Bureau of Land Management Ashland Field Office issues emergency fire closures 

Medford, Oregon – As a result of extreme fire activity, the Bureau of Land Management Medford District has temporarily closed all BLM-administered public lands from Township 38S south to the California border and from Range 2E east to the Klamath County border.  

This closure includes the portions of Cascade Siskiyou National Monument in Jackson County and areas near the Grizzly Creek fire.  Members of the public may not enter closed areas, and all uses—including hunting and dispersed camping—are prohibited. All Bureau of Land Management roads and trails in the area are closed, including the Grizzly Peak trailhead, Hobart Bluff Trailhead, Hyatt Lake, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Soda Mountain Wilderness.  See the Map of Ashland Closures of affected areas.

Maps of the closure areas are available on the Bureau of Land Management’s website:  https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions  

Public and firefighter safety are the highest priority. The extreme fire danger and fuels conditions have prompted the closure of these public lands to help with initial attack resources available to respond to new starts. The Bureau of Land Management continues to monitor fuels and resource conditions and will consider modifying closures if their impacts are in alignment with sound risk management practices. 

On September 12, the Bureau of Land Management closed all public lands south of Grants Pass, Interstate 5, and U.S. Route 199 to the border of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest as well as near the South Obenchain Fire outside of White City and the Slater Fire along the California state line.  

 
Multiple new fires started in early September on Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and private lands in the region have prompted Level 3 “Go” evacuations. Moderate to heavy smoke impacts from the fires are expected to continue.  

 
Personal safety is paramount. Stay informed on air quality ratings and more by visiting the Oregon Smoke Blog at http://oregonsmoke.blogspot.com/. Learn how to stay safe from wildfire smoke at https://www.cdc.gov/air/wildfire-smoke/default.htm. 

 
Weather and fuel conditions remain favorable for continued fire spread. Nearby residents and visitors to the area are encouraged to check with local emergency officials for the latest information on evacuations. 

 
For the latest road and weather condition updates, visit https://www.tripcheck.com/. 

Additional fire information is available on Inciweb: 

• South Obenchain Fire: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7185/

• Slater Fire: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7173/ 

 
Call 911 to report any signs of new fires. 

 
Please avoid outdoor recreation during these times and observe public use restrictions to help us limit potential new starts during this time:  

• Campfires or any other type of open fire, including the use of charcoal briquettes, is prohibited on BLM-managed land. 

• Power-driven machinery is prohibited in forested areas. This restriction includes power saws; equipment used for the cutting, grinding, or welding of metal; mowing of dry, cured grass with power equipment; and the use of any other spark-emitting equipment using an internal combustion engine. 

• Smoking is only allowed while inside a vehicle or while stopped in an area at least three (3) feet in diameter that is clear of flammable vegetation.   

• Operating a motor vehicle and parking off road (including motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles) is only allowed on roadways clear of flammable vegetation.   

• Using fireworks, exploding targets, or tracer ammunition is prohibited.   

• Using a chainsaw or other equipment with internal combustion engines for felling, bucking, skidding, woodcutting, or any other operation is prohibited.   

• Welding or operating a torch with an open flame is prohibited.   

 
Visitors to lands managed by the BLM are also required to carry tools with them to ensure small fires can be put out quickly, includinga shovel, axe, and at least one gallon of water or a 2.5-pound fire extinguisher.  

 
A list of personal use restrictions, as well as closure orders, are available at https://www.blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter @BLMOregon. 

BLM – Medford District Office
September 16, 2020                                                                                                                                                                              
Media contact: Kyle Sullivan, (541) 618-2340  

Congratulations to Crystal Nichols, filmmaker and producer of The Monument, a film about the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. The Monument is showing at the Klamath Independent Film Festival 2020. She received a 2019 Friends Research Fund grant, awarded to undergraduate or graduate students for faculty-supervised projects that enhance an understanding, appreciation, preservation, and/or protection of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

Notes by Crystal Nichols

I had the Klamath Independent Film Festival on my mental radar before I even finished creating The Monument, with the support of the Friends. I lucked out and found the submission opportunity for the film festival on the very last day of the deadline. About a month later, I learned that the film had been officially selected. I am honored and so excited to have the film showcased to the regional community since the film festival will be both in-person and virtual this year.

