2cmorau
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- Nov 8, 2010
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On November 18th, 2011, Representative Peter DeFazio introduced legislation to expand the wild section of the Rogue River. This comes off the back of Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber writing a letter to Ken Salazar naming the Rogue River as a "crown jewel" on October 6th, 2011. Kitzhaber's letter was a response to a general request from Salazar requesting that local and state governments make suggestions on more areas of Public Land to lock up under quasi wilderness designation.
DeFazio's current legislation is his third attempt to steal important mineral, timber and water resources on the Rogue River from citizens. The current legislation seeks to not only lock up an additional 58,000 acres of land, but also seeks to permanently withdraw 93 stream miles of waterways under a wild and scenic designation which would also take in a corridor of 1/4 of a mile on each side of the waterway. Streams included within their attack include such notably rich Rogue River tributaries as Galice Creek, Grave Creek, Quartz Creek, Whiskey Creek, Kelsey Creek, Howard Creek, Bailey Creek and dozens of others.
Included within the legislation is the naming of the "roadless area" in honor of legendary Western author, Zane Grey who was a regular visitor to this section of the Rogue River during the 1920's. The "stick in the eye" so to speak, is that Zane Grey was widely known as a friend to Galice miners and particularly to the legendary Harry Lewis who operated not only the Rocky Gulch Placer, but also later leased the famous Old Channel Mine. Grey typically used the Lewis Ranch at Rocky Bar as a staging area for his fishing trips and many stories are still told by Galice old timers about Grey's visits to the Lewis place. Remnants of the Harry Lewis Ranch can still be seen above Rocky Bar today, along with evidence of his mine workings which was mainly worked by hydraulic and later steam shovel means. Zane Grey did much to popularize fishing and recreation on the Rogue River near Galice, with his articles in sportsman magazines, but also especially his books "Tales of Fresh Water Fishing" (1928) and "Rogue River Feud" (1929). Up until this time, this section of the Rogue River was largely populated only by miners, who felt a particularly close affinity to the area and to the river. Throngs of fishermen soon crowded the banks of the river near Galice and Grey, with much regret, soon left the Rogue River, feeling that it had been overfished and ruined. For the remainder of his life, he focused his fishing efforts on the North Umpqua and did so very quietly for fear of it becoming over-fished.
As wild as Galice may still be, contrary to the utter nonsense spouted by DeFazio, Kitzhaber and their cohorts in organizations like KS Wild, the area around Galice is far from being a pristine wilderness. This area is foremost a district of rich mines and the evidence of mining in the area is so very apparent that it stands as a great symbol of Southern Oregon's mining history. In the meantime, it is still very much a mining area to the extent that it is a little known fact that most of its full time residents are in fact, independent miners. In this sense, Galice Creek and Grave Creek stand almost as holy places among the mining community and it is important that this legislation is beaten back.
Miners everywhere are requested to do their part, by writing to the Josephine County Board of Commissioners and to ask them to oppose the takings of Galice Creek and Grave Creek
http://www.jeffersonminingdistrict....nches-Attack-On-Galice-Creek-Grave-Creek.html
DeFazio's current legislation is his third attempt to steal important mineral, timber and water resources on the Rogue River from citizens. The current legislation seeks to not only lock up an additional 58,000 acres of land, but also seeks to permanently withdraw 93 stream miles of waterways under a wild and scenic designation which would also take in a corridor of 1/4 of a mile on each side of the waterway. Streams included within their attack include such notably rich Rogue River tributaries as Galice Creek, Grave Creek, Quartz Creek, Whiskey Creek, Kelsey Creek, Howard Creek, Bailey Creek and dozens of others.
Included within the legislation is the naming of the "roadless area" in honor of legendary Western author, Zane Grey who was a regular visitor to this section of the Rogue River during the 1920's. The "stick in the eye" so to speak, is that Zane Grey was widely known as a friend to Galice miners and particularly to the legendary Harry Lewis who operated not only the Rocky Gulch Placer, but also later leased the famous Old Channel Mine. Grey typically used the Lewis Ranch at Rocky Bar as a staging area for his fishing trips and many stories are still told by Galice old timers about Grey's visits to the Lewis place. Remnants of the Harry Lewis Ranch can still be seen above Rocky Bar today, along with evidence of his mine workings which was mainly worked by hydraulic and later steam shovel means. Zane Grey did much to popularize fishing and recreation on the Rogue River near Galice, with his articles in sportsman magazines, but also especially his books "Tales of Fresh Water Fishing" (1928) and "Rogue River Feud" (1929). Up until this time, this section of the Rogue River was largely populated only by miners, who felt a particularly close affinity to the area and to the river. Throngs of fishermen soon crowded the banks of the river near Galice and Grey, with much regret, soon left the Rogue River, feeling that it had been overfished and ruined. For the remainder of his life, he focused his fishing efforts on the North Umpqua and did so very quietly for fear of it becoming over-fished.
As wild as Galice may still be, contrary to the utter nonsense spouted by DeFazio, Kitzhaber and their cohorts in organizations like KS Wild, the area around Galice is far from being a pristine wilderness. This area is foremost a district of rich mines and the evidence of mining in the area is so very apparent that it stands as a great symbol of Southern Oregon's mining history. In the meantime, it is still very much a mining area to the extent that it is a little known fact that most of its full time residents are in fact, independent miners. In this sense, Galice Creek and Grave Creek stand almost as holy places among the mining community and it is important that this legislation is beaten back.
Miners everywhere are requested to do their part, by writing to the Josephine County Board of Commissioners and to ask them to oppose the takings of Galice Creek and Grave Creek
http://www.jeffersonminingdistrict....nches-Attack-On-Galice-Creek-Grave-Creek.html
Upvote
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They dang sure don't want us using it. 
? theyll be wanting us to teardown the highways/and all the buildings and bring it all back to pristein land before man stepped on it?? im all for leaving the land clean and not all trashed up! but with the ecconomy as it is, this has gone waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to far! they even want to dictate to us what we can eat and where you can smoke at! where will it all stop and at what point is to much?? only the American voting public can/will decide on this! "we the people" put these kinds of people into office and "we the people can take him out of office" but only if we get involved! but im very doubtfull this will happen!
