Our Story
NEST is an all-volunteer group of self-organizing, tree-climbing humans. We take on a role as canopy surveyors, who utilize the Northwest Forest Plans Survey and Manage laws to protect ancient forests threatened by clearcut logging.
"Survey and Manage" laws protect the endangered species in Oregon's forests. Endangered species need habitat to survive, so if you find an endangered critter, the trees that it lives in cannot be cut. The Red Tree Vole and The Marbled Murrelet live in trees that are 150-400 years old, so we are trying to keep the oldest forests in the country standing. Only 4% of Oregon's old growth forest remains after decades of heavy logging. NEST, as well as many Oregonians, know that there is nothing like an ancient forest, the mammoth trunks and hanging green moss are a sight to behold. These forests are home to many species of owl, bear, salmon, bird, snake, frog, and deer. Unfortunately, the managers of these precious ecosystems still try to clearcut them.
NEST formed in response to this phenomenon in 1998, when several observant forest defenders noticed paid USFS surveyors climbing trees. These paid surveyors were seeking the treetop nests of red tree voles. Unfortunately, their abstract survey protocol does not fully account for tree vole habitat, and it is not ideal for finding nests.
Under Survey and Manage, each red tree vole nest documented was required to receive a 10-acre surrounding buffer where no logging could occur. Following a little research, the forest defenders realized just what needed to be done to do a much more thorough job, on their own. They went out to the woods to do the surveys themselves.
The Impact
Since this time, NEST has found hundreds of Red Tree Vole nests in areas that were slated for logging. Thousands of acres of forest have been saved, as a result of NEST surveys.
Timber sales that have been canceled, largely due to NEST surveys, include the Clark Timber Sale (site of the Fall Creek Tree-sit), Straw Devil (site of a years-long occupation), and others.
Forest preservationists have very few tools to work with, and NEST is the most direct way we have found to confront forest management agencies and logging companies. They may not listen when people hold signs outside their offices, but they cannot ignore good documentation of endangered species.
NEST has surveyed everywhere from the Illinois Valley of Southern Oregon, as far north as the Mt. Hood National Forest, and many sites in between. Some timber sales surveyed include Althouse Sucker, Anderson West, Deer Creek, Boney Skull, Cow Catcher, Trapper, and many others.
We hope to climb in many more!
For more information on NEST, visit the website at:
What We Need & What You Get
We are trying to raise $2,000 for this summer and beyond. A large portion of that money will go to gas. We have to drive anywhere from 1-4 hours, depending where NEST is currently located, and gas is very expensive these days!
We also need to buy new climbing ropes ($300+ each) and a new compound bow (which can cost up to $700). We use bows to shoot climbing lines into the tops of the trees, and then climbing harnesses to ascend the rope into the canopy.
The community of Eugene, OR is very supportive of us. Local businesses donate most of the food we eat throughout the summer because they know how important our work is. In Oregon, the forest belongs to everyone, but not everybody has time to fight for it. But we are still in need of money for gas and gear.
DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE AS NEST IS A 501c3 NON-PROFIT.
For donations of $20 you will receive:
A monthly e-newsletter, informing you of NEST's successes, locations, and adventures.
$50 or more:
e-newsletter plus a handmade patch with the NEST logo
$100 or more:
e-newsletter + patches + a NEST t-shirt
$250 or more:
e-newsletter + patches + t-shirt + a NEST sweatshirt in your size
$500 or more:
e-newsletter + patches + t-shirt or sweatshirt + high quality photographic prints of the sales we survey, the huge trees inside them, and the tiny people that climb them!
Other Ways You Can Help
Even if you can't donate, you can help by passing the our campaign to interested parties/friends. Get the word out! Or even better, come visit the Oregon forests and climb with us! If you are interested in getting involved, contact us via our website,
http://nestcascadia.wordpress.com
Thanks! May the Forest Be With You!