I had a video call with the executive director of KIFF to complete a Q&A session about the making of The Monument. This Q&A session will be played at some point during the festival. He seemed thrilled to be able to include a film that showcases the Klamath region! My film will be competing for various awards that are a part of the festival, but I will not know the results until the festival.

The Klamath Independent Film Festival is proudly the only film festival to showcase films that were either made in Oregon or whose filmmaker is from Oregon. The festival is in its eighth year and it will be taking place from September 18-20, 2020. Right now, their goal is to have the festival be in-person, with a large theater venue that can accommodate a lot of people even while social distancing. Just in case, the festival will also be available virtually.

IF YOU GO:
More information and tickets at the Klamath Independent Film Festival.
From September 18-20, 2020 in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Do you or your kids enjoy exploring nature? If so, this scavenger hunt is for you!

Take your family out to one of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument’s many trails to explore, You can find trails on the Monument map.

Before going to the Monument
Download and Print the Nature Scavenger Hunt

Make a copy for each person. You only need to print one page of the directions. Bring pen or pencils—colored ones if possible. A writing board or piece of cardboard may make it easier to write on.

See the hike preparation tips to help you get ready for hiking in the Monument. This tells you about the Monument limited facilities, taking care on your hike, and what to bring:

• Bring plenty of water

• Lunch and snacks

• Additional items: Hat, Sunscreen, Walking Sticks, Camera, Binoculars, Hand Lens, Checklist.

• Wear sturdy shoes.

• Any protective clothing

On the trail
Observe what is around you, and explore! Write the things you see on the Nature Scavenger Hunt. Afterwards you can compare and talk about what each person saw.

This Nature Scavenger Hunt can be used anywhere and is suitable for all ages.

Enjoy your time outside discovering new plants and animals!

Thanks to the Southern Oregon University Environmental Education graduate students for making this activity sheet to use in the Monument.

We are grateful to our community friends and partners who have curated and organized virtual experiences to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. They have taken extra efforts to provide you with access to their presentations online. Enjoy and share these virtual experiences to advocate for the Monument, our protection of public lands and our communities.

We thank you for your continued support in funding our education and conservation programs. We couldn’t do this work without you.

at Schneider Museum of Art website
Celebrating Wild Beauty, curated by Museum Director Scott Malbaum
with the Monument’s 2019 Artist in Residence Mark Tribe

at Project Space, Talent website
Land That I Love: Scenes from Cascade-Siskiyou, curated by artist Sarah Burns
with the Monument’s 2017 Artist in Residence Matt Witt

Lisa James has been appointed the new executive director of the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. Lisa says,

“I am thrilled to join the Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (CSNM) as Executive Director at this significant 20th Anniversary. Despite challenging restrictions on activities for everyone, I will be working closely with the dedicated Board of Directors and other non-profits to promote the protection, restoration, and conservation of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (CSNM).

I bring more than thirty years of experience in executive nonprofit management. I recently served as Executive Director of the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, a botanical marvel, and three years with the Portland Japanese Garden orchestrating their $30 million expansion campaign.

I’ve consulted with the Crater Lake National Park Trust, Jefferson Nature Center, Coyote Trails School of Nature, ScienceWorks Museum, Ashland Art Center, Ashland Schools Foundation, and the KSC Buddhist Center. I also spent 6 years with my alma mater SOU as the VP for Institutional Advancement and E.D. of the SOU Foundation where I completed their campaign to build the Center for the Arts.

My husband Sam and I live on the Rogue River. We enjoy rafting the wild and scenic Rogue, Klamath and Deschutes Rivers, hiking the nearby Tablerock Mountains, and fishing in our regional lakes and Pacific Ocean. I look forward to learning more about the vast biodiversity of the CSNM and working with our community supporters on educational and research projects, recreational hikes, special events, and more.”

20th Anniversary – Cascade-Siskiyou Monument

Take Care. Now and for Our Future Generations

Thank you for being a Friend to Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
As we learn more about the Monument’s unique biodiversity, we create an enduring relationship with the land that enables us to share and pass on this heritage to future generations.

Long before us, the Takelma, Klamath, and Shasta people are the traditional caretakers of this land.

