Applegater Spring 2016
Applegate AMA: Public workshop
addressed key questions
Siskiyou Field Institute offers
free community learning
BY DON BOUCHER
BY KATHLEEN PYLE
On January 20, the US Forest Service
and the Bureau of Land Management
hosted a workshop to discuss the
Upper Applegate Planning Area of the
Applegate Adaptive Management Area
(AMA). More than 30 residents of the
Applegate Valley attended. The purpose
was to provide the opportunity for early
public engagement and to integrate
community values in the development
of project proposals in the Upper
Applegate Planning Area. The workshop
began with a discussion of the selection
of the Upper Applegate watershed as
described in the winter 2015 edition
of the Applegater. This was followed by
group discussions that were centered on
some key questions.
The first question discussed:
What are the benefits from the land within
the Upper Applegate Planning Area? Seven
small groups identified important values
associated with the planning area. A
sampling of the responses included a
wide range of values, such as habitat for
a range of wildlife species, improving fire
resilience across the landscape, clean air,
sustainable supply of high-quality water,
maintaining productivity of the land,
protecting roadless areas, maintaining
visual quality/aesthetics of the area,
maintaining or improving habitat for
pollinators, reducing noxious weeds,
maintaining healthy plant communities,
maintaining recreation opportunities,
and maintaining quality fish habitat.
Groups were next asked to identify
possible threats to those values. These
responses included threats such as fire,
insect and disease, damage from illegal
off-highway vehicles, poorly designed
roads or lack of road maintenance, poorly
planned or ecologically unsustainable
management, current federal agency
budgets and capacity, noxious weeds,
drought and climate change, long-
term camping and human trash, and
conflicting legislative mandates. Of
particular note was the concern regarding
trust issues between the communities
and agencies. A high priority of this
collaborative planning work is to help
begin to build that trust.
The final question: What
management actions may be needed to
mitigate those risks? These responses ran
the range from little to no management
to extensive management. A key part
of the responses related to maintaining
the existing infrastructure as well as
maintaining treatments over time.
This meeting was ver y
valuable in beginning the planning
process for the Upper Applegate
watershed. The next step is to have
agency resource specialists begin to
share what is known about the planning
area. We intend to supplement this with
presentations by community members
who have knowledge of the area. It is
important to note that we do not have a
predetermined proposal in mind. One of
the more challenging aspects of planning
is to put a vision down on paper. To
accomplish this, we hope to continue
meeting with the community, as well as
go out in the planning area and discuss
important values and issues.
As was stated in the previous issue
of the Applegater, the AMA is really
about how we communicate and work
together to find common ground, resolve
differences, and work toward successful
outcomes. We have the ability as agency
and community members to create and
maintain an atmosphere of collaboration
and learning. If you have questions,
comments, or other thoughts, please feel
free to contact me.
Don Boucher
541-899-3840
Applegate AMA Team Leader
Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
dboucher@fs.fed.us
APWC striving to
work collaboratively
in a vastly diverse
community
which include riparian restoration,
large wood placement, and streambank
stabilization.
In the fall of 2015 we partnered
with the Bureau of Land Management
to implement a large wood project in the
upper reaches of Powell Creek, installing
over 100 pieces of large wood across 25
different sites. Many of the sites can
be observed from Upper Powell Creek
Road. This section of the creek did not
go dry during the 2015 drought and can
provide important habitat for rearing
juvenile salmonids in future years. We
hope this project will provide additional
habitat and improve ecological functions
in that sub-watershed.
A P WC i s s t r i v i n g t o w o r k
collaboratively in a community that is
vastly diverse, from the headwaters of
the Applegate River to its confluence
with the Rogue River. We hope that
through our successful projects and
positive outreach we will continue to
gain support from the community. For
more information about APWC and our
projects, please contact us at 541-899-
9982 or contact@apwc.info.
Janelle Dunlevy • 541-899-9982
Note: See article by the late Tim Franklin
online at www.applegater.org.
■ APWC MISSION
Continued from page 3
recommendations. Two extraordinary
films, Damnation and A River Between
Us, were viewed on beautiful evenings in
a wonderful setting in 2014 and 2015,
respectively.
Outreach is not our only task
when working to meet our mission.
We also have a number of on-the-
ground projects either completed or
being implemented or developed with
our partners, which include private
landowners, public agencies, and the
Williams Creek Watershed Council.
