About Cascadia
Cascadia Bioregion. Image by Cascadia Institute.
Stretching for more than 2500 along the Pacific Rim, the Cascadia bioregion includes British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and parts of South East Alaska and Northern California as defined through the watersheds of the Columbia, Fraser and Snake watersheds.
The Cascadia bioregion is home to slightly more than 16 million people (16,029,520), and would have an economy generating more than 1.613147 trillion worth of goods and services annually, placing it as the worlds 9th largest economy and roughly equivalent to that of Canada or Italy. Its population would be similar in size to that of Ecuador, Zambia, Cambodia, or the Netherlands.
By land area Cascadia would be the 20th largest country in the world, with a land area of 534,572 sq mi (1,384,588 km2), placing it behind Mongolia and ahead of Peru.
Cascadia contains the largest tracts of untouched old growth temperate rainforests in the world, including 7 of the top 10 worlds carbon absorbing forests, the worlds tallest trees, thousands of volcanoes, hot springs, rivers, lakes, inlets, island and ocean, and some of the last diminishing, though still impressive wild habitats of salmon, wolves, bear, whale, orca. In all – more than 350 bird and mammal species, 48 reptiles, hundreds of fungi, lichen, and and thousands of invertebrates and soil organisms call Cascadia home.
With a GDP of 356 billion, Cascadia’s largest city Seattle has an economy slightly smaller than Thailand, but larger than Colombia and Venezuela. The region also has one of the fastest growing clean energy sectors in the world, is energy sufficient, generating almost all of its energy based on renewable resources, and already exports electricity to surrounding states and provinces.
Cascadia is a(n);
bioregion defined by the watersheds of the Columbia and Fraser river valleys that stretches from Northern California to south east Alaska and as far east as the Yellowstone Caldera and continental divide. It encompasses most of the states and province of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and parts of southeast Alaska, Northern California and Western Montana.
inclusive social movement to empower every individual and community to be active around issues they care, and find solidarity and support.
regional identity, rooted in a love of place and stemming from shared experiences, environment, and need, as well as principles and values.
positive vision for a bioregion that is resilient, vibrant and autonomous, that protects the things we find special
The term Cascadia was first used as a geologic description and in 1981 by Seattle University professor David McCloskey as a way to better describe our growing regional identity. McCloskey describes Cascadia as "a land of falling waters." He notes the blending of the natural integrity and the sociocultural unity that gives Cascadia its character. It was officially incorporated by a wide variety of policy planners, first nations, community organizers at the first Cascadia Bioregional Congress in 1986.
Definitions of the region's boundaries vary, but usually include the area between the Cascade Range and the Pacific Ocean, and some part of the Coast Mountains. Other definitions follow the boundaries of existing subnational entities, and usually include the territory of British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon, while others also include parts of California, Idaho, Alaska and Yukon.
In general, the area in and around the Cascadia region is more commonly referred to as the Pacific Northwest. The area's biomes and ecoregions are distinct from surrounding areas. The resource-rich Salish Sea (or Georgia Basin) is shared between British Columbia and Washington, and the Pacific temperate rain forests, comprising the world's largest temperate rain forest zone, stretch along the coast from Alaska to California.
The Cascadia Movement
Cascadians are brought together by their love of place, and their desire to protect the things we find special and to improve the well being of everyone, and everything living here.
The Cascadia movement today includes tens of thousands of individuals, businesses and community groups throughout the Cascadia bioregion.
Cascadia has been featured in a wide range of publications, such as Vice Magazine, USA Today, NPR, the CBC, NYtimes, CNN, Forbes, Portland Monthly, the Seattle Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Oregonian and many others.
The term Cascadia was adopted in 1981 by Seattle University professor David McCloskey as a way to better describe our growing regional identity. McCloskey describes Cascadia as “a land of falling waters.” He notes the blending of the natural integrity and the sociocultural unity that gives Cascadia its character.
This idea spread widely in the 1980’s, and the first Cascadia Bioregional Congress was held at Evergreen State College in 1986, bringing together a wide coalition of back to the landers, ecologists, first nation organizers, policy planners, and community organizers. They adopted a philosophy called bioregionalism, a place based and grassroots approach that emphasizes sustainability, community self-determination and regional self-reliance, and the Cascadia bioregional movement was born.
Nature acts bioregionally, and culture stems from place. Be it wildfire, drought, flood, energy independence or food sovereignty, every community impacted must be able to have a substantial impact in the decision making process, and every community along a watershed must be included. Ultimately, it will be the people living here, rather than in power centers thousands of miles away who will be best able to determine the best course of action for themselves and their communities.
To these ends, the Cascadia movement builds greater understandings of our bioregion, promote place appropriate technologies and policies, provide direct funding for community projects, educates about bioregionalism, and support the creation of watershed based centers to determine the carrying capacities and regenerative frameworks for each watershed and bioregion we live in.
Use the Flag
The Cascadia Doug Flag is copyright by Alexander Baretich.. Please make sure to attribute the flag creator Alexander Baretich, and read his statement against use for any type of perceived hate speech. Please use, re-use, create and share!
