Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt's Announcement

 Siskiyou Wild Rivers National Monument 

January 17, 2001

No Designation For Most Biodiverse Ancient Forest Region in U.S.

January 17, 2001 - President Bill Clinton today created six new national monuments, but the Siskiyou was not among them. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt announced earlier this week during a visit to Oregon that more assessment was needed before a decision can be made about the creation of the proposed Siskiyou Wild Rivers National Monument in southern Oregon. Babbitt cited an old promise to carefully listen to all sides of the issue and at least attempt to reach public agreement on how best to manage the land before it would be declared a national monument.

He instead will ask Clinton to approve a two-year moratorium on new mining claims in the Siskiyou, calling it his "farewell gift." Babbitt said he thinks the Siskiyou is "probably the most important, the most biologically significant unprotected landscape in the American West," and he believes it will one day be protected as a national monument, national park, or national conservation area.

As one of the top ten temperate coniferous forest ecoregions in North America, the Siskiyou Mountain region’s unique biodiversity is currently threatened by logging, mining, and other destructive activities.

The proposed Siskiyou Wild Rivers National Monument would encompass valuable salmon and steelhead habitat over 1150 miles long, while also protecting one of the most diverse floras in a region within the U.S., since the varied geological formations of the Siskiyou support rare endemic plant species. The threatened watersheds within the proposed area are also key to endangered species such as the northern spotted own (Strix occidentalis caurina) and marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmaratus).

The elevation of the proposed Monument spans from 7000 feet along the Siskiyou crest, to 100 feet along coastal streams, and includes 5 Congressionally-designated National Wild and Scenic rivers and 9 more candidates. The proposal would restrict most logging, prevent new mining claims, and close roadless areas to motorized vehicles and give no authorization for new roads. Non-destructive recreational activities could continue.

Letter from Dr. E.O. Wilson, Dr. Stuart Pimm, and Save America's Forests Director Carl Ross
endorsing designation of Siskiyou Wild Rivers National Monument