We are developing projects—ranging
from fish passage to large wood
implementation—on Little Applegate
River, Forest Creek, Powell Creek,
Williams Creek, and Slate Creek. We are
implementing or completing projects on
Thompson Creek, Munger Creek, Powell
Creek, Humbug Creek, Iron Creek, and
the main stem of the Applegate River,
19
You don’t have to
be a hiker or a botanist
to learn at Siskiyou
Field Institute (SFI)
in Selma. Each year
SFI welcomes the
community for a series
of Friday Night Free
Learning programs
designed to inform
attendees about our
region’s natural history.
And we provide the
popcorn, too! This
year’s spring Free
Oregon Humanities executive director Adam Davis
led last year’s conversation at Siskiyou Field Institute.
Learning lineup is
action-packed, with
inspiring programs on varied subjects—
from setting up wildlife trail cams to a
tour of Oregon coastal trails by hiking-
guidebook author William Sullivan.
On February 26, local wildlife
biologist Romain Cooper and partner
Christi Dunn will share advice on
shopping for and using trail cams to
observe wildlife. The couple has years
of experience getting acquainted with
their backyard’s wild inhabitants via
critter cam. They’ll show “greatest hits”
highlights from their collection.
The March 18 free program
focuses on hopes for the Klamath River’s
restoration (the Klamath is also the
subject of two 2016 SFI field courses).
Dave Clayton, Applegate resident and
The Jason Atkinson-produced film, A
Rogue-Siskiyou wildlife biologist,
River Between Us, will be screened, and
presented a Siskiyou Field Institute
some background will be provided on
Free Learning program
the Klamath Basin Water Recovery and
on Pacific fishers last fall.
Economic Restoration Act of 2015,
which Congress failed to pass late last mistrust, especially on topics like climate
year. We’ll also discuss some possible change? Ms. Wells will ask participants
to consider the role of science in guiding
options in light of that failure.
In April, Dr. Robert J. Lillie policy and how citizens can use science to
relates the “Beauty from the Beast” make better-informed decisions.
Dr. Robbin Thorp, professor
story of Pacific Northwest geologic
history. By learning to live with the beast of entomology, returns to SFI in
of earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic June to instruct a field course on native
eruptions, we can more fully appreciate bees. Dr. Thorp will also discuss “The
the beauty that surrounds us in the Intriguing World of Native Bees” in a
form of spectacular scenery in national, free Friday evening public program on
state, and local parklands. Lillie draws June 10. Come early and grab a seat—Dr.
on his experience as a geology professor, Thorp’s lectures usually pack the house.
Two early summer SFI Free
park ranger, and graphic illustrator
as a reminder that our hometowns Learning programs will happen off-
and iconic parklands are subject to site. Dr. Susan Harrison of University
geologic processes that affect our lives of California, Davis, presents a program
and livelihoods. Dr. Lillie will have copies on climate change and its impact on
of his recently published Beauty from the plant communities on Friday, July 1,
in Ashland. Dr. Harrison’s program is
Beast book at the program.
May’s Free Learning double partially based on her years of research
bill first offers a William Sullivan in the Illinois Valley. On July 8, Illinois
program on Saturday afternoon, May 7, Valley historian Dennis Strayer will
following his SFI field course at Babyfoot talk about early tourists who visited the
Lake at the edge of the Kalmiopsis Oregon Caves in a presentation at the
Wilderness. He will take us on a visual Oregon Caves Chateau. Strayer and
tour of Oregon coastal trails, including Greg Walter are teaming up to teach a
some of his recent hikes from the field course at the caves on July 8 and 9
updated 101 Hikes on the Oregon Coast. that will revisit two historic hiking trails.
For more details on SFI Free
Also in May (date to be determined),
SFI will again host the Oregon Friday Learning programs and the
Humanities Conversation Project. This Institute’s 2016 menu of field courses,
year’s topic is “In Science We Trust?” visit www.thesfi.org. And don’t miss our
led by science communicator Gail annual spring fundraising brews-and-
Wells of Corvallis. As a nation, we trust live-tunes naturefest, Birds and Brews,
scientists and medical experts more scheduled for Saturday, May 28.
Kathleen Pyle
than any other group except military
Program Coordinator
leaders. Why then is the relationship
Siskiyou Field Institute
between citizens and science often
programcoord@thesfi.org
fraught with misunderstanding and