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Home My WebLink About2015-0601 Documents Submitted at the Mtg 5~.. Vim'; ~ r c~... ~ ► " ~ S' Brian L. Almquist 155 Susan Lane Ashland, Oregon May 28, 2015 Mayor John Stromberg and the Ashland City Council 20 East Main Street Ashland, OR 97520 Dear Mayor and Council Members: I wholeheartedly urge you to support expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. It's been my pleasure to witness and participate in the City of Ashland's consistent support for protecting lands south and east of Ashland several times, since the city council first supported designation of the Soda Mountain Wilderness Council's proposal to congressionally designate well over 30,000 acres of Wilderness in 1985. Though the California portion of the Wilderness proposal has not yet been designated, further familiarity with the area after 1985 revealed ecological values on lands not suitable for Wilderness outside the Wilderness proposal that led to the June 2000 establishment of the 53,000 acre Cascade- Siskiyou National Monument. The Monument is now over 62,000 acres due to BLM acquisitions of private timberland in-holdings from willing sellers. In 2009, about 24,000 acres of the Monument's backcountry became the Soda Mountain Wilderness. I believe both the Monument and its backcountry Wilderness are significant Ashland assets. I'm familiar with the local scientists' April 2011 report recommending Monument expansion. But one does not need scientific expertise to note the "un-ecological" shape of the current boundaries of our country's only national monument established to protect biodiversity. Nor is scientific expertise needed to perceive the advantages of an expanded Monument for protecting Ashland's viewshed; providing increased recreational opportunities for our citizens and visitors; and enhancing our city's economy and quality of life. We are indeed blessed to have such a national amenity in our municipal backyard - even if it is still a work in progress, which the council can again assist with their continued support. A real opportunity to expand the boundaries of the Cascade- Siskiyou National Monument does not present itself often. Having our Ashland elected officials endorse the protection of more of the mountains and foothills around Ashland, would be of great benefit in securing approval of an expanded boundary. Such a move would provide a lasting legacy, and enhance the benefits it provides to our city and the region. Again, I urge you to formally support the expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou Nat'l. Monument. Sincerely, Brian L. Almquist Retired Ashland City Ad i ' trator (Served 1970-1997) stA- 4 r c~_ ***2nd DRAFT*** RESOLUTION NO. 2015- ***2nd DRAFT*** A RESOLUTION ENDORSING CASCADE-SISKIYOU NATIONAL MONUMENT EXPANSION (May 31, 2015 version) RECITALS A. The Ashland City Council has exhibited consistent, decades-long support for the protection of land in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument area. In 1985, the Council voted unanimously to write letters endorsing protection of the lands in the Soda Mountain Wilderness Area proposal (June and December 1985), not all of which has yet been designated Wilderness or included in the Monument. The Council has also unanimously voted to write letters supporting a land swap in the Wilderness proposal area between BLM and Boise Cascade to prevent a clearcut (September 1993) and requesting that a power line not be installed across the area (January 1994). B. In June 2001, the Ashland City Council unanimously resolved to affirm the June 9, 2000 Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument proclamation as written, request the immediate release of the Medford BLM Draft Management Plan for the Monument, and request that funding be made available for the final plan. The 2001 resolution noted that the Monument contributes substantially to Ashland's economy, enjoys broad support from Ashland citizens, businesses, and area residents and provides "richness of recreational opportunities and scenic vistas for the citizens of Ashland" (June 2001). C. In April 2011, a diverse group of scientists with considerable experience in the Monument and surrounding regions recommended expansion of Monument boundaries to safeguard long-term protection of the area's unique biological values. The scientists expressed concern about the current. Monument boundaries with regard to: fragmented habitats (including incomplete watersheds and other boundaries that are more political than ecological); the need for more complete ecological gradients to increase resilience in the face of significant climatic change now underway (a factor not considered when the Monument was established in 2000), and increasing development and land use pressures on adjoining lands that, if