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 - Subscribe  - Contact Us  - Rate Card  - Place an Ad Valley&State      Backpage      O&E      Sports      Archives      Classifieds      Faith&Beliefs      Obituaries      Revels October 13, 2004 Parks department installs new signs Staff reports The Ashland Parks Department, in cooperation with the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy, recently installed three new interpretive signs in the Oredson-Todd Woods to inform park users of all accessible trails open to the public. The signs include an updated map of Oredson-Todd Woods and neighboring Siskiyou Mountain Preserve, which contain more than 4 miles of public trails in the forested southwest hills of Ashland. Parks Department staff used global positioning systems to identify the trails and worked with the Land Conservancy and the Ashland Public Works Department to create the maps. A short history of the parks is also included. Oredson-Todd Woods was donated to the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy in 1983 by Vince Oredson and John Todd to be preserved as open space. In 1999, the Land Conservancy donated the land to the City of Ashland after successfully helping the City purchase 110 adjoining acres. These lands are both protected with a conservation agreement, ensuring that they will remain open space in perpetuity. Together with other adjacent City owned property, nearly 300 acres of parklands were created. Over the past few years, the Parks Department has worked to improve accessibility, safety and quality of trails in the area. Two new sections of trail have been added, one leading from the parking area off Lupine Drive into the woods and another connecting the upper and lower trails. Certain dead snags posing the greatest risk to trail users were dropped or have been limbed and reduced in height to improve trail safety while still preserving valuable habitat for wildlife. Efforts have also been made to improve water quality in Clay Creek by reducing erosion. Wood chips recycled from limbs and thinned brush have been placed along the pathways. Drainage features and native plants have been added to control hillside runoff and the existing bridges and creek crossings have been improved throughout the trail system. Both Oredson-Todd Woods and Siskiyou Mountain Preserve are only minutes from downtown but offer solace and beauty most often found in more remote locations. They can be accessed off Greenmeadows Drive or from the top of Park Street. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams