Bark’s Earth Month Updates
Happy Earth Month! In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd, we’ve lined up a whole month’s worth of ways to celebrate, defend, and give back to the lands we love. If you’re looking for a hands-on chance to get out on Mt. Hood and be in community, join us for our first public beaver habitat survey field day on April 23rd!
Keep reading for updates on:
- Implications of the Forest Service “reorganization”
- Clackamas River Ranger District Open House
- The latest on threats like H.R. 655 and the Roadless Rule rescission
- Improvements to our beaver survey habitat protocols
- “Addressing Climate Change with Beavers” recording now available
- Dates for our summer campouts
- Seeking new Bark Board members
- News we’re following
- Support Bark at Final Switchback’s Studio Sale
- All our upcoming field days and events!
Forest Watch Updates
By Jordan Latter, Forest Watch Program Manager
A Historic Shakeup of the Forest Service
The U.S. Forest Service recently announced what is arguably the most significant reorganization in its 121-year history. The agency will move its national headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Salt Lake City and shift from its long-standing regional structure to a new state-based model. That means the closure of regional offices, including Region 6 here in Portland, with a new State Director’s office opening in Salem.
Research is also being consolidated, with a new central hub in Fort Collins, Colorado, and many existing research sites slated for closure. While Oregon will retain facilities in Corvallis and La Grande, we still don’t know what this means for the future of the agency’s research, especially as funding cuts loom for programs not aligned with current leadership priorities.
Taken together, these changes are likely to trigger a major loss of institutional knowledge. We’ve seen this before: when the Bureau of Land Management relocated its headquarters in 2020, nearly 90% of affected staff chose to leave rather than move. With thousands of Forest Service positions impacted nationwide, we could see a similar exodus.
All of this is unfolding as we head into what could be a severe wildfire season, compounded by historically low snowpack across the West. At the same time, the Forest Service’s FY27 proposed budget points to deep cuts across nearly every Forest Service program, except those tied to logging and grazing.
This moment raises serious concerns about how, and whether, the Forest Service will be able to effectively steward public lands in the months and years ahead.
Official Announcement
More Specifics/Maps
Fact Sheet
Clackamas River Ranger District Open House
Amid these broader shifts, we’re seeing efforts at Mt. Hood NF’s district level to stay connected with the public. The Clackamas River Ranger District is hosting an open house on April 21 at the Estacada Public Library, where community members can drop in, meet staff, and learn about ongoing and upcoming work.
When: April 21st, 5-7 pm
Where: Flora Community Room, Estacada Public Library, 825 NW Wade St., Estacada
Contact information: Clackamas River Ranger District, (971) 333-4100
Bark has been continuously advocating for public engagement in our talks with MHNF leadership so were glad to hear about this event. Forest Watch Committee will be attending in lieu of our usual meeting at the Bark office. If you’re in the area, I encourage you to stop by, ask questions, and stay engaged.
Strong Turnout for Roadless Rule Town Hall
We also saw a great turnout—around 60 to 80 people—at a recent town hall in Portland on the future of the Roadless Rule hosted by our conservation partners. ICYMI, the current administration has proposed to rescind the widely popular Roadless Rule, which protects over 44 million acres of inventoried roadless areas from road-building, logging, and development. Congresswoman Andrea Salinas joined us to speak about her efforts to permanently protect roadless areas through federal legislation, and her staff stayed to listen closely to community input.
I had the chance to speak about the economics of road-building and maintenance. The Forest Service already faces billions of dollars in deferred maintenance on existing roads, which makes proposals to expand the road system both impractical and fiscally irresponsible. Many attendees shared ecological, cultural, and fire-related reasons for protecting roadless areas, and several noted they had participated in the original rulemaking process over two decades ago. For them, it was striking—and frustrating—to be having this conversation all over again.
The event was covered by the Oregon Capital Chronicle and republished by OPB. A recording of the event will be submitted as official public testimony when the next comment period opens, which should be any day now. Stay tuned.
