SPRING 2026

A missive from the Applegate Partnership & Watershed Council

Here’s a peek into what our programs have been up to this spring!

Restoring Aquatic & Riparian Habitat

Early this spring we hosted a volunteer planting day at Cantrall Buckley Park, where members of the Middle Rogue Steelheaders helped plant native trees and shrubs along the riparian corridor. It was a great turnout and a nice boost to ongoing restoration efforts at the site. 

We also kicked off work on the Applegate River RM 25 side channel project, with initial survey and design work now underway to reconnect floodplain habitat and support more natural river processes.

On Iron Creek, we’ve been working with an engineering team to develop early designs to improve fish passage at the box culvert on Southside Rd, with support from an OWEB Technical Assistance grant. The current culvert has a 4 foot drop-off that is a complete barrier to anadromous fish. 

Looking ahead, our Cheney Creek Large Wood Round 2 project is set to begin this summer, where we’ll be working with multiple landowners to install in-stream wood structures to enhance salmon habitat.

Supporting Resilient Landscapes

The Upper Applegate All-Lands Wildfire Resiliency Project (UAAWRP) continues to progress, with contractor BurnBot completing almost 200 acres of fuels reduction treatments this year on private properties along Upper Applegate Road and Sterling Creek. 

The Lois Lane Douglas Fir Mortality Project will begin this spring. The goals of this project are to determine what practices are most efficient and effective in treating standing dead conifers, assess the costs associated with those practices, and reduce wildfire risk while improving forest health. This project is within the UAAWRP footprint. BurnBot will manage the implementation of this project.

For the Wagon Trail and Kubli Firewise Project, Grayback Forestry was selected as the primary contractor to implement fuels reduction work along roadways and around structures in these Firewise Communities. 

APWC and our contractors have completed the final round of public meetings for the Applegate Community Wildfire Protection Plan update (3 rounds, 15 meetings). Focus will now turn to writing the document itself, with the goal of completing the plan in September of 2026.

Environmental Education at Cantrall Buckley

The 2026 season of Applegate Outdoor School (AOS) will be wrapping up at the end of May. Throughout the past two months, we have served 580 sixth graders from Oakdale and Hedrick Middle Schools at Cantrall Buckley Park. This season has highlighted the park’s natural wonders. While completing their scientific field studies, students have encountered native wildflowers, morels, river otters, and juvenile lamprey!

Following AOS, the Education Program will quickly pivot to Applegate Outdoor Summer Camp (AOSC). Registration for AOSC is now open.
Bugs, Birds & Beyond Week (June 15-19) is almost full, so register while you still can!

Connecting with the Community

This spring has been filled with opportunities for Applegate community members to gather and enjoy the outdoors.  At Applegate After Dark’s “Stargaze at Wooldridge Winery” event, folks enjoyed fine wine, learned about the importance of dark skies, and observed as many stars and planets as the cloudy skies allowed. This event will be followed by additional collaborations between Applegate After Dark and local wineries. 

The 2nd Annual World Migratory Bird Day event at Provolt Recreation Site was a successful celebration of our feathered friends! Community members flocked for guided bird walks with local bird enthusiasts, including Klamath Bird Observatory, and celebrity appearances from a peregrine falcon and barn owl, courtesy of Wildlife Images. Thank you to Applegate After Dark, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, and Siskiyou Upland Trails Association for providing activities and educational displays! This event was jointly planned by APWC, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Provolt Volunteer Team.