Foot print

This is a fun site to look at our environmental foot print.
http://www.earthday.net/footprint/flash.html
I have been trying to post articles writen by our students here at Warner Pacific but it has been complicated.
This article was written by Connie Brown:
Restoring the Sandy River
January 20, 2009
The waters of Oregon’s Sandy River start high up on the glacial slopes of Mount Hood. As the river winds down its 50-mile path to connect with the Columbia River, it drops 6000 ft and passes through landscapes, upland terraces, pristine old-growth forests, and deep slot canyons. The pristine of the river’s ability to keep all natural biodiversity, conservation, and preservation to its natural condition is by all means truly incredible. However, it takes more than just Mother Nature to keep our urban ecological footprints to a minimum size.The natural biodiversity described by Tu and Soll suggest: “The forested upland terraces of the Sandy River provide habitat for spotted owls, black bears, cougars and elk. The river itself provides excellent habitat for a myriad of native species, including viable wild runs of federally threatened steelhead trout and Chinook salmon. Some of the best remaining tracts of low elevation old growth Douglas fir forest in Oregon are in the Sandy River watershed, and these forests are home to several rare and endemic species. Significant portions of the Sandy River system are designated as an Oregon Scenic Waterway and as a federal Wild and Scenic River.” (Tu, Soll, 2004) The Sandy River offers so much life to animals, plants and trees it is very important to keep in sync with what Mother Nature provides.An article written in The Nature Conservancy explains: “Long before the Cascade Range existed, the ancestral Sandy River began carving its meandering course. As the Cascades rose, the stream cut through twenty million years of northwest Oregon geology, carving a 700-foot-deep gorge that exposes a cross-section of seven major geologic formations. The Sandy River's cold waters originate in the snowfields of Mt. Hood.” It’s hard to believe that the Sandy River is the last undeveloped western Oregon River near a metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon. We owe it all to the Diack family; in the 1970’s they donated 156 acres of their property to the Conservancy; hoping this would help keep the natural beauty of the rural area. According to The Nature Conservancy: “Today, after years of planning and coordination by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, state agencies, Metro and private conservation groups, most of the Sandy River Gorge is protected and managed for its natural, scientific, educational and recreational values.” The area has been and always will be popular with wildlife watchers, anglers, rafters and kayakers.In 2007, Portland General Electric along with 20 other private companies, helped with restoring the wildlife refuge and the reduction of Steelhead Trout and Chinook salmon in the Sandy River. By the removal of Marmot and Little Sandy dams, the river runs freely now. This was the biggest damn removal in the Northwest in the last forty year. Written in the American Rivers, an article claims by removing this damn; “will restore salmon and steelhead, improve recreation, and create a wild river refuge in Portland’s backyard.” (Kober, Swift, 2009)It is our ethical obligation to obtain the natural environment of the Sandy River; not only for the animals and plants, but for the people as well. With the vast population growth we need a peaceful place to escape too for relaxation and spending quality time with family and friends.
References
Kober, Swift, Amy, Brett (2009). Restoring the Sandy River. American Rivers Thriving by Nature, Retrieved January 18, 2009, from http://www.americanrivers.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AR7_Region_Northwest_Sandy The Sandy River George. Why It's Important, Retrieved January 19, 2009, from http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/oregon/preserves/art6807.html Tu, Soll, Mandy, Jonathan (2004). Sandy River, Northern Oregon. The Nature Conservancy, Retrieved 1/18/09, from http://tncinvasives.ucdavis.edu/stories/or002/or002.rtf. Withgott, Brennan, J, S (2008). Environment the science behind the stories. San Francisco, CA: Pearson Education, Inc.