habituation
Normal wolf behavior can easily be confused as habituation; becoming too comfortable with humans. Wolves are often described as shy and fearful of humans. Consequently, when a person sees a wolf pup lying in the middle of a dirt road or an adult wolf trails a person through the woods, he/she describes the wolf as exhibiting non-typical behavior or “habituated”.
READ THE REST OF THE STUDY


The perfect gift...protecting Wilderness
Consider giving a gift membership to Kettle Range Conservation Group. Your gift will help protect the last wild places in the Colville National Forest and support Project Scholarship.
Plus your gift is tax deductible.
You can purchase a gift membership by using our secure PayPal account. Please click this link: Join KRCG.
Plus you can download and print a special KRCG gift card to present to your friend.
Click here
.
Thank you!



KRCG Official logoKettle Range Conservation Group History
During our 48 years of conservation work we have met many challenges facing our national forests and rural communities throughout northeast and north central Washington. Our longest running campaign to protect national forest wilderness in the wild and un-roaded backcountry of the Kettle River Range, Okanogan Highlands and Selkirk Mountains continues today.
 

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48 years of conservation work meeting the many challenges facing our national forest.
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Thanks to all our members and supporters for your support



WOLF UPDATES


Heavily hunted wolves have higher stress and reproductive hormones
New research suggests heavily hunted wolves experience increased social and physiological stress.

Conservation Groups Appeal to Gov. Inslee
to Require Rules Limiting Killing of Washington's Endangered Wolves

Eight conservation groups filed an appeal with Gov. Jay Inslee to reverse the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission’s denial of a petition asking for enforceable rules limiting when wolves can be killed in response to livestock depredations.

KRCG notes killing wolves can result in more conflict
Eight conservation organizations, representing hundreds of thousands of Washington residents, are calling on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to rescind a kill order issued earlier this week for wolves of the Huckleberry pack.



 

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