20 Fall 2012 Applegater
Applegate outdoor options
bY jAcOb hOLDEn
It’s still summer! You wake up, it’s
beautiful outside, and you’re wondering,
“What am I to do this beautiful afternoon?”
Fortunately, living in the Applegate
surrounds you with a wide variety of
outdoor adventure. Whether you are
looking for swimming, hiking, mountain
biking, fishing, even paragliding, the day
is yours for the taking.
He r e a r e a f e w re c r e a t i o n a l
opportunities half an hour from Applegate:
Enchanted Forest, Jacksonville Woodland
Trails, Sterling Mine Ditch Trail and
Kenney Meadows are a short drive to get
to the outdoor day you’re looking for.
Enchanted Forest is an easy walk through
lush green forest with a sun umbrella to
keep you cool. This short walk, which
gives you a certain sense of mysticism,
also connects you to Felton Memorial
Trail, which is dedicated to three men who
lost their lives in a helicopter accident.
Jacksonville Woodland Trails, my favorite,
offers hiking, mountain biking, sightseeing,
and interpretive trails. Off the trail, you
can walk directly into Jacksonville to grab
a quick bite to eat after a day in the sun.
Sterling Mine Ditch Trail and Kenney
Meadows are relatively close to one another
off Little Applegate Road. Sterling Mine
Ditch is an extensive 18.2-mile trail system
primarily for hiking and equestrian use. It
has beautiful wildflowers February through
May, and offers picturesque views if you
have the fortitude to go up Wolf Gap.
Wolf Gap Trail, though only a couple of
miles long, is an uphill shot to a beautiful
view. The trail recently was cleared by the
local job council, making navigation and
use much easier. The parking area at the
Tunnel Ridge trailhead for Sterling Mine
offers a day-use area for picnicking and
wading in the nearby stream. Kenney
Meadows is a great place for a daytime
picnic with friends. Located right next
to Yale Creek, wading in the water is a
quick way to cool down. Also, be sure to
check out the reconstructed cabin on the
opposite side of the road, which mimics
a shelter used by Christian J. Kenney,
who conveyed the property to the US
government.
How about an overnight trip? Hyatt
Lake, outside of Ashland, offers a wide
range of activities and facilities to suit the
needs of any individual. With camping
fees as low as $7 nightly, this is a highly
affordable camping destination. The
Hyatt Lake Recreation Complex provides
sightseeing, swimming, hiking or biking,
horseback riding and fishhook tying.
Near Hyatt Lake you will find access to
the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), the most
famous trail on the West Coast. If you’re
looking to do some overnight backpacking
or a day hike, the easiest place to access the
PCT in the Cascade-Siskiyou National
Monument is at the Greensprings Summit.
From I-5, take exit 14 near Ashland and
turn on Highway 66 toward Klamath
Falls. Take Highway 66 for 17 miles to
the Greensprings Summit. A trailhead and
parking area are located at the summit.
From there, follow the PCT six miles
north to Hyatt Reservoir or south to Soda
Mountain, Hobart Bluff, and Pilot Rock
(12 miles).
For some, getting to spend a day in
nature can be compared to recharging a
battery. Being able to escape the everyday
hustle-bustle of our fast-paced society
could be just what you need. Maybe you’re
an outdoor enthusiast who has been there,
done that, and is looking for something
new to try. Do you have kids and want to
get out of the house for a day and teach
them a little about nature? Or you might
long to get out and enjoy this beautiful
southern Oregon weather. Go for it!
All these recreational opportunities,
along with many others, can be accessed
through the BLM website at http://www.
blm.gov/or/districts/medford/recreation/.
Here you can find thorough directions,
more descriptions, and browse for other
wilderness escapes within a short drive.
You can also navigate the website to find
more information about the PCT as well
as important matters to consider when
engaging in outdoor activities.
Jacob Holden • 541-618-2237
Public Affairs / Social Media
Bureau of Land Management
Medford District
J1holden@blm.gov
News from the Williams Community Forest Project
Have you seen the Gater’s online
calendar? www.applegater.org
Williams Community Forest Project
(WCFP) has been actively involved with
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
to achieve ecological watershed and forest
restoration with two BLM activities
affecting the Williams watershed, but we
hope that BLM will also engage the WCFP
in their long-term plans for public forests
around the Williams community.
In April 2012, the proposed Williams
Integrative Management Project (IVM)
was available for public comments. IVM is
a 6,604-acre forest management project to
be conducted by BLM from 2013 to 2023
in the Williams watershed for the objectives
of restoring forest ecological systems,
reducing wildfire danger and contributing
to continuous timber production. WCFP
coordinated two educational sessions and
field trips given by BLM for the Williams
community and submitted comments
from the community during the comment
period. After BLM has evaluated the
comments, an environmental analysis will
be done, which will be available for a 30-
day public review in September. WCFP’s
objectives are to continue to work with
BLM to achieve the Williams watershed
forest health.
In March of 2012, BLM announced
its intent to revise the 20-year management
plans for 2.5-million acres of public
forests in western Oregon. The planning
process will take place through 2015.
The Resource Management Plan’s (RMP)
intent is to address forest health, recovery
of endangered species and socioeconomic
needs. The comment period ended July
5. The alternatives will be formulated
from July to October and analyzed
from November 2012 to July 2013.
Representing Williams, WCFP submitted
the following letter to BLM during the
comment period for the RMP requesting
that BLM accept a Williams Watershed
Community Alternative.
Letter to BLM
The Williams Community Forest
Project, WCFP, has notified our local
Williams Creek Watershed Council and
the elected officials of the Williams Citizen
Advisory Council of our intention to
create a “Williams Watershed Community
Alternative” for the BLM RMP process.
These agencies know the WCFP will
be working with Williams residents
and will remain transparent during this
planning process. Williams, Oregon,
is located in the BLM Applegate AMA
(Adaptive Management Area). With broad
community support from residents of our
watershed, we request that BLM accept:
The Williams Watershed Community
Alternative (WWCA) will be submitted by
the WCFP to BLM by October 31, 2012.
We do not want to be known as
a “no action” alternative in Williams.
The WWCA assessment will be based
on restoration, fuels management, and
stewardship contracts. These items will
be addressed in the Williams Watershed
Community Alternative:
• Preservation and promotion of old-
growth forest
• Water and Salmon conservation
• Transportation management,
including roads and off-road vehicles
• Cumulative affects with private and
BLM lands management
• Port Orford cedar management
• Wildlife and plants with a focus on
threatened and endangered species
• Local stewardship contracts
Claudia Beausoleil • 541-846-6092
Williams Community Forest Project
mediationcenter@oigp.net
williamscommunityforestproject.org