Oregon’s Ancient Forests: A Hiking Guide

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From the Publisher

EXCERPTED FROM THE FOREWORD

IN 2007 I WAS IN MY FIRST MONTHS on staff at Oregon Wild when I went with my colleague Chandra LeGue and Oregon conservation legend Andy Kerr to see Crabtree Valley—a place that the George W. Bush administration was proposing to designate for logging. Nearly lost in the maze of logging roads crisscrossing western Oregon’s Bureau of Land Management forests, we pulled out a little blue book that purported to show us the way to our destination: A Walking Guide to Oregon’s Ancient Forests by Wendell Wood.

I have to admit to feeling no small tinge of envy when Chandra told me, in 2017, of her plan to walk in Wendell’s footsteps to write a new version of the guide nearly three decades from its first publication in 1991.

A veteran of forest protection efforts in Oregon, Chandra had earned the time away from her day job to take on the daunting task of finding the best old-growth forest hikes in the state. While she was out exploring, she left the rest of the Oregon Wild staff to soak in the glory that comes from tackling the tasks of a forest advocate: sifting through National Environmental Policy Act documents, enduring long meetings while attempting to decode an alphabet soup of government acronyms, trying to convince Congress to listen to science over politics, and occasionally lifting a celebratory beer with colleagues before heading back into the fray to continue the fight for our forests. Let’s face it—we’d all rather be hiking!

Just after the original Ancient Forests guide was published, the landmark Northwest Forest Plan was enacted, stemming the tide of old-growth clear-cutting in Oregon. Much has changed in Oregon since then. The state’s population has ballooned by over one million people, many of whom are drawn here by the outdoor beauty. But new and old residents alike and visitors of all ages may have little understanding of the sometimes precarious protections that exist for the wild places they have come to love. There is a hunger for outdoor recreation information and a need to accompany those resources with a conservation ethic. I am so happy that Chandra took on the task to fill this void.

In the forest ten years ago, Chandra, Andy, and I puzzled over the impossibly complex directions outlined in Wendell’s book. But after a dozen turns, two doublebacks, and a harrowing twenty seconds along a steep ravine, the sixteen-year-old directions saved the day.

Of course, though sometimes tedious and without immediate reward, the work of Oregon Wild to protect our last ancient forests is as essential as it has ever been. Small actions over time add up to a significant legacy to pass on to future generations. Through the years we have helped advance protection for millions of acres of old-growth habitat through wilderness legislation and the Roadless Rule, support for policies that protect and restore forests and watersheds, and campaigns to secure permanent protection of mature and old-growth forests in the Northwest through federal legislation. We have worked with federal agencies to make the shift to forest restoration, using advances in science and a deeper understanding of ecosystems to drive policy.

I will never forget that day in Crabtree Valley. There I saw some of the largest, most awe-inspiring trees of my life. Knowing the power that Oregon’s ancient forests have to evoke wonder in those who visit, I have no doubt this book will leave you with memories you will cherish forever.

Sean Stevens, Executive Director, Oregon Wild

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mountaineers Books; Illustrated edition (May 30, 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1680512013
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1680512014
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.45 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.7 x 0.7 x 8.9 inches