unabated, could undermine long-term persistence of the Monument's biological resources. In 2015 many other professional scientists (locally and nationally) have also endorsed the ecological need to expand Monument boundaries. THE CITY OF ASHLAND RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The boundaries of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument should be expanded. SECTION 2. We urge national elected officials to use the best available ecological criteria in considering the Monument's present and future needs - as well as considering recreational opportunities and scenic resources - as they determine appropriate expanded boundaries for the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. This resolution was duly PASSED and ADOPTED this day of , 2015, and takes effect upon signing by the mayor. Barbara Christensen, City Recorder ***2nd DRAFT*** Page 1 of2 ***2"d DRAFT*** G-1-W -CS - Soda Mountain Wilderness Council L~l 60% 51^ . A-,h#nncl r)rPgtln 1-3 TOWARD A BIGGER, WILDER CASCADE-SISKIYOU NAT'L MONUMENT "...to reemphasize: The Soda Mountain area is more than just botanically interesting, it is an important link for migration, dispersion, and the process of evolution in the Northwest." --Dr. Tom Atzet, US Forest Service Southwest Oregon Area Ecologist March 22, 1994 "...the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is an ecological wonder, with biological diversity unmatched in the Cascade Range ...a biological crossroads - the interface of the Cascade, Klamath, and Siskiyou ecoregions, in an area of unique geology, biology, climate, and topography." --President Bill Clinton Proclamation establishing the Cascade-Siskiyou Nat'l Monument June 9, 2000 "The areas listed below may be good candidates for National Monument designation under the Antiquities Act.... Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, CA (expansion) because of political constraints, the [Oregon] Monument's southern boundary was artificially established at the California State line.... Connectivity of landscapes is essential to protect and maintain healthy wildlife populations especially in the face of climate change.... Expansions on the Oregon side may also be worth consideration. " --"Attachment 4: Prospective Conservation Designations" Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior "Internal Draft - NOT FOR RELEASE" Leaked February 2010 "...you have set the national standard for making monument declarations into vital conservation reality. This Monument would not have happened without your advocacy. And I can now say that we should have been more expansive in our thinking about Monument boundaries. Cascade- Siskiyou National Monument should now be expanded to include more of this unique ecosystem." --Bruce Babbitt, former Secretary of the Dep't of the Interior Letter to the Soda Mountain Wilderness Council May 26, 2010 "...a diverse group of scientists with considerable experience in the CSNM [Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument] concluded that monument expansion is required to safeguard persistence of the [biological] Objects of Interest the monument was established to protect " --from Executive Summary by working group of 15 scientists Interim Report: Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Boundary Study - Identification of Priority Areas for Monument Expansion" April 28, 2011 "...places in Oregon worthy of protection....expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (Medford BLMDistrict) to better safeguard protection of the area's unique biological values " --Governor John Kitzhaber "BLM Crown Jewels" letter to DOI Secretary Ken Salazar September 27, 2011 .qa t ~ . YtF t 'el yraka .rte- . f' 'dv y yiy Y 1 t n Y' 1 t' {Y k• ~ , r. ~ { r x ~ ✓ it ~ f ' L ~ ~ r ~ 4~ ` _ j~ • rh+KK J 1~~j ''des - _ ~ ~ r 5~ y .•t ?Yt~,.' f_ 'art,', ~s • s: X.r~~a,~' S- _..y,`__ vi a i %~7 Sly. I7Y Y` -m , G v I - I J; & ,i. Brian L. Almquist 155 Susan Lane Ashland, Oregon May 28, 2015 Mayor John Stromberg and the Ashland City Council 20 East Main Street Ashland, OR 97520 Dear Mayor and Council Members: I wholeheartedly urge you to support expansion of the Cascade- S iskiyou National Monument. It's been my pleasure to witness and participate in the City of Ashland's consistent support for protecting lands south and east of Ashland several times, since the city council first supported designation of the Soda Mountain Wilderness Council's proposal to congressionally designate well over 30,000 acres of Wilderness in 1985. Though the California portion of the Wilderness proposal has not yet been designated, further familiarity with the area after 1985 revealed ecological values on lands not suitable for Wilderness outside the Wilderness proposal that led to the June 2000 establishment of the 53,000 acre Cascade- Siskiyou National