The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument was established on June 9, 2000, with the primary goal of protecting this area’s outstanding collection of species and ecosystems. This biological diversity is owed, in part, to the millions-years old volcanic rocks and uplifted mountains.

It has one of the most diverse ecosystems found in the Cascade Range and is home to a spectacular variety of rare and beautiful species of plants and animals. Because all parts of an ecosystem–animals, plants, microbes, and humans–are interconnected, biodiversity is an asset we can take care of for our planet.

________________________________

2020 was a time of social distancing due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Although events in the Monument were canceled, Zoom video conference meetings could be accessed by anyone with an online link. Public programs to mark the 20th anniversary of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument were postponed. Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued Executive Order 20-24, on March 8 and extended through July 6. This declaration of emergency banned gatherings of 25 people or more through September 2020. Despite the Covid-19 threat, racial injustice protests (for #Black Lives Matter) spread to Oregon small towns, including Medford, after the George Floyd death by deadly police force. The racial and ethnic disparities of access to health care, justice and education are revealed in other areas, including the environment.

On behalf of the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, Southern Oregon Land Conservancy (SOLC), and the BLM Monument staff, thank you for participating in our National Public Lands Day event on October 26th at Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument!

This year, our goal was to remove fencing on boundary lands between Sky King Cole and the Monument in the Pilot Rock area. Sky King Cole is a beautiful 1312-acre private property conserved with a conservation easement held by Southern Oregon Land Conservancy. The fencing was first installed by the owners to keep out open range cattle, but now that the cattle have been removed as a part of the long-term restoration of the area, the fencing no longer served a purpose and created a wildlife hazard. By removing this fencing, we were able to free up the movement and migration of the animals that call the Monument home.

Even though the day was a chilly one, we were able to remove 3400 feet of barbed wire fencing with the help of over 30 volunteers!

As the temperature drops late in the year, less and less of us venture out into the mountains. In the forest, everything seems a bit more still, and most of the sounds around us come from the leaves crunching under our feet. But if you take a moment to stop and listen, there is still so much activity happening around us! When we think about what birds are doing this time of year, we tend to focus on all of the birds flying south and we often forget that we have feathered neighbors who stay here year-round. On October 11 and 12, the Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument discovered that you can encounter many birds in the Monument during the fall if you just take the time to listen and look. Klamath Bird Observatory board president, Shannon Rio, guided us on this quest during our final Hike & Learn of the 2019 season. 

On Friday October 11, bird enthusiasts and eager learners gathered at the Geos Institute to hear Shannon speak about the birds you can listen and look for in the fall here in our region. These birds include great gray owls, dippers, yellow rumped warblers, bald eagles, pileated woodpeckers, flickers, white-breasted, red-breasted and pygmy nuthatches, golden-crowned and ruby-crowned kinglets, mountain chickadees, western bluebirds, Stellar’s jays, and of course Raven, the Trickster. She emphasized that the edges of distinct habitats are where the action is. In the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, the landscape is filled with a mosaic of edges: ridgelines tracing the tops of mountain ranges with vastly different plant communities on either side, edges of forests bordering open meadows, and edges of lakes, streams and rivers dividing aquatic and terrestrial habitats. “It is a powerful thing to be near edges”, Shannon told us.

On Saturday October 12, we had an opportunity to walk along these edges and look and listen for the Monument’s fall residents. We walked five miles along the Pacific Crest Trail, from Highway 66 at the Greensprings summit to the peaceful shores of Little Hyatt Reservoir, then returned to the highway by walking three miles along Old Hyatt Prairie Road. On our journey, we passed through forested areas, meadows and oak woodlands, identifying the birds we encountered and observing their behavior and interactions with other species all along the way. In total, we identified 28 species of birds and witnessed many captivating moments between different species and individuals. Shannon encouraged us to watch how different birds were behaving and figure out what their behavior could tell us. At one point along the trail, we ran into a number of Stellar’s jays making a huge ruckus and then we spotted the bird that they were mobbing: a Cooper’s hawk hunkered down in a fir tree! You never know what exciting things you will encounter on a walk along the edges in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument!

– Written by Ellie Cosgrove, Program Coordinator of Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

Photos by Ellie Cosgrove