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Forest Park gets a boost from agreement By Tony Boom May 31, 2022 12:00 PM A A The Jacksonville park will benefit from a new working agreement between woodlands volunteers and the city Andy Atkinson / Mail TribuneIn this 2020 file photo, Clayton Gillette and Eric Villarreal guide a tower in place for a new suspension bridge in Forest Park in Jacksonville. Jacksonville’s Forest Park could get more donations and see larger work parties in the future after the city of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Woodlands Association signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this month. Forest Park is 1,460 acres of city-owned land, once the site of the town’s reservoir, about a mile west of town on Jackson Creek. JWA oversees 16 miles of trails it has created on land within and adjacent to the city since the association’s formation in 1989. Twenty years ago, JWA’s scope of work, mission and management plan did not extend to Forest Park, said Tony Hess, who was on the JWA board when development first began. Hess and the late city councilman Dick Ames were early advocates for and volunteers at the park. “The Woodlands Association will get a little more involved in some of the things that will get done in Forest Park, but it will still basically be managed by Public Works,” said Hess. “Forest Park is fairly mature, there’s probably nothing significant coming, but maintenance for existing park signs and trails is ongoing.” “When the association was formed, they talked about the area being the whole viewscape. That really does encompass Forest Park,” said Kandee McClain, JWA president. The association has given financial support to park projects in the past, she said. “We do get a lot of traffic, and we need to maintain those trails,” said McClain. “I think we all have a common goal to make trails available. We need that outdoor recreation.” JWA affiliation means that donations to the park now can be considered tax deductible. Donation boxes, already at JWA trailheads, will appear in the park. The association has nonprofit status. Large groups for work parties could be allowed under an insurance liability policy that JWA attained. The city’s insurer would not allow such groups, but volunteers could be approved for coverage by the city individually. About a half-dozen volunteers were approved to work in Forest Park under Public Works direction. City Council unanimously approved the memo of understanding May 3. The agreement calls for maintenance and preservation of the park and spells out various responsibilities and the sharing of expenses. It covers such areas as volunteer participation, fundraising and grant writing, routine upkeep, fuel reduction, signage and trail repair and maintenance. Applications for fuels-reduction grants to cut fire hazards might be enhanced by the new status, City Administrator Jeff Alvis told the council. Councilor Andrea Thompson had asked whether the agreement might impede such awards. Volunteers have collaborated with the city’s Public Works Department to create many features in the park, including the trails, benches, bridges and signage. Several Eagle Scout projects have added to the park’s features. Recent installation of a toilet was done with an Oregon Department of Parks grant, which City Councilor Mike McClain wrote, said Hess. Park volunteers are currently working to cut poison oak back from the trails, said Clayton Gillette, a Forest Park volunteer. Reduction of blackberries growing on the former dam is underway to encourage the growth of Ponderosa pines there. Students from Ruch Community School have assisted with cutting back mullein, teasel and blackberries. In the upper areas of Forest Park, a trail that could connect to a planned route from the Applegate recently was created to keep hikers from trespassing on adjacent private property, said Gillette. Gillette also worked on creation of a new trail map for the park. While paper copies will be available, use of the free Avenza Maps app with GPS capability is encouraged to cut down on paper consumption. “We see a lot of out-of-state cars in Forest Park,” said Hess. An estimated 50,000 visitors per year visit Forest Park and use the JWA trails, he said. Park trails are designated for equestrian, bicycle, hiker or mixed usage. Three streams feed into Jackson Creek. JWA works to acquire and preserve wooded hillside and open space around the city. The trail system includes 255 acres over 22 parcels that are interconnected by 16 miles of hiking trails. Land it acquires is transferred to the city. It also has partnerships with Bureau of Land Management, Jackson County Parks and Southern Oregon Land Conservancy to provide trails. Reach Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at [email protected].