Get Involved
You do not need to be an employee of Friends of the Clearwater to get involved and make a difference. In fact all you need is a burning desire to protect wild places and some time to make it happen. We are always looking for volunteers to help us with projects both in the office and out in the field. Students looking to gain more experience with wildlands protection and/or satisfy school requirements are encouraged to apply for one of our internship positions. Writing letters to your elected officials and your local newspaper editor is a great way to take part in the action too. Please look below for a number of ways to become part of our wonderful wildlands community.
Contribute to Friends of the Clearwater
Verification Hike
2008 NREPA hearings, in Washington DC
We rely upon individual contributions and foundation grants to conduct our ongoing efforts to protect and educate the public about the Wild Clearwater Country. FOC has been singularly influential and effective at environmental protection in this region. Through our efforts, including those of staff, board, and volunteers tens of thousands of acres of critical forest lands have been successfully protected. Hundreds of miles of new roads in roadless wildlands have also been prevented through our efforts
As we are charged with keeping federal land managers accountable, we have chosen to not accept any federal or state dollars to support our efforts.
Through our unique program of feet on the ground verification, we have been able to provide the most accurate and up to date information available anywhere on the boundaries of logging operations and roadless areas in this region.
Through legal challenges, testimony to Congress, satellite maps, community events, school outreach, and strengthening the coalition of environmental organizations FOC will contine to be at the forefront of effective wildland advocacy for decades to come. With your support, we can harness new technologies to better inform policy and our membership, we can inspire young minds and get a whole new generation involved with deeply appreciating the boundless wonder of our natural gift of the Wild Clearwater Country!
outreach
This is our Basic Membership costs a one-time charge of $25 and entitles you to our Quarterly Newsletter. Please be sure to include your mailing address so we get it to the right place!
If for any reason you wish to stop your automatic payments, you may click this button. Please contact us if there are any problems at all, or if you would like to modify your gift.
These fine American Apparel tee shirts are printed downstairs at the Tee Shirt Shack, a locally owned business. Sturdy and good looking, these shirts are a favorite and really show what you care about.. The Clearwater!
This is our $10 per month Subscription. Payment will automatically be charged once per month for the next year and will go a long way to help us protect the Clearwater Wilderness. You will receive a Tee Shirt and our Quarterly Newsletter. Make sure to provide your shirt size and mailing address!
We recognize that not everyone wants to use credit cards and we welcome your tax deductible contribution by check or money order.
These Items are $15 each
This 100% Certified organic, Fair Trade, Fair Wage, eco-bag (www.ecobags.com) was lovingly hand embroidered by FOC Member Susan Ruether (see detail above).
This membership will help us a great deal! Once per month your credit card will be charged $25 for the next 12 months. With this subscription you will receive our Quarterly Newsletter the Clearwater Defender, a Canvas Tote bag, a Canvas Hat, and our fantastic Tee Shirt. Please provide shirt size and mailing address in the notes section at checkout.
P.O. Box 9241 Moscow, ID 83843
Phone: 208 882-9755
email: foc@friendsoftheclearwater.org
Whether you are chasing Wren's or Giant Palouse Earthworms, nothing ruins your day like Pturgium. Save your eyes and your melon with this snazzy chapeau hand embroidered by our very own Susan Ruether
Internship Opportunities
Friends of the Clearwater is offering (1) internship opportunity for the Fall 2011.
Event Planner
- Assist in the development of a community outreach event for Fall 2011.
- Develop outreach materials for event; flyers, public service announcements, etc.
- Reserve/secure room for the event, which can take place in town or on campus.
- Recruit volunteers to help with event. Seek co-sponsorship from student clubs or local groups.
- Facilitate the outreach event. This includes set-up, take-down, etc.
The Education & Outreach Director will work with you to get this up and going. There is not a weekly or hourly requirement for this position and it allows the individual to do a certain amount of work from home. The goal is to have a community event in Moscow, Pullman or Lewiston before Thanksgiving. All educational backgrounds are welcomed to apply.
Ask for Brett at (208) 882-9755.
Learning Center
The learning center will be an educational resource for students, teachers, and others who are interested in learning about Wild Clearwater Country!Officials and Agencies - Contacts
This is a useful list of names and addresses that are pertinent to the National Forests and your Democracy.Fax: (202) 228-1375
United States Senate
12730 Highway 12
(208) 983-1950
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815-8363
(208) 765-7223
FAX: (208)765-7307
Send a letter to your local newspaper
When you send a letter, remember to always be courteous. Do not compromise content, but be sure to use appropriate language. Be sure to follow letter guidelines which are posted on most newspapers' websites. If you do not receive a response, resend the letter. If your letter is not printed and you receive no explanation, contact the editor directly. Emailing your LTE is acceptable to virtually all newspapers' editorial staff. Always include your name and address and when requested, phone number. This lets the paper know that you are who you say you are.
Above all, when you feel compelled to write, WRITE!
Lewiston Morning Tribune (Lewiston, ID): 250 word limit, include writer's name, address, and phone number Send to: letters@lmtribune.com
Moscow-Pullman Daily News (Moscow, ID): 300 word limit, include writer's name, address, and phone number Send to: letters@dnews.com
Spokane Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA): 250 word limit, include writer's name, address, and phone number Send to: editor@spokesman.com
Missoulian (Missoula, MT): 300 word limit, include writer's name, address, and phone number Send to: oped@missoulian.com.