Monument. The Monument is now over 62,000 acres due to BLM acquisitions of private timberland in-holdings from willing sellers. In 2009, about 24,000 acres of the Monument's backcountry became the Soda Mountain Wilderness. I believe both the Monument and its backcountry Wilderness are significant Ashland assets. I'm familiar with the local scientists' April 2011 report recommending Monument expansion. But one does not need scientific expertise to note the "un-ecological" shape of the current boundaries of our country's only national monument established to protect biodiversity. Nor is scientific expertise needed to perceive the advantages of an expanded Monument for protecting Ashland's viewshed; providing increased recreational opportunities for our citizens and visitors; and enhancing our city's economy and quality of life. We are indeed blessed to have such a national amenity in our municipal backyard - even if it is still a work in progress, which the council can again assist with their continued support. A real opportunity to expand the boundaries of the Cascade- S iskiyou National Monument does not present itself often. Having our Ashland elected officials endorse the protection of more of the mountains and foothills around Ashland, would be of great benefit in securing approval of an expanded boundary. Such a move would provide a lasting legacy, and enhance the benefits it provides to our city and the region. Again, I urge you to formally support the expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou Nat'l. Monument. Sincerely, Brian L. Almquist Retired Ashland City Ad i ' trator (Served 1970-1997) ***2nd DRAFT*** RESOLUTION NO. 2015- ***2"d DRAFT*** A RESOLUTION ENDORSING CASCADE-SISKIYOU NATIONAL MONUMENT EXPANSION (May 31, 2015 version) RECITALS A. The Ashland City Council has exhibited consistent, decades-long support for the protection of land in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument area. In 1985, the Council voted unanimously to write letters endorsing protection of the lands in the Soda Mountain Wilderness Area proposal (June and December 1985), not all of which has yet been designated Wilderness or included in the Monument. The Council has also unanimously voted to write letters supporting a land swap in the Wilderness proposal area between BLM and Boise Cascade to prevent a clearcut (September 1993) and requesting that a power line not be installed across the area (January 1994). B. In June 2001, the Ashland City Council unanimously resolved to affirm the June 9, 2000 Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument proclamation as written, request the immediate release of the Medford BLM Draft Management Plan for the Monument, and request that funding be made available for the final plan. The 2001 resolution noted that the Monument contributes substantially to Ashland's economy, enjoys broad support from Ashland citizens, businesses, and area residents and provides "richness of recreational opportunities and scenic vistas for the citizens of Ashland" (June 2001). C. In April 2011, a diverse group of scientists with considerable experience in the Monument and surrounding regions recommended expansion of Monument boundaries to safeguard long-term protection of the area's unique biological values. The scientists expressed concern about the current. Monument boundaries with regard to: fragmented habitats (including incomplete watersheds and other boundaries that are more political than ecological); the need for more complete ecological gradients to increase resilience in the face of significant climatic change now underway (a factor not considered when the Monument was established in 2000); and increasing development and land use pressures on adjoining lands that, if unabated, could undermine long-term persistence of the Monument's biological resources. In 2015 many other professional scientists (locally and nationally) have also endorsed the ecological need to expand Monument boundaries. THE CITY OF ASHLAND RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The boundaries of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument should be expanded. SECTION 2. We urge national elected officials to use the best available ecological criteria in considering the Monument's present and future needs - as well as considering recreational opportunities and scenic resources - as they determine appropriate expanded boundaries for the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. This resolution was duly PASSED and ADOPTED this day of 2015, and takes effect upon signing by the mayor. Barbara Christensen, City Recorder ***2"d DRAFT*** Page 1 of 2 ***2nd DRAFT*** ***2nd DRAFT*** SIGNED and APPROVED this day of , 2015. John Stromberg, Mayor Reviewed as to form: David Lohman, City Attorney ***2nd DRAFT*** Page 2 of 2 ***2nd DRAFT***