Read the full text of my talk
Read news coverage of the event
Pressure Mounts on H.R. 655
Bark and our coalition partners’ campaign to oppose H.R. 655—the proposal to transfer 150 acres of Mt. Hood National Forest to The Dalles to support water infrastructure for the city’s data centers—is gaining traction. Recent media coverage suggests our pressure is making an impact. Reporting by The Oregonian has also highlighted the rapidly growing water demands of data centers, with the latest estimate showing Google’s operations grew to nearly 40% of The Dalles’ total water use in 2025.
Even the bill’s sponsor has acknowledged that it may not pass, citing strong opposition from groups like ours and the broader community.
This is a powerful reminder: when we organize, speak out, and stay persistent, we can shift the narrative, and more importantly, the outcome.
Opposition to data centers is growing. How far can it go? – Columbia Insight
Google’s data centers drink more Oregon water, bringing fresh concerns over secrecy – The Oregonian
Restoration Updates
New Beaver Survey Tool Unlocked!
This month, I’ve been busy getting acquainted with a new digital data form that we’ll be using for our beaver habitat surveys. We’re now using Survey123, an ArcGIS-based digital data form that standardizes beaver habitat surveys statewide. That means the data we collect feeds directly into a shared database used by researchers and agencies like the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and makes our work more impactful and easier to put into action.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been practicing surveying with the new form and found promising sites for both a future Beaver Dam Analog installation and beaver relocation!
Pictures here and here
OMSI Sci Pub Recap: Beavers & Climate Resilience
I also had the chance to step out of the field and into a packed room at OMSI for a Science Pub talk on “Addressing Climate Change with Beavers.” The event sold out, and it was energizing to connect with so many people eager to learn about the role beavers can play in restoring ecosystems and building climate resilience.
If you missed it, you can check out the recording HERE.
Save the Date for our Upcoming Campouts!
We’re excited to announce the dates for two campouts with Bark this summer!
June 25-28
Our first campout will focus on surveying the SWER project. This project is in the same area as the Crystal Clear project that Bark successfully litigated a few years back and spans from Clear Lake east along the Warm Springs reservation boundary.
July 9-12
The second campout will focus on surveying the Nohorn project in the SW part of the Forest near Bagby Hot Springs.
Campouts allow us to collect much more data than we’re able to do in a single field day with the added fun of hanging out with fellow Barkers at camp afterwards. We use the data we collect while groundtruthing or surveying wetlands and beaver habitat during these campouts to advocate for added protections for large trees, riparian areas, and sensitive ecosystems.
More info and registration links coming soon, but we know summer is a busy time, so mark your calendars now!
Are you our next board member?
We are looking for applicants with experience in nonprofit management, environmental justice, and/or financial knowledge to join the Bark Board of Directors. We value lived experiences and skills that can contribute to our mission. We encourage you to apply here: Bark Board Application 2026
For more information on expectations, roles and responsibilities please read over our Board Prospectus.
News We’re Following
- Pacific Northwest Region | Forest Service announces next steps and updated timeline for Northwest Forest Plan Amendment | Forest Service
- New Forest Service NEPA regs officially adopted: Federal Register :: National Environmental Policy Act
- Judge nixes Trump changes to Endangered Species Act regs – E&E News by POLITICO
Support Bark while you shop at Final Switchback’s Studio Sale!
Spruce up your home or office with some stunning art & support Bark while you’re at it! The artist behind Final Switchback, Katie Reim, is hosting a studio sale on April 25th with 20-75% off in-stock goods, samples, and unique imperfects, along with light drinks + refreshments, mystery bags, and giveaways!
100% of ticket sales will be donated to Bark!
Saturday, April 25th
2222 NE Oregon St. (entrance on Irving St.)
12-2 pm (Ticketed)
2-6 pm (Open Studio)
Earth Month Events
As always, you can find *most* of our upcoming events on our Events page.
One other community event to highlight:
Shared Wild: Barking for Public Lands Film Screening
Apr 17, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Columbia Center For the Arts
215 Cascade Ave, Hood River
Join Friends of the Columbia Gorge for a special screening of the Shared Wild Series, a short film series directed by Friends’ Digital Content Producer Monique Trevett that celebrates community, conservation, and recreation in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Bark’s very own Jordan Latter is featured in one of the films!