KS Wild Side: Rogue Riverkeeper works with volunteers and partner organizations to collect water samples weekly from more than 15 recreation sites and other locations where people commonly enjoy streams, rivers, and lakes, and posts results on the Swim Guide webpage and on the Swim Guide app.
Nicknamed the “Klamath knot,” the Klamath-Siskiyou region ties together many major and diverse ecosystems of the West: Cascadia to the north, deserts to the east, coastal redwoods to the west, and California’s Central Valley to the south. Whether you were already aware of the special biodiversity of the Klamath-Siskiyou or you are feeling newly inspired to get out and explore, consider visiting these four of KS Wild’s favorite spots.
Joseph Vaile: “Currently the USFS and BLM in southwest Oregon are planning timber sales that threaten our old-growth forests. One example is the Medford District BLM. They are about to implement Poor Windy, which targets old-growth trees near Grants Pass along the I-5 corridor. Trees well over 100 years old are marked to be logged.”
To catch a glimpse of the rare Green’s Mariposa Lily in bloom, you can visit the Mariposa Preserve in the early summer around mid-June to the beginning of July. It’s just a short drive south from Ashland to the 222-acre Mariposa Botanical Area, a designated conservation area within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
“Our waterways and the vegetation that makes up the riparian corridors around them need increased protections now more than ever. Rogue Riverkeeper is advocating that stronger setback requirements be added to municipal ordinances to protect these important ecosystems.”
America’s road network, as currently designed, is a major impediment to migration. Fragmentation of habitat caused by roads prevents animals from accessing food and water. For animals both large and small, roads also reduce a species’ long-term viability.
The Private Forest Accord is a huge deal for Oregon’s forests. It is a giant step forward to better protect Oregon’s forests and streams. Forests — the lungs of the planet — can breathe a little easier if the Accord passes the Oregon legislature.
The 54th annual Talent Harvest Festival — the city’s biggest event of the year — kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday, featuring live music across six stages, family-friendly activities, and a “Wheely Fun Parade.”
Ashland city leaders on Tuesday will revisit an amendment to an ordinance that aims to streamline the ability to ban repeat offenders from business corridors. The proposed amendment is up for a second reading after a 4-2 vote in favor of approval.
Southern Oregon University will have three new trustees at the table at their upcoming Oct. 16 and 17 board meetings, following new appointments by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek this week.
Herbert Rothschild: I didn’t get a good read on whether my classmates acknowledge how pervasive the effects of racism still are and the imperative to address them.
Ashland is slated to host a first-of-its-kind voluntary evacuation drill on Saturday, Oct. 11, giving people the opportunity to practice wildfire evacuation procedures in real time. Registration closes on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Time is getting short to see and experience Crater Lake up close. The Cleetwood Cove Trail, which provides the only access to the lake, is open but will be closing for up to three years for reconstruction.
(It’s free)
