Stewardship Impacts in 2019
KS Wild’s Pubic Lands and You (PLAY) stewardship program is committed to restoring and protecting the wild places of the Klamath Siskiyou region. Connecting our spectacular volunteers with on-the-ground impactful projects that contribute to improving our botanical hotspots and monitoring some of the most biologically rich places in the Klamath-Siskiyou. Beyond the satisfaction of seeing a job well done, each volunteer gains a deeper personal connection to the wild places KS Wild works so hard to protect, defend, and restore.
In 2019, KS Wild volunteers made Oregon’s Klamath-Siskiyou region wilder and healthier in a myriad of ways. Their spectacular progress over the course of this year raises the bar for what a group of dedicated volunteers and partner organizations can accomplish together.
French Flat Restoration
French Flat is a special area designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) and is home to a rare and endangered plant species called the Lomatium cookii, or Desert Parsley. This area is also threatened by illegal Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs) that leave tire marks in the botanical area that can last for decades, compacting soil and destroying critical habitat for rare and endemic plants.
In February 2019, volunteers helped carry over 150 log poles to the edge of this botanical meadow to help build a fence protecting this rare special place from trespassing ORVs.
28 Volunteers | over 150 log poles moved | 654 acres protected
Eight Dollar Mountain Botanical Area
Eight Dollar Mountain is at the core of our stewardship and restoration program. A landmark in the Illinois Valley, Eight Dollar is a place where you'll find a botanical landscape bursting with rare and endemic wildflowers, wildlife, and clean water. This area is also continually threatened by illegal off-highway vehicle (OHV) use and, through KS Wild’s PLAY program, is finally receiving the attention it needs to prevent further damage in this botanically diverse serpentine hotspot.
KS Wild hosts several stewardship activities and events at Eight Dollar Mountain every year including photo monitoring, restoration activities, and clean ups.
Photo Monitoring AT A GLANCE
20 Volunteers | 240 volunteer hours | 4 Photo Monitoring Reports Filed
Photo Monitoring
Throughout the year KS Wild’s stewardship volunteers gather four times (4x) a year to photo monitor the Eight Dollar Mountain Botanical area. This roughly 4-acre plot of public land where we focus our work is currently being threatened by trespassing Off Road Vehicles. The illegal ORVs compact soil and degrade the landscape in this critical habitat for rare and endemic plant species like the Darlingtonia californica, or Cobra Lily and our beloved Port Orford Cedar.
Through our continued volunteer presence, restoration and educational events we are helping change the culture and create a new paradigm that involves responsible recreating on public lands in a botanical area.
Restoration
Restoration AT A GLANCE
120 lbs. waste removed | 1500 ft. illegal route restoration | 25 volunteers
On Memorial Day weekend in 2019 volunteers gathered for a 2-day restoration event to protect this ruggedly beautiful botanical hotspot. This area was prioritized for project implementation due to its sensitive botanical resources, Recreational Wild and Scenic River designation, ongoing resource and infrastructure damage (primarily due to vandalism), and motorized route proliferation throughout the botanical area.
Volunteers rallied each morning and broke into signage installation, route restoration, and cleanup groups over course of the two days. After a hard days work, we rejoiced in a guided botanical walk throughout our work area where we discovered many different rare and endemic wildflowers and plant life.
National Public Lands Day - Clean Up
National Public Lands Day AT A GLANCE
25 volunteers | 30 bags of litter and RV hauled off | 2 botanical signs | 1,500’ route restoration
Volunteers from all around the valley showed up to celebrate Public Lands Day at Eight Dollar Mountain Botanical area. This area contains outstanding recreational and ecological values due to its sensitive botanical resources, Port Orford Cedars, Recreational Wild and Scenic River designation, ongoing resource and infrastructure damage (primarily due to vandalism), and motorized route proliferation throughout the botanical area, including countless illegal motorized routes which are in need of restoration and protection.
Volunteers restored approximately 1,500 additional feet of unauthorized routes by concealing and blocking off with organic materials. Additionally, we evened out ruts made by illegal ORV activity in Star Flat Meadow to promote healthy plant regrowth, and also spread duff and organic materials around new Jeffrey Pine saplings. An estimated 30 bags of litter and an abandoned RV camper were hauled out as well. Plus 2 new botanical signages were installed, by volunteers.
Mariposa Preserve Restoration and Weed Pull
The 222-acre Mariposa Botanical Area is a designated conservation area (botanical preserve) that lies within the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument. It serves to protect two rare endemic plants: Greene’s Mariposa Lily Calochortus greenei (the Botanical Area’s namesake) and Detling’s microseris.
Volunteers pulled together to weed invasive species and seed the area with native plant species in the botanical area. Two plots that measure 5x20 meters were set up for a community science experiment on the best methods to remove invasive Yellow Star Thistle from this important preserve. Volunteers cleared the east side plots of all non-native species and, for the light control, only removed one square foot of non-native species every two feet. Teams then seeded the plots with a combination of over 12 types of native seed types.
Mariposa Preserve AT A GLANCE
5th annual weed pull | 14 volunteers | over 12 native species dispersed
Applegate Lake Star Thistle Pull
Applegate Lake AT A GLANCE
11 volunteers | over 150 lbs. of thistle pulled
Just before you reach the Siskiyou Crest on your way to Cook and Green along the upper Applegate River, you’ll find Applegate Lake. Nestled in the foothills of the Siskiyou’s this lake is open all year round for multi-use recreation including botanical trails that come alive with wildflowers during the spring and early summer months. A non-native plant species has invaded part of the northern portion of the lake and our volunteers eagerly jumped in (well not yet into lake) to get the job done. Together our volunteers pulled over 150 lbs. of star thistle that day.
Red Mountain Botanical area Restoration
AT A GLANCE
2,450 Romer’s fescue planted | dismantled illegal fire ring | restored illegal user created route
This area is a botanical treasure and boasts of old growth Jeffrey Pine, groves of White and Red Fir, and sights of the rare and endemic Siskiyou Lewisia! This area is an outcrop of Serpentine, high in heavy metals turning the soil a reddish color, which is where its name is derived from. For years this area has been degraded by trespassing ORVs that have been compacting the soil and threatening this critical habitat for rare and endemic plants.
Volunteers gathered on an early October morning to restore this area from being damaged by unauthorized off-highway vehicle use. The day was spent digging small holes in the old road bed and planting Romer’s Fescue, dismantling an illegal fire ring and concealing an illegal user created road. Together we planted a total of 2,450 grass plugs, reclaiming the area to its native bunch grass ecosystem. The views from high on the Siskiyou crest were inspiring and solidified the importance of the restoration work being done in the area.
Alex Hole Restoration
AT A GLANCE
2 acres of pristine high elevation meadow protected | New growth from native plant species
A special place in the Siskiyou Crest where a high elevation wetland meadow resides boasting with wildflowers, wildlife and what seems as endless acres of wildlands. However, these outstanding wild values have been threatened by overgrazing from trespassing cows coming over the crest from the Klamath National Forest where they munch down the meadows, forests, and streams in this special place.
One of our aims is to mitigate the detrimental impacts from overgrazing by building a fence around the impacted area. The fence is making a dramatic difference, restoring the grasses, willow, brush and sprigs in the enclosure. You can read more about the Alex Hole Project in the blog post here.