A homegrown movement to protect the pure waters and famed rivers of Oregon's Kalmiopsis - Wild Rivers Coast

The Kalmiopsis – Wild Rivers Coast

It’s wild, rugged and home to some of the most pristine rivers in the nation, The National Wild & Scenic Smith, Illinois and Chetco river provide clean drinking water for downstream communities and wild salmon and steelhead to local economies. But all this is threatened by the push to strip mine for metals, an industry that produces more toxic pollution annually than any other in the nation. Learn about these beautiful rivers, their wild watersheds and rare plants and help us protect them from this growing threat.

January 14, 2018

A first in Oregon | The North Fork Smith Outstanding Resource Waters

A first in Oregon | The North Fork Smith Outstanding Resource Waters
It was unanimous and a first for Oregon. On July 17th of last year, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission named the National Wild and Scenic North Fork Smith River, its… Read more
July 13, 2017

The Science | Why Oregon’s Outstanding Resource Waters designation should include the North Fork Smith’s tributaries and wetlands

The Science | Why Oregon’s Outstanding Resource Waters designation should include the North Fork Smith’s tributaries and wetlands
Updated 7/13/2017 - The waters of the North Fork Smith and its tributaries are of the highest quality and unbelievably clear. But this is not just some random good fortune.… Read more
May 16, 2017

Video – Thank you for clean water and clean rivers into the future

Video – Thank you for clean water and clean rivers into the future
There is no way to individually acknowledge all those who contributed so much and worked tirelessly to get in place a 20-year mineral withdrawal for this rugged, remote corner of… Read more
February 23, 2017

Protect the North Fork Smith River, its tributaries and wetlands as Oregon’s first Outstanding Resource Waters

Protect the North Fork Smith River, its tributaries and wetlands as Oregon’s first Outstanding Resource Waters
Updated 2/27/2017 - The State of Oregon is proposing to designate the National Wild and Scenic North Fork Smith River, its tributaries and associated wetlands as Outstanding Resource Waters,… Read more
February 17, 2017

Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act reintroduced

Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act reintroduced
Representatives Peter DeFazio and Jared Huffman got right to it. On January 5th, two days after the 115th Congress convened, they reintroduced the Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Act… Read more
January 13, 2017

DeFazio, Huffman, Wyden, Merkley Proud to Help Protect Unique Southwest Oregon Lands from Mining

DeFazio, Huffman, Wyden, Merkley Proud to Help Protect Unique Southwest Oregon Lands from Mining
WASHINGTON—Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today secured a twenty-year ban on new mining projects in an ecologically… Read more
November 18, 2016

Local support for a 20-year Southwest Oregon Mineral Withdrawal overwhelms a third time

Local support for a 20-year Southwest Oregon Mineral Withdrawal overwhelms a third time
Neither the dark of night nor the rains of November deterred opponents of nickel strip mining in the Kalmiopsis and Wild Rivers Coast regions from making their… Read more
August 26, 2016

Support for Southwest Oregon Mineral Withdrawal is overwhelming

Support for Southwest Oregon Mineral Withdrawal is overwhelming
Forty-five thousand individuals, organizations, tribes, agencies, water districts, counties and city councils commented or signed petitions during two formal comment periods and two local hearings for the Southwestern Oregon Mineral… Read more
May 23, 2016

Two companies hold most of the mining claims in Southwest Oregon Mineral Withdrawal Area

Two companies hold most of the minng claims in withdrawal area
Two mining companies and what's called an association hold all but five of the existing federal mining claims in the U.S Forest Service and BLM's proposed 101,000 acre Southwestern Oregon… Read more
May 21, 2016

EPA | Metal mining biggest toxic polluter in U.S. again

EPA | Metal mining biggest toxic polluter in U.S. again
Post revised 5/25/2016.   EPA's latest Toxic Release Inventory report shows that the metal mining industry produced 45% of all toxic pollution in the United States in 2014. You won't hear advocates… Read more
May 16, 2016

Will the North Fork Smith River be Oregon’s first Outstanding Resource Waters?

Will the North Fork Smith River be Oregon’s first Outstanding Resource Waters?
It's a favorite of fisheries biologists and a small cadre of intrepid boaters who like their weather wet and their whitewater wild. The National Wild and Scenic North Fork… Read more
April 29, 2016

From headwaters to coast | Kids, communities say no to nickel mines and yes to clean water

From headwaters to coast | Kids, communities say no to nickel mines and yes to clean water
We look back to September 11, 2015 on the Wild Rivers Coast. It was one of those days that verged on perfect. The evening before, the Gold Beach hearing for… Read more
October 4, 2015

The proposed mining withdrawal | decades in the making

The proposed mining withdrawal | decades in the making
What just happened may have seemed out of the blue to some but the recently proposed mining withdrawal has been decades in the making. It's purpose is to provide interim… Read more
September 10, 2015

Officials get overwhelming support for river protection and resounding no to mines

Officials get overwhelming support for river protection and resounding no to mines
Residents of Southwest Oregon's Wild Rivers Coast like their water pure, rivers clean, air fresh and salmon healthy. That was the message about 200 people had for the Forest Service, BLM,… Read more
May 24, 2015

No place for the most polluting industry in America

No place for the most polluting industry in America
Once more the metal mining industry is largest toxic polluter in the United States. On January 15th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the latest numbers from the nation's… Read more