A Year in Review: 2016

Applegate Neighborhood Network: The Year in Review

Unit 28-22 of the Nedsbar Timber Sale was canceled due to the work of ANN and the SIskiyou Crest Blog. The unit is located near the confluence of Yale Creek and the Little Applegate River and is one of the Little Applegate area's most intact, fire adapted stands.
Unit 28-22 of the Nedsbar Timber Sale was canceled due to the work of ANN and the SIskiyou Crest Blog. The unit is located near the confluence of Yale Creek and the Little Applegate River and is one of the Little Applegate area’s most intact, fire adapted stands.

Applegate Neighborhood Network (ANN) is a conservation and community organization consisting of non-profit groups, local Applegate Valley residents and friends of the Applegate Valley. We believe that by joining together to achieve shared goals, we can amplify our voice and generate positive results for the Applegate Valley community and its environment. We work to advocate for community and conservation values in the Applegate Valley through collaboration, community activism, on-the-ground monitoring, education and advocacy. Whether you live, work or play in the Applegate Valley we encourage you to join us. We need your help to continue making a difference for this vibrant community and beautiful landscape. Please consider making a tax deductible donation to ANN. We can only continue this work with your generous support.

 2016 Achievements:

 Nedsbar Timber Sale:

Unit 33-20 was canceled from the Nedsbar Timber Sale following input from ANN and the the Siskiyou Crest Blog. The unit is located on the high divide between Yale Creek and the Little Applegate River.
Unit 33-20 was canceled from the Nedsbar Timber Sale following input from ANN and the the Siskiyou Crest Blog. The unit is located on the high divide between Yale Creek and the Little Applegate River.

 During 2016 ANN was instrumental in achieving withdrawal of numerous old-growth or roadless area units in the Nedsbar Timber Sale and one-mile of new road construction proposed in the Trillium Mountain Roadless Area. These are tangible victories and should be celebrated, but more work needs to be done in 2017.  

ANN has worked extensively on the Nedsbar Timber Sale taking the lead in opposing the BLM’s proposal. We have supported the Nedsbar Community Alternative, led public hikes, organized public protest, engaged collaboratively with the BLM and advocated for conservation. ANN also conducted extensive unit monitoring, publicizing our results on the Siskiyou Crest Blog. ANN also submitted a 100 page public comment and an administrative protest to the Decision Record.

Following citizen protests, administrative appeals and public outrage, the Nedsbar Timber Sale failed to sell at auction; receiving no bids from the timber industry. The BLM intends to “re-package” the Nedsbar Timber Sale to make the sale more financially attractive to potential buyers. We will continue to work on the Nedsbar Timber Sale in 2017 advocating for the Community Alternative and working to oppose the BLM’s Alternative 4.

 Applegate Adaptive Management Area:

ANN has worked through the Applegate Adaptive Management Area to support conservation and community values in the public land management planning process. The BLM and Forest Service have identified the Upper Applegate Valley as the Planning Area for a joint AMA project. The BLM’s Grants Pass Resource Area has also proposed the massive Pickett West Timber Sale with units in North Applegate, around Murphy, Oregon and Wilderville, Oregon.

We are advocating for the protection of roadless areas, wildlife, rare plants and pollinators. We support appropriate recreation and non-motorized trail development, judicious thinning, the use of prescribed fire and community collaboration. We are attending public meetings and monitoring the proposed AMA projects; identifying issues of concern, potential solutions and strategies that maximize environmental benefits.

 Timber Sale Monitoring:

ANN has been working to monitor BLM timber sales across the Applegate Valley. Documenting the impacts and actual results of commercial logging on BLM lands. We are conducting long-term monitoring projects to document the cumulative impact of timber harvest activity on fire risks, fuel hazards, forest health, northern spotted owl habitat and bark beetle mortality. We incorporate the results of our monitoring into our advocacy, public comments and the land management planning process. This is what true adaptive management looks like.

 OHV Monitoring:

ANN worked to successfully secure a motorized vehicle closure in these large meadows on China Gulch near Ruch, Oregon. The meadows was being badly damaged by uunauthorized OHV use.
ANN worked to successfully secure a motorized vehicle closure in these large meadows on China Gulch near Ruch, Oregon. The meadows was being badly damaged by uunauthorized OHV use.

ANN has helped to secure the closure of numerous environmentally damaging and unauthorized Off-Road Vehicle (OHV) trails near Ruch, on Anderson Butte and on the Siskiyou Crest near Big Red Mountain. ANN has been working to monitor OHV impacts across the Applegate Valley on both BLM and Forest Service land. We are documenting the impact of OHV use in the Applegate Valley and advocate for non-motorized trails, the closure of user-created OHV trails, and quiet recreational opportunities.

 Non-motorized Trail Advocacy:

The Jack-Ash Trail, proposed by ANN non-profit member, the Siskiyou Upland Trail Association, would extend from Jacksonville to Ashland, Oregon. Phase one of the long distance trail was recently approved by the BLM and trail construction has begun.

The Applegate Ridge Trail, proposed by ANN member, the Applegate Trails Association is currently undergoing Environmental Assessment for six miles of new trail near Ruch, Oregon. When completed the Applegate Ridge Trail will extend from Grants Pass to Jacksonville, Oregon. 

ANN has worked to support both the proposed Jack-Ash and Applegate Ridge Trail. We are also working to identify new non-motorized trail opportunities in the Upper Applegate Valley during the AMA planning process.

 Pollinator Conservation:

In 2016 ANN collaborated with the Forest Service to restore and protect important pollinator and monarch butterfly habitat on the Applegate River. The project was initiated through ANN advocacy, the first phase of the project consisted of closing a small riverside meadow to OHV use and was implement in 2016. The closure will protect the locally uncommon, heart-leaf milkweed, one of the monarch butterflies only native host plants.

ANN is working collaboratively with the Forest Service to design numerous pollinator/native plant restoration projects and interpretative trails in the Upper Applegate Valley.

Place-Based Environmental Education:

In 2016, ANN hosted numerous public hikes, field trips, public presentations and community events supporting environmental education, conservation and community involvement in the federal land management planning process.

A public hike in the Trillium Mountain Roadless area to view proposed units 26-20, 27-20 & over a mile of new road construction in the Nedsbar Timber Sale. Both units and the road proposed to access them were canceled due to ANN input and public organizing.
A public hike in the Trillium Mountain Roadless area to view proposed units 26-20, 27-20 & over a mile of new road construction in the Nedsbar Timber Sale. Both units and the road proposed to access them were canceled due to ANN input and public organizing.

Consider making a tax-deductible donation to ANN. Your funds will directly benefit the community and conservation values of the Applegate Valley. Please help us continue our work.

Thank you for your continued support. We are only as strong as the community that supports us.

ANN