Rigdon Monarchs & Meadows: Milkweed in Rigdon

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Guest Blogger: Kris Elsbree

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Milkweed in Rigdon

The Rigdon Area in the Southern end of the Willamette National Forest is a dry mixed conifer forest that holds the northern extent of several species giving an oasis nestled in the Upper Willamette Watershed. 

Some of the unusual botanical characteristics include the abundance of Oregon White Oak and East side variety of Ponderosa Pine.  Taking a closer look at the plant communities in the meadows of this region and a distinct area can be defined as a habitat more likely to be found Southern Oregon. 

Field Crew with large Oregon White Oak on Milkweed Ridge 2018

One of the most picturesque and defining species to this habitat is Asclepias Cordifiolia; heart-leaf milkweed.  Coming to full bloom in late June and July heart-leaf milkweed becomes the center point of several meadows in the area being the largest plants with stunning flowers and seed pods. 

Monarch larva on heart-leaf milkweed 2018

Only a few years ago as the Rigdon Landscape analysis was underway there was only three known populations of milkweed in the Rigdon Area.  Tanya Harvey; a member of the Oregon Native Pant Society and the North American Butterfly Association and co-author of the Oregon Flora Volume 2; began looking at more potential sites for milkweed. 

Not only was Tanya able to find more milkweed but also discovered the first monarch butterfly in the area.  Since then Walama Restoration Project in Partnership with the U.S. Forest Service has been aiding those efforts by conducting milkweed and monarch butterfly surveys. 

Heart-leaf milkweed with seed pods

To date 16 meadows have been documented with milkweed and monarch butterflies.  The Western migration of Monarch butterflies is not completely understood, and the population has decreased over 90%.  This new known habitat may be a prime steppingstone for their migration and this new data will help the Forest Service better plan and implement projects to expand habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators and wildlife that share this habitat.

Fifth instar monarch caterpillar 2018

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Kris Elsbree is the crew