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68 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, September 12, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 15, 2004 Backcountry hunters, anglers: Don’t lock up the land By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune When Eagle Point resident Mike Beagle hikes into the Sky Lakes Wilderness, he usually stops to pay his respects at a tall mountain hemlock tree near the southeast shore of Island Lake. Carved into the lake side of the tree is the name of four people, beginning with Judge J.B. Waldo, and the date — Sept. 13, 1888. As one of Oregon’s pioneer hunter-conservationists, Waldo had called for protecting wilderness along the crest of the Cascade Range. Back in the late summer of 1888, the campers stopped by the lake during a journey along what would become a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. Beagle is the chairman of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and a member of the group’s Judge John B. Waldo Founder’s Hall of Fame. Formed earlier this year by Beagle and another wilderness aficionado, the group is dedicated to "quality and ethical hunting and fishing opportunities in the wildlands of North America, and the aggressive protection of wilderness and other backcountry habitat for fish and wildlife," according to the mission statement. Advertisement "We’re kind of old-fashioned — that makes us conservative," says Beagle, 41, a 1981 graduate of Eagle Point High School. "A wilderness is not locked up — you can hunt, fish, hike," added the former Army officer who describes himself as a "Theodore Roosevelt Republican." Like many youngsters growing up in rural Oregon, Beagle lived for hunting, fishing and camping. He first hiked into the Sky Lakes area in 1972 — before it was a declared wilderness — when he was in elementary school. Since then, wilderness treks have been a passion for Beagle, a U.S. history teacher at South Medford High School, where he is also the assistant varsity baseball coach. He and his wife, Karin, who teaches at Butte Falls Elementary School, and their two children invariably spend time in the wild come summer break. "Our group wants to promote the backcountry hunting and angling experience," he says. "We wanted to find a way to have input from the perspective of hunters and anglers into the wilderness bills that come up. "I’m not bad-mouthing those other groups but it’s rarely the hunting and fishing interests that have a lot of input," he adds, referring to environmental organizations like the Sierra Club. The fledgling group, which he describes as a "refreshing alternative," will defend both wild country and its wildlife habitat as well as the right to hunt and fish in those areas, he says. "We are the type of folks that have a lot of appreciation for the spiritual, mental and physical benefits of the backcountry." He acknowledges some wilderness advocates are opposed to shooting a deer or catching a fish. "There is a negative feeling by some for hunters and anglers out there," he says. But he says responsible hunters and anglers understand the value of a healthy wilderness area. "By having wilderness, we can ensure we have places to hunt and fish," he says. On the Net:www.backcountryhunters.org. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities