The wildlands of northern California and southern Oregon flood the mind with gorgeous images: cathedral forests of the Cascade Mountains; wet, foggy redwoods towering over the Pacific Ocean; mighty rivers shepherding salmon upstream to spawn.

Residents and travelers to the hamlet of Ashland sense that there is something special about this town, which sits at the confluence of the Cascade and Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains. Whether it is the artistic community, the university, or progressive politics, many people recognize that the gorgeous natural surroundings contribute to, if not wholly create, the enchanted aura of this town.

While much of this natural beauty is widely appreciated, relatively few know the extent of hidden treasure waiting in Ashland’s backyard.

Crossroads of Diversity

The Klamath-Siskiyou Mountains straddle the Oregon/California border and is a complex and diverse ecoregion, which is an area over which the climate, ecology and plant and animal communities are distinct.

The Klamath-Siskiyou is nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Crest, and stretches from the wine country in the south, to the Umpqua River in the north. The rivers run through extremely rugged mountains that were on the bottom of the ocean hundreds of millions of years ago. As chance would have it, the Klamath-Siskiyou was spared from glaciation in recent ice ages, and therefore served as a refuge for hundreds of species whose habitat was otherwise frozen. As a result of complex geology, climate and time, the region boasts some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in North America, and one of the richest temperate forests on the planet.

The photo above was taken in the Condrey Mountain Roadless Area, one of the various Roadless Areas along the Siskiyou Crest. The photo shows a sample of the ancient incense cedar found in the area, as well as big leaf maple. Photo courtesy of KS Wild.

The Klamath-Siskiyou region is truly a crossroads. A combination of influences from the eastern desert, Central Valley, and the Cascade, Sierra and Coast ranges create unique and diverse plant and animal communities. The region’s temperate forests are home to more than 30 different species of conifer trees. These trees include the elegant and endemic (found nowhere else on earth) Port-Orford cedar in the rainy, western portion of the region. The eastern, drier part of the region hosts ancient, gnarled junipers more common in the Great Basin.

A Wild Landscape Flowing to the Sea

Two major watersheds, the Rogue River in the north and the Klamath River in the south, define the region. These epic rivers are divided by the Siskiyou Crest, which runs east-west from the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument east of Ashland, to the Illinois Valley in the west and down into the Siskiyou Wilderness in California. The Siskiyou Crest is a unique mountain range that serves as a biological corridor for plants and animals to travel and disperse throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The region also features the largest concentration of Wild and Scenic rivers in the country, providing excellent freshwater habitat for several species of salmon, lamprey and other aquatic life. For those seeking quietude and solace, an extensive complex of Wilderness and roadless areas make the Klamath-Siskiyou the wildest place on the West Coast. Many of these places are within an hour drive of Ashland.

Turning Landscapes into Community Strength

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” - Rachel Carson

The threats to the ecosystems in the Klamath-Siskiyou are the same threats that plague forests, watersheds and wildlands worldwide. Conversion of primary forests to logging plantations, widespread cattle overgrazing, rampant off-road vehicle use, excessive road construction and non-native species are all significant problems in the Klamath-Siskiyou. Certainly, there are solutions to the problems we face, it is only a matter of will.

One of the central tenets of a democracy is access to information and the subsequent action taken with that knowledge. While the world is full of horrors, the world is also full of vast beauty and simple awe. As a community in southern Oregon we are blessed with waterways and wildlands that are increasingly rare in the 21st century. As a community, we have a treasure worth protecting.

An upwelling of community education and action can hold government agencies accountable for their actions, while creating more legal and social leverage for community-based solutions for the problems we face.

Many believe that critters and plants and rivers and forests deserve protection in their own right. Additionally, many recognize that a healthy human community is interrelated and interdependent to the health of its surrounding landscape. Regardless, it seems hard to find a better way to contribute to the future of the planet than by cultivating community and protecting an extraordinary surrounding landscape.

By Lesley Adams
Lesley is the Outreach Coordinator for the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center (KS Wild). KS Wild monitors activity on public lands throughout the Rogue and Klamath watersheds of northwest California and southwest Oregon. KS Wild advocates for roadless lands, ancient forests, at-risk species of plants and animals and the cool clear waterways of the wild Klamath-Siskiyou region. For more information, visit www.kswild.org

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 8th, 2006 at 1:53 pm and is filed under Environment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.