We take a moment to give thanks to our private-public partnerships that continue to help protect and conserve the biodiversity of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
     The Conservation Fund has transferred 930 acres of former Hancock Timber Resource Group Lands to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for protection as part of the Monument, including a stretch of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail.
     With the leadership of U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, the U.S. Congress approved funding in Fiscal Year 2012 for the purchase through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a federal land protection program that receives funds from the development of federally-owned offshore oil and gas resources. No taxpayer dollars are used to support the LWCF, which has been protecting forests, natural resources, state and local parks and recreation areas since 1965.
     "We are very pleased with the progress being made to place these important conservation lands at Cascade-Siskiyou into public ownership," said David Kimbrough, Manager, Hancock Timber Resource Group. "With our Sensitive Lands program and through our strong partnership with The Conservation Fund and the Bureau of Land Management, we are more than halfway there, and look forward to continuing to work together to ensure that the rest of the sensitive lands in this biologically-rich landscape are conserved forever."
     These everyday efforts over the longterm, with our partners can result to enhance habitat connectivity for wildlife and expanding public recreational access. We are grateful for what more we can learn from this area that is considered Oregon’s “ecological wonder.” Learn more about the transfer.