The Elk River watershed is a magical place of rugged mountains, majestic old-growth forests, rare marbled murrelets, endangered spotted owls, and the most productive wild salmon and steelhead fisheries outside of Alaska.

But this pristine ancient forest ecosystem continues to be threatened by clearcut logging and road building on its steep mountainsides.

Even though these days the Forest Service has replaced the term clearcut with regeneration cut, an on-site walk reveals essentially the same devastated landscape.

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For 37 years, Friends of Elk River worked to:

• establish the Grassy Knob Wilderness Area to protect the middle stretch of Elk River
• obtain Wild & Scenic designation to protect a quarter-mile corridor on each side of Elk river
• establish the Copper Salmon Wilderness Area to protect the headwaters of Elk River

Existing protection is not enough. Crucial areas of Elk River Watershed still remain vulnerable and threatened by USFS policies & practices. To safeguard public lands in this important watershed, we’re creating the Elk River Salmon Emphasis Area, a Special Management designation that will keep our mountainsides intact and our salmon streams running cool & clear.