Written by Haleigh Martin on July 13th, 2023

High atop the Siskiyou Crest, in the middle of nowhere, yet just 16 miles from Mt. Ashland as the Great Gray Owl flies, hides Alex Hole: a lush, wildflower-filled wet meadow. Alex Hole hides in the southern end of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest and is a special meadow for a number of reasons. A spring that gurgles out of the ground feeds the meadow before falling into the Elliott Creek watershed to make its way into the Applegate River. These headwaters are the southern extent of the Rogue River watershed, and its location at the edge of several habitat types makes for an extremely unique ecosystem and landscape. Alex Hole’s unique and flourishing botanical diversity creates the perfect layover for a myriad of migratory bird and pollinator species. Thanks to the remote nature of the surrounding Condrey Mountain Inventoried Roadless Area, elk herds have been known to pass through this area, bears roam free and one of the last wolverines sightings in the region occurred here years ago.

Due to the biodiversity that is cradled in this high elevation plant and wildlife haven, a past Forest Service botanist proposed to federally recognize Alex Hole as a botanical area.Unfortunately the proposal was not adopted by the Forest Supervisor and the area remains largely unrecognized and unprotected.

The failed botanical area proposal is not the only threat to Alex Hole and the unique life that relies on it. Because of its remote location, consistent monitoring of the meadow does not occur, and grazing cattle have been known to “drift” up the mountainsides from the Klamath National Forest to make a meal out of the dense vegetation that grows there. At Alex Hole and across many other federal public lands, cattle grazing is one of the biggest threats to the biodiversity in our region. If left unaddressed, the trespassing cattle will chomp through the aquatic vegetation and damage the ecosystems that make this meadow so critical to the many species who rely on it.

The lack of federal designation means a lack of federal protection for this biological gem, so our Stewardship program has joined forces with the US Forest Service to tackle this problem. Last week, we celebrated our 7th year of stewardship at Alex Hole! With a strong and consistent partnership with the USFS, KS Wild staff members and dedicated volunteers traveled for miles on windy dirt roads to repair a fence that is used to keep grazing cattle out and protect the sensitive life within the meadow.

Working in a line, we pounded T-posts into the rocky, saturated soil, untangled lines of barbed wire, and methodically refastened the wire to the posts to create a sufficient barrier against the grazing cattle. We worked hard, shared laughs, admired the plethora of vibrant wildflowers, and left with a feeling of accomplishment as we know the impact a small group of dedicated folks can have.

Amongst the 2023 volunteer group were a few folks who have contributed to the stewardship efforts at Alex Hole for many of the past 7 years. After the work was complete, the stewards reminisced on the state of Alex Hole when the stewardship partnership commenced in 2017; vegetation was gnawed down, the spring that meanders through the meadow was trampled, the potential for wildflowers carpeting the floor was stunted, and migratory birds and pollinators flew right over the meadow. While finishing our lunch on the Crest in the summer sun, we all took a look around and admired the results of our consistent hard work. The lilies are abundant throughout the meadow, Siskiyou Lewisia jets out from the rocky outcroppings, and regenerating willow is providing crucial habitat for migratory willow flycatchers while the spring-fed stream has resumed a natural flow through the wet meadow. This work has created many major positive impacts for the plant and animal species that rely on the refuge, and this work will become increasingly important as climate change continues to alter the landscapes for sensitive species.

If you’d like to join us on future stewardship trips Alex Hole meadow, join our group of incredible volunteers who make work like this possible.

You can support our Public Lands And You (PLAY) volunteer stewardship program in other ways and help us restore public lands into the future. You can make a difference for the plants, wildlife, and biodiversity of the Klamath-Siskiyou by donating online at www.kswild.org/donate. Our goal over the next year is to expand restoration efforts beyond Alex Hole, to other locations in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and botanical areas along the Wild & Scenic Illinois River.