A chance to chip in at Eight Dollar Mountain

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2018-06-27

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The isolated peak in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest is named Eight Dollar, but the organizations overseeing its care don't put a price on the land. Allee Gustafson, who heads community outreach for Klamath Siskyou Wildlands Center, or KS Wild, said the organization wants people to see themselves as "stewards of the land." "These are our public lands, for everyone to enjoy," she said. This weekend, KS Wild and the U.S. Forest Service are extending an open invitation to community members interested in joining their efforts to preserve what Gustafson called "a hotspot" of biodiversity. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday, crews will work to restore lands damaged by off-road motorists and put up signs to protect the lands from new damage. The neighboring Kalmiopsis Wilderness, which withstood the effects of the 2002 Biscuit fire and the 2017 Chetco Bar fire, offers plenty of areas to recreate, but the effects of illegal off-road motoring have threatened the long-term sustainability of many meadows, Gustafson said. Volunteers will help restore those meadows by reintroducing native foliage and, outside of the wilderness, they will help ward off more damage by installing boulders (assisted by heavy machinery) to block areas not meant for motorized traffic. To help visitors stay in the areas marked off for them, volunteers also will install new signs in the area around Eight Dollar Mountain. KS Wild described the work as "low to moderate intensity" and Gustafson said Forest Service employees leading the teams will find jobs for volunteers that are appropriate for their respective ages and abilities. "The wildflowers and plants and Jeffrey pine trees that grow there — you’ll only find them in these rare botanical hotspots," Gustafson said. "That’s why we’re trying to protect this." KS Wild, which started as a group of community members working in land restoration in 1997, moved its headquarters to Ashland in 2000. It hosts service opportunities such as this upcoming event at Eight Dollar Mountain each month, Gustafson said. Those who are interested can camp overnight in the area with the Forest Service and KS wild employees. Participants are asked to give prior notice so that the team can plan ahead for space. A carpool also will be available to those who want to camp, leaving from the Northwest Nature Shop in Ashland at 7:45 a.m. Friday and returning Saturday afternoon. To reserve a spot for camping or carpool, contact Brodia Minter, KS Wild public lands advocate, at [email protected] or 541 488-5789; or Allee Gustafson, community organizer, at [email protected] , 541 218-8690. The organizations will provide water and tools for the work, but not food or camping equipment — participants will need to bring their own. They can also bring their own tools if preferred. The Native Plant Society of Oregon will lead a "botany walk" after lunch Saturday, which will highlight the unique species populating the "serpentine soil landscape," the result of various intense geological periods of glaciation, erosion and faulting. There's also likely to be swimming in the Illinois River and hiking time, Gustafson said. Those interested in camping are encouraged to bring musical instruments to fill some campfire time with song. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Kaylee Tornay at [email protected] or 541-776-4497. Follow her on Twitter @ka_tornay .