Want to collaborate on a Wild & Scenic Earth Day Beer?
Great beer starts with clean water. You all know this better than anyone. And that's why Oregon Wild and the Oregon Brewshed® Alliance is working to advance federal Wild & Scenic River protections for 3,000+ miles of our at-risk waterways. This would be the largest expansion of river protections in Oregon history and it would safeguard the drinking watersheds (er, brewsheds) for 1.3 million Oregonians across the state!
Building on last year's inaugural collaboration series in which ten breweries across the state made delicious beers to benefit protection efforts of Oregon's rivers, we're back at it again with an invitation to collaborate with you on a special Wild & Scenic Earth Day collaboration beer this April!
Our friends at Yakima Chief Hops and Coleman Agriculture have once again generously offered to donate hops to participating breweries that craft a special beer to honor their watershed.
Please reach out to Jonathan at brewshed@oregonwild.org by February 16th for more information and to get in on this collaboration to protect clean water and rivers in Oregon!
VICTORY FOR OREGON'S FORESTS
Oregon Wild and our friends celebrated a significant legal victory in January. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) officially withdrew the proposed 4,600-acre Big League logging project in the Calapooia and Mohawk River Watersheds northeast of Eugene. The move followed a legal challenge from Oregon Wild and partners who raised concerns about the project's potential impacts on salmon habitat and water quality. The proposed project involved clearcut logging in the last remaining high-quality older forest stands within the Calapooia and Mohawk River Watersheds adjacent to habitat for threatened Upper Willamette River spring Chinook salmon.
The withdrawal of the Big League project emphasizes the importance of monitoring public lands logging projects and holding agencies accountable to the law. "We can all breathe a sigh of relief that, for now, these older stands can continue to grow and provide carbon storage to combat climate change and fish and wildlife habitat,” said John Persell, Staff Attorney for Oregon Wild.
BREWSHED® PARTNERS OF THE MONTH!
Established in 2012, Eugene's Claim 52 Brewing is a long-time Oregon Brewshed® Alliance partner. They've hosted numerous benefits and events to raise funds and awareness for watershed protection. The brewery is a strong advocate for healthy, clean water as vital to the community’s well-being and the quality of the beer they brew. Claim 52 Kitchen, in downtown Eugene, offers their fantastic brews and delicious food in a friendly atmosphere. Their beers are also available at restaurants and bars in the Eugene area that share their philosophy on quality, local ingredients, and community. Cheers!
“Clean water is vital to the health of our community as well as the quality of our product, so this is such a natural alliance for us. The events are a great way to help people connect the dots and get more people involved in supporting watershed protection.” - Mercy McDonald, owner
BREWSHED® BREWS IN THE WILD!
As a member of the Oregon Brewshed® Alliance, Sunriver Brewing brewed a special batch of Skinny Dippin’ IPA for last year’s Wild & Scenic Earth Day collaboration and it was a huge hit!
Their Rivermark Pilsner is also a favorite for those warm summer days spent on the river. This particular can was enjoyed along the banks of the North Santiam River, one of the many streams included in the River Democracy Act. Cheers to Oregon’s rivers!
HELP US CELEBRATE OREGON WILD'S 50th ANNIVERSARY
This year, Oregon Wild is celebrating five decades of being a strong voice for our amazing old-growth forests, pristine rivers, and native wildlife! 1.7 million acres of protected Wilderness, 2,200+ miles of Wild & Scenic Rivers safeguarded, and relentlessly defending native wildlife species and critical habitat. There's a lot to celebrate and we have a whole series of events planned to help toast some incredible conservation successes, while building more support moving forward.
Want to sponsor our 50th anniversary events and get prominent recognition year-round?!?!
Please reach out to us at brewshed@oregonwild.org for more details and to be part of this historic opportunity!