Rough and Ready Creek – an endangered river of flowers

Rough and Ready Creek flows in great sweeping bends through an ancient and wild land. With the highest concentration of rare and endemic plants in Oregon, it’s literally a river of flowers. It’s watershed is the epitome of the botanically rich serpentine terrain of the Klamath-Siskiyou Region. Its broad flood plain unique in the world.

The Ready  and Ready Creek Area of Critical Environmental Concern—established to preserve the creek’s unique flood plain—is threatened by mining.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the Rough and Ready Creek area has “exceptionally high scientific, social and ecological values.”[1] The Bureau of Land Management says the creek has “exceptional water quality and clarity.”[2]  But despite the accolades and highest of recommendations by those in charge of its federal public lands, Rough and Ready Creek is increasingly threatened because of an seriously outdated mining law, global forces and inaction by managing agencies and congress.

Even at flood stage Rough and Ready Creek’s waters are exceptionally clear—a reflection of the integrity of its pristine watershed.

Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River Recommendations

In 1994, the U.S. Forest Service found Rough and Ready Creek “eligible” to become a Wild and Scenic River. In 2004, the Secretary of Agriculture recommended Wilderness designation for the watersheds of the North and South Forks of Rough and Ready Creek and Baldface Creek. Check out our webpage with the backstory and supporting documents on the U.S. Forest Service’s 2004 proposed Kalmiopsis Wilderness Additions.

The Redwood Highway (199) provides access to the Rough and Ready Creek State Botanical Wayside and BLM Area of Critical Environmental Concern—a favorite community open space and outdoor classroom.

Strong support from home state Senators and Representative

Previous to that in 1999, Senator Ron Wyden asked President Clinton to help him protect five extraordinary areas in Oregon. Rough and Ready Creek and the South Kalmiopsis are the only one of the five not yet permanently protected. Read Senator Wyden’s letter (pdf) to President Clinton.

 

In 1998, Representative Peter DeFazio, with Senator Wyden, led the charge against the proposed nickel mining at Rough and Ready Creek. Read Senator Wyden and Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Peter DeFazio’s 1999 letter to Chief of the Forest Service, Mike Dombeck.

And with Senator Merkley they’re still leading the charge, Read their 2010 letter to the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior. In it Senators Wyden and Merkley and Mr. DeFazio write:

“The Rough and Ready Creek Watershed is one of the most botanically diverse areas on the West Coast and is eligible to be added to the National Wild and Scenic River System. The Forest Service has already contributed substantial resources to studying the area and has confirmed that the Rough and Ready Creek Watershed contains “incredible natural values” and mining in the area would result in “irreversible and significant” impacts.

The letter also states that:

“The unique resource values of the Rough and Ready Creek Watershed are threatened by the prospect of a large nickel mining operation. This operation has been widely opposed by the local population due to its potential health and environmental impacts and cost to taxpayers. In 2003 through 2005, the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to conduct a complex mineral exam of the 161 mining claims in the area. The claims were found not valid. Despite this great expense to the public, the area remains open to new mining claims – which could result in additional mining proposals and possibly set up another round of expensive and duplicative mineral exams and mining plan analysis at great cost to taxpayers.”

Rough and Ready Creek is a botanical wonderland with the highest concentration of rare and endemic plants in Oregon and new species forming through hybridization.

Overwhelming support from the public—local and regional

In the age before email and social media, the homegrown grassroots movement to protect Rough and Ready Creek was a somewhat of a phenomena. The public overwhelming opposed the Nicore Nickel Mine. The Forest Service received 5,000 comments saying “no” to mining and 10 comments supporting the mine.[1] The ratio of opposition to support at local Forest Service hearings was equally lopsided. According to the Nicore Record of Decision, many of the comment letters asked to have the area withdrawn from mining.

Get a blast from the past. Read this front page Oregonian article (pdf) about the courageous decision by the Forest Service to stand up to the Nicore Mine proponent. By 1999, the effort to protect Rough and Ready Creek had become statewide with the 4,000 member Oregon Federation of Garden Clubs joining the effort. So what happened? Why is Rough and Ready Creek still threatened by a nickel strip mine proposal?

In the late 1990s, the locally driven struggle to protect Rough and Ready Creek made headlines across the West.

The gathering storm over Rough and Ready Creek

Despite the highest of praise from the federal agencies who manage its watershed, strong public support for its protection and congressional champions, the threat of nickel strip mining still looms over Rough and Ready Creek and nearby communities who cherish it.  The earlier proposed Nicore Mine and now the updated RNR Mine proposal are like dark clouds looming on the horizon.

As the threat of the former began to fade, the new proposal appeared more menacing than ever. The 2011 RNR Mine proposal now includes the construction of a smelter, nickel laterite drying facility and slag disposal site.

Glacial progress favors the mining company

The mining threats at Rough and Ready Creek are compounded by the long running multiple lawsuits against the federal government. See Court of Federal Claims here and District Court of the District of Columbia here.  They will not go away as long as the area is open to mining under the 1872 Mining Law.

With the legal challenges, China driving the global value of nickel upwards and lack of permanent protection comes the fear that at some point the mine proponent will win or the federal government will get tired and settle.

 If you think you’ve seen Rough and Ready Creek, look again

The Rough and Ready Creek botanical wild area is desert-like in appearance only. The creek’s watershed (even at low elevations) can receive 110 inches or more of precipitation annually.[3]  Along its banks and dotting benches and uplands are springs that emerge from rock, once at the bottom of the ocean. The springs form Serpentine Darlingtonia Wetlands – one of North America’s rarest vegetation types.

One of the lush Serpentine Darlingtonia Wetlands along Rough an Ready Creek. A proposed mine haul route goes through this area. 

Pictured in the above photo are: Darlingtonia, Bog Aspodell, Stream Orchids, California Lady Slipper Orchids, Volmer’s Lily, Wild Azalea, Port Orford Cedar and a variety of grasses and sedges.

Rabbit brush from the great basin blooms underneath Port Orford cedar from fog shrouded  coastal forests. Native bunch grasses form small Jeffrey pine savannas, with their own compliment of rare plants. Even the rocks bloom.

At Rough and Ready Creek, even the rocks bloom, Rough and Ready Creek Botanical Area. Barbara Ullian photo

An Endangered American River

In April of 2013, American River’s named Rough and Ready Creek and Baldface Creek as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers. Read about the listing and take action.