Events

Hike the Wild Rogue in 2008   Last Saturday of the month, starting in May, 2008-05-31 10:00:00 - 2008-05-31 18:00:00

Join KS Wild and Siskiyou Project on the last Saturday of every month for a hike into proposed Wilderness along the Lower Rogue River. Enjoy diverse wild forests, extraordinary wildlife viewing and clear creeks tumbling into the mighty Rogue. We will discuss Wilderness and Wild & Scenic proposals for the area as well as the Bureau of Land Management's logging plans. These hikes promise to be both educational and inspiring. Please mark your calendars: May 31, June 28, July 26, August 30, September 27, October 25 Carpools leave the Gooseberries Natural Foods parking lot (1533 NE F St.) in Grants Pass at 10am and will meet at the Graves Creek Boat Ramp at 11am. Bring hiking shoes, clothing layers, food and water. Hikes are moderate and approximately 5-7 miles. Learn more about the campaign to Save the Wild Rogue at www.savethewildrogue.org or call KS Wild at 488-5789.

Book release party: Thrillcraft: The Environmental Consequences of Motorized Recreation   Bella Union Restaurant and Saloon, 170 West California St, Jacksonville, 2008-05-14 19:00:00 - 2008-05-14 21:00:00

Join the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center and editor George Wuerthner for a book release celebration of Thrillcraft: The Environmental Consequences of Motorized Recreation.* With over 100 stirring color photographs and powerful essays from policy experts, scientists, and environmental activists, Thrillcraft bears witness to the immediate and long-term impacts of motorized recreation on the beauty, silence, and splendor of our country’s natural world. George Wuerthner is a professional photographer and the author of more than two dozen books on natural history and other environmental topics. He is currently the ecological projects director for the Foundation for Deep Ecology. As the Bureau of Land Management considers 13 OHV "emphasis areas" in southwest Oregon, Thrillcraft could not be more timely and relevant. The event is free and will include a raffle for Thrillcraft books. * Join KS Wild with a $50 membership, or sign up for our automatic monthly program at $5/month, and receive of copy of Thrillcraft. A great gift idea! Email lesley@kswild.org.

Fire Ecology and Management...Field Trip to a Burned Forest   Hike meets in Happy Camp, 2008-04-12 11:00:00 - 2008-04-12 17:00:00

The Happy Camp Ranger District of the Klamath National Forest boasts some of the most spectacular backcountry recreation on Earth. Located along the Klamath River near the renowned Marble Mountain Wilderness Area and the lesser-known but equally impressive High Siskiyou Wilderness, Happy Camp more than lives up to its name. The mixed conifer old-growth forests that grow around Happy Camp have evolved with fire for centuries. Prior to Smokey the Bear’s anti-fire propaganda, local Native American tribes would ignite fires in these mountains to ensure the benefits to forest health and species diversity that fire encouraged. Small diameter “ladder” fuels were often consumed by flames, hardwoods were given space to grow, large conifers flourished, and ecological balance was maintained. Following the 2007 fires, the Forest Service immediately started planning “salvage” timber sales on steep slopes located above salmon-bearing streams in the Little Grider and Independence watersheds. The healthy forests proposed for logging in the Happy Camp Salvage Sales are easily accessible from the Forest Service road system, and are nearby spectacular wilderness and river hiking opportunities. Join us for a hike into the burn and proposed logging units. Hike meets at 11 am in the parking lot of Indian Creek River Access on Highway 96 (from I-5, drive east and then south on Highway 96 until you reach Happy Camp).

"Whopper" Hike Series   Four hikes throughout the summer leaving form different locations, 2008-06-21 09:00:00 - 2008-06-21 15:00:00

In 2007, the Bureau of Land Management released a draft proposal called the Western Oregon Plan Revisions, also known as WOPR, which would guide the management of 2.5 million acres of public forests in western Oregon. The WOPR would remove these forests from the scientific framework of the Northwest Forest Plan. The agency’s preferred alternative calls for widespread clearcutting, reduced stream and salmon buffers and a sevenfold increase in logging old-growth trees. In addition, the plan proposes 13 OHV “emphasis areas” for southwest Oregon where motorized recreation would take priority over other uses. Join KS Wild for a hike to Medford District BLM public lands in our region that would be affected by this plan. June 21: Little Applegate Valley Sterling Mine Ditch Trail, south of Jacksonville. This historic trail offers scenic views of the eastern Siskiyou Mountains. This area was designated as an Adaptive Management Area under the Northwest Forest Plan, and under WOPR it is proposed as a Timber Management Area. The trail is also in the proposed Anderson Butte Off-Highway Vehicle Emphasis Area. Moderate-difficult, 7 miles roundtrip. Meet at the Ruch Market at 9am. August 16: Moon Prairie, Indian Plateau Visit a relic stand of old-growth east of Ashland. Moon Prairie is currently designated as an “Area of Critical Environmental Concern” for its fish, wildlife, scenic and educational values. The BLM would eliminate this designation under all proposed WOPR alternatives. Moderate, 4-5 miles. Meet at Shop ‘n Kart in Ashland at 9am. September 20: Long Gulch, Applegate Valley A one-way hike off-trail from the top of Long Gulch down the drainage of this trellised watershed that is home to one of the largest blocks of low elevation old-growth in the Applegate. Local residents submitted a proposal under WOPR to have the area designated as an “Area of Critical Environmental Concern,” but it was rejected. This area was designated as an Adaptive Management Area under the Northwest Forest Plan, and under WOPR it is proposed as a Timber Management Area, as well as an OHV Emphasis Area. Difficult, 7 miles. Meet at the Ruch Market at 9am. Bring good hiking shoes, water, food and clothing layers. For more information, call 488-5789 or email lesley@kswild.org.