20th Anniversary - Cascade-Siskiyou Monument
Emigrant Creek © Matt Witt, 2017 Artist in Residence, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
“In difficult times like these, protecting and enjoying natural beauty and diversity -- as the Monument has done for 20 years -- is more important than ever.”
Take Care. Now and for Our Future Generations
Thank you for being a Friend to Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
As we learn more about the Monument's unique biodiversity, we create an enduring relationship with the land that enables us to share and pass on this heritage to future generations.
Long before us, the Takelma, Klamath, and Shasta people are the traditional caretakers of this land.
The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument was established on June 9, 2000, with the primary goal of protecting this area's outstanding collection of species and ecosystems. This biological diversity is owed, in part, to the millions-years old volcanic rocks and uplifted mountains.
It has one of the most diverse ecosystems found in the Cascade Range and is home to a spectacular variety of rare and beautiful species of plants and animals. Because all parts of an ecosystem--animals, plants, microbes, and humans--are interconnected, biodiversity is an asset we can take care of for our planet.
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2020 was a time of social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Although events in the Monument were canceled, Zoom video conference meetings could be accessed by anyone with an online link. Public programs to mark the 20th anniversary of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument were postponed. Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued Executive Order 20-24, on March 8 and extended through July 6. This declaration of emergency banned gatherings of 25 people or more through September 2020. Despite the Covid-19 threat, racial injustice protests (for #Black Lives Matter) spread to Oregon small towns, including Medford, after the George Floyd death by deadly police force. The racial and ethnic disparities of access to health care, justice and education are revealed in other areas, including the environment.