Fritillaria glacua (Siskiyou fritillaria) growing from rocky scree on Goodbye Ridge in the Kangaroo Roadless Area Summer in the Siskiyou Mountains is prime time to enjoy the region’s renowned botanical diversity. Whether hunting rare wildflowers or enjoying common, yet colorful species, the Siskiyou Crest offers some of the West Coast’s most diverse flower displays. Many species found in the region are endemic to the area, meaning they are found only in the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains. In this post I have featured a few species endemic to the Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains. Look for them while you are out and about this summer.  Lillium bolanderi (Bolander’s lily) growing from serpentine boulders along Clear Creek in the Siskiyou Wilderness Castilleja schizotricha (Split-hair paintbrush) growing on serpentine balds near the summit of Big Red Mountain Lewisia cotyledon (Siskiyou bitterroot) near Cook and Green Pass in the Condrey...

View of Red Butte from Bee Camp at the current end of Road 47N80. Road 47N80 is an obstacle to wilderness designation and should be closed to all motorized traffic.       The Klamath National Forest (KNF) has announced the development of a road rehabilitation project in the Seiad Creek Watershed, adjacent to the Red Buttes Wilderness and the Kangaroo Roadless Area. The project is being called, “The Seiad Legacy Roads Rehabilitation Project.” The goal of the project is to improve water quality by reducing road related sediment sources in the watershed. The KNF has proposed a variety of treatments including culvert removal, road decommissioning, road re-contouring, fill removal, and the construction of water bars.      This project is designed around identifying what the KNF has deemed “legacy roads.” Legacy roads serve little to no real purpose and degrade numerous important biological and social resources....

     The Cleopatra Mine, a large-scale strip mine proposed on Cleopatra Ridge, deep in the South Kalmiopsis Roadless Area, has the potential to impact the world renowned fisheries and water quality of both Baldface Creek and the North Fork of the Smith River. The mine project would degrade wilderness quality lands in the South Kalmiopsis Roadless Area, likely precluding future wilderness designation.      The area is extremely remote, wild, and inaccessible; yet the McGrew Trail, a long abandoned stage coach route through the area, can provide hikers and backpackers access to the stark peridotite ridges and clear mountain streams of the South Kalmiopsis Roadless Area.       It is my contention that these places must be loved if they are to be saved. The public who owns this land must know what is truly at stake, so explore Baldface Creek and speak out for its permanent protection! The link below explores the issue and...

The Middle Applegate Pilot Project is being touted as a new and innovative approach to forest management, emphasizing forest restoration and the retention of old-growth trees. The project is based on the dry forest restoration principals created by Norm Johnson and Jerry Franklin and claims to focus on reducing fuels, increasing forest resiliency, and treating overly-dense forest stands. The prescription calls for retaining all trees over 150 years of age, yet in the project’s initial timber sale (Pilot Joe) old-growth trees were logged along with other trees that, although not over 150 years of age, were not consistent with project objectives, principals, prescriptions and guidelines. The logging of these trees contradicts the claims and analysis in the Environmental Assessment, as well as statements made by BLM officials at public meetings, field trips, and other outreach efforts for the Pilot Joe Timber Sale. In the midst of this controversy the BLM has proposed stage two of...