Idaho Statesman (Boise, ID): Send to: editorial@idahostatesman.com
Idaho County Free Press (Grangeville, ID):
Clearwater Tribune (Orofino, ID):
Boise Weekly (Boise, ID):
Idaho Mountain Express (Ketchum, ID): Send to: news@mtnexpress.com
Wood River Journal (Hailey, ID):
Times-News (Twin Falls, ID) Send to: letters@magicvalley.com
Rexburg Standard Journal (Rexburg, ID):
Minidoka County News (Rupert, ID):
Coeur d’Alene Press (Coeur d’Alene, ID):
Bonner County Daily Bee (Sandpoint, ID):
Priest River Times (Priest River, ID):
River Journal (Sandpoint, ID): Send to: Editorial@riverjournal.co
Post Register (Idaho Falls, ID): Send to: mtrillhaase@postregister.com
Blackfoot Morning News (Blackfoot, ID) Send to: editor@am-news.com
Idaho Press Tribune (Nampa, ID) Send to: op-ed@idahopress.com
Idaho State Journal (Pocatello, ID) Send to: letters@journalnet.com
Timber Sale Monitoring
Timber Sale Monitoring is one of the most interesting and successful parts of what we do. History has proven conclusively that the Federal Services charged with protection of the wildland resources need some close watching.
Timber Sale Monitoring is the process of making a verified observation of the actual scope of timber cuts and documenting, reporting, ensuring, following through, and maintaining a presence to facilitate the revolution in thinking required to make ours a healthy planet.
We get to do that on the ground, in the woods and from computer screens, now that the technology is emerging into our daily lives. Gary Macfarlane, FOC's forest watch director, provides workshops dedicated to teaching the "in's and outs" of timber sale monitoring from start to finish. Contact Gary at gary@friendsoftheclearwater.org
We are working to bring you detailed, high resolution imagery of the Clearwater Forest in as near to realtime as possible over the coming months. Even now though, you can see clearly the devastating effects of 'clearcut forestry' that your US Forest Service supports and encourages.
Volunteering and Support
Friends of the Clearwater is, in large part, the hard work and dedication of our amazing volunteers. In fact, we were an all volunteer organization until 1999. Listed below are some of the ways you can volunteer and make a difference. You may choose one activity or as many as you would like, as any help is greatly appreciated. We truly value our volunteers and are very grateful for all of their hard work! We hope that you will join us in our efforts to protect and defend the Wild Clearwater Country.
Do your part to help Friends of the Clearwater by donating your time with one of many volunteer opportunities, including:
Wildlife Research
Off Road Recreation Vehicle Overuse
Friends of the Clearwater has documented off-road vehicle (motorbikes, ATVs) use on trails originally designed for foot traffic. Unfortunately, most of the roadless areas (potential wilderness) on the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests are open to motor vehicles (including all of them to snowmobiles). We are monitoring these areas by sending out volunteers to endangered hiking trails to gather photographs and other evidence that proves that this use is degrading these lands.
Brochure writing and Research
Some of the topics that we need energetic volunteers to look into include:
- Research and Summary on Mining Laws
- A brief summary about wildlife laws and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Timber Sale Monitoring:
We are currently monitoring several timber sales. Environmental guidelines have been designed to minimize the negative impact logging and road-building have on watersheds. Often these standards are ignored by the Forest Service and contracted logging companies. We monitor these sales to record where and when infractions occur. We use digital photos and GPS coordinates to support this work.
Table at Community Events
We set up an informational table at community events throughout the region and at the local college campuses. If you have a favorite event in North Central Idaho please invite us! Don’t worry if you feel like you have a lot to learn; someone will meet you to help set up/take down the table. Its very easy and all the information is at your fingertips! It’s a great way to get outside and meet people too!
Interior Decorating and Design
We are always looking for individuals to help us with the upkeep of the office.
Letter Writing
There are many decisions being made about the fate of our precious wildlands, and your voice needs to be heard on these issues. Sign up for our update, the Big Wild Bi-Weekly e-mail, to receive current alerts, or refer to our letter writing info sheet with alerts and a sample letter. By writing letters to the editor, Forest Service and elected officials, hopefully together we will influence those who can make positive changes! Log in and read the WildScribes group as well.
Assist With Data Entry or Mailings
We have lots of information which needs to be entered into the computer. Any help doing so, is huge! We also have mailings throughout the year that go quickly with lots of help. Computer savvy people are appreciated but not required!
Get Your Group or Cause Involved With FOC
Get your group to help with any of our volunteer opportunities or invite us to your events and activities!
We are always looking for ways to connect in our local communities! New ideas for local groups to work together are the best ways to get connected.
Fundraising and Donations
We are a non-profit organization, and therefore rely solely on grants and donations from our gracious supporters. As costs rise, any help with fundraising or cultivating donations is greatly appreciated! Creative ways and new ideas towards raising money are welcome.
Contact Info:
PO Box 9241
Moscow, ID 83843
Phone: 208-882-9755 Fax: 208-883-0727
E-mail: foc@friendsoftheclearwater.org
www.friendsoftheclearwater.org