Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Should Ashland homeowners be able to rent rooms short-term? Beetles taking toll on Ashland pines Forum to explores data gathered in National Monument Northwest Pizza to raise money for Ashland Schools Foundation Education Northwest Pizza to raise money for Ashland Schools Foundation Prisoners in their own home Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Ashland Kiwanis recognizes Samara Diab Environment Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Legislature might be divided on clean fuels bill, but these Ashlanders weren't Business Breaking ground on organic vineyard practices Southern Oregon University: Recent and pending projects at SOU total about $132 million Test Drive: 2015 Subaru Outback Limited Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Ride & Drive: 2015 Hyundai Genesis Politics and elections Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Mark L. Hopkins: Looking for a political straight shooter Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries James Ellis York Death Notices Death Notices Shiela R. Ettlich Karen June Shaw Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society Sports Latest Stories Weber, Smith earn All-American honors Oregon's Altman used to rebuilding, reloading Wade scores 32, Heat rally to beat Blazers AHS grad Bailey claims national wrestling title Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor High school Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Fredrickson leads Grizzlies to season-opening romp Grizz alpine skiers finish strong at state Ashland High's Honsinger tops field in final nordic ski meet Grizz snowboard team heads to state with repeat potential Southern Oregon University Weber, Smith earn All-American honors Oregon's Altman used to rebuilding, reloading AHS grad Bailey claims national wrestling title Thompson, Weber to play in all-star game Beavers get No. 3 seed, host NCAA games Voices Latest Stories Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Antionette Kerr: Some items shouldn’t fly with TSA Our View: Tuition trauma Letters to the Editor, March 19 Editorial Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Our view: Keep it simple in developing marijuana rules Our View: Ashland is at risk as a bad fire season looms Our View: Ashland backs residents over visitors in lodging decision Letters Letters to the Editor, March 19 Letters to the Editor, March 18 Letters to the Editor, March 17 Letters to the Editor, March 14 Letters to the Editor, March 12 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Guest Opinion: Ashland schools failed to protect my son from bullying Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report Columns Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Council Corner: City considers the sharing economy Herb Rothschild Jr.: Demonizing Putin makes case for war Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Best bets for entertainment around Ashland, March 19 Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Community blog: Herzog scholarship for young writers Movie listings: March 13-18 Theater Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Oregon Shakespeare Festival designer for a half-century says he's still learning Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Music Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center The Farr Side: Madonna — ever the trendsetter Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie listings: March 20-26 More wonderful wrinkles at 'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' 8 must-see spring films Movie review: ‘Wrecking Crew’ is a look at the people who really put the bomp Movie review: ‘Cinderella’ is an instant classic Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories A better bedtime Studying stress Eat this, not that Peanut allergy breakthrough Stargazing is a fun, free family activity Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet ... Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area ... Ticket Availability ... Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet ... Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area ... Ticket Availability ... WILD SIDE Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species By Joseph Vaile DailyTidings.com By Joseph Vaile Posted Mar. 17, 2015 @ 7:18 pm By Joseph Vaile Posted Mar. 17, 2015 @ 7:18 pm » RELATED CONTENT • The top five conservation success of 2014 • Fires and forests evolved together, but now people are in the mix... • What do you think about the return of wolves in Jackson C... » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> If not for the extra puffy Patagonia jacket, I surely would have frozen to death on the side of the road that day. The temperature was sub-zero and I stood motionless in Yellowstone National Park for hours waiting to catch a glimpse of a grey wolf in the wild.  Dozens of others were gathered on the side of the road decked out in winter gear, many with pricey spotting scopes scanning for wildlife. Then it happened. A woman shouted, “I got one!” With the naked eye, you could see one, then another, speck move across the snow-covered opening.  Two grey wolves trotted out of the brush and lay down in the sun after apparently feeding on an elk carcass. It was the first and only time I had ever seen a wolf in the wild.  We all watched the two wolves lay there, stomachs distended from gorging on the elk meal. Everyone was quiet, entranced by what we were witnessing. I stepped back from my turn at the borrowed spotting scope and looked around at all these people who cared deeply about wolves.  I thought about the question I often get asked, usually immediately after I tell someone what I do for a living: “Why does it matter that we save endangered species?” My answer could include many really good human-centered reasons why it is important to save endangered species. I could state the fact that each year, wolf-related tourism brings $30 million to communities around Yellowstone. Or I could talk about the life-saving medicines we keep discovering from plants. If we wipe out these species, we may have lost a cure. Or I could talk about the role that species play in ensuring that our ecosystems provide us with clean water, clean air and numerous recreational activities. I could also tell the story of wolf recovery in Yellowstone, that in the years following the reintroduction of wolves in Yellowstone, studies showed surprising and controversial results. Wolf recovery actually benefited rivers inside the park. The presence of wolves was linked to increased movement of elk, which in turn led to less browsing on willows near streams. What some scientists call a “Trophic Cascade” of effects had occurred — the willows recovered and the birds returned. Some claim that a host of life was restored with the return of the wolf.  I could talk about how Congress answered that question in the Endangered Species Act of 1973, recognizing that endangered species “are of esthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its people.” Of course we know that our ecosystems are complex, and we may never fully understand the value of each and every species.  These are all good, logical reasons to save endangered species like the wolf. But, none of them would be my answer. What I believe in my heart is that we need to save endangered species because it is simply the right thing to do. Species have a right to exist and we don’t have a right to remove a species from the planet, to wipe them from the Earth forevermore.  I was in Yellowstone the same year that OR-7, possibly the world’s most famous wolf, made tracks of over 1,000 miles, eventually finding a mate and settling in Southern Oregon, where his pups were born. OR-7 is now officially a member of the Rogue Pack living in the Upper Rogue Watershed near the Sky Lakes wilderness.  The latest news is that there is a pair of wolves called the Keno pair living south of the Rogue Pack near the California border. It’s official: wolves are back in Southern Oregon! And they will likely be back in California fairly soon, decades after they were removed from the landscape.  The wolf is a symbol of the wild, a symbol of freedom and hope. We can make room for wolves here in Southern Oregon. Our ability to co-exist with a species like the wolf — and it might not always be easy or simple or without issues — speaks to who we are as a community, as a nation and as a civilization. A people that respects all species, as wild as they may be. Joseph Vaile is executive director of the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center (KS Wild, 541-488-5789, www.kswild.org). His Wild Side column appears every three weeks.   By Joseph Vaile DailyTidings.com By Joseph Vaile Posted Mar. 17, 2015 @ 7:18 pm » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501