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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 10 things to know for Monday Festival spreads the buzz about bees Annual See's candy sales start Friday Mt. 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Chris Honoré: Was the midterm election a mandate? ... Our View: ... Ashland Calendar ... Chris Honoré: Was the midterm election a mandate? ... Our View: ... WATERSHED ART GROUP Celebrating the Pacific Fisher, symbol of a healthy watershed Artists' proposals sought for what could be first sculpture along 'art hike' trail By John Darling For the Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 3, 2014 @ 8:32 pm By John Darling For the Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 3, 2014 @ 8:32 pm » RELATED CONTENT • Marijuana growers are threat to salmon, biologists conclude • Injunction blocks BLM timber sale near Ashland • See the watershed logging work » Social News Ashland’s Watershed Art Group is commissioning a sculpture of the little-known Pacific Fisher, a weasel-like denizen of the hills above town and a symbol of the need to understand and preserve the watershed, which is the source of the city’s water supply. Proposals for a three-dimensional image of the mammal will be accepted until Dec. 1. The winning proposal will be announced by Jan. 10. It must be completed next spring. It is funded by a $3,000 grant from Lloyd Haines Philanthropic Foundation of Ashland. A requirement will be that it include an element of community education and involvement. The sculpture will be displayed at several spots, including ScienceWorks, Earth Day and an exhibit of art works supported by Haines, an Ashland lawyer and sponsor of public art. The Watershed Art Group is a loose coalition of local artists, including city Councilwoman Pam Marsh and tile artist Sue Springer, who “use art to inspire, educate and engage community members in the stewardship of Ashland’s most precious natural resource,” says Marsh, adding that the watershed not only holds all our water but is a source of life for many plants and creatures around us.   The sculpture may be the first element in an “art hike” among the many trails in the watershed south of town, Marsh said. Still in the conceptual stage, the art hike would guide hikers among more sculptures, art that frames and interprets a particular view or, she said, ephemeral art intended to biodegrade back into the environment. The mis-named Pacific Fisher  doesn't  stalk fish but is a omnivorous — and a predator capable of taking out porcupines. This aids the watershed, says Marsh, because porcupines overly damage seedlings and saplings. “Pacific Fishers' unique predatory skills contribute to the health and variety of the forest,” she notes. Local biologists, including forest contractor Marty Main, have identified 35 Fishers in the watershed and are monitoring 21 of them — 12 females and nine males, assigning them names, such as Chloe, Cricket, Daisy, Lily, Missy, Morchella, Flo, BeBe, Little Guy, Lefty, Butch, Hercules, Mama’s Boy, Wally, Squirt and Peanut. “They are charming little creatures who capture people’s imaginations,” says Marsh, explaining why they were chosen as the initial theme for the art hike. “They represent the story of the watershed in its diversity and interaction with nature and people. They help preserve the forest for our use of its water.” The animal nests in mistletoe of fir trees, often moving to protect kits. The creature’s original range included most forests in Oregon, California, Washington and Canada, but it has been reduced by trapping and human-caused loss of habitat, she says.   Trapping of the animal was banned in the 1940s. Environmental groups considered it in need of protection by the Endangered Species Act. They petitioned in 2000 for listing, but were denied by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, a petitioner. However, just this month, the USFWS reached a settlement to protect the Fisher and hundreds of other species. Artists may get requests for proposals on the project from Marsh or Springer at [email protected]. For more information or to get involved in Watershed Art, contact Pam Marsh, [email protected], or 541-282-4516; or Sue Springer, [email protected]. John Darling is a freelance writer living in Ashland. Email him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Daily Tidings Posted Nov. 3, 2014 @ 8:32 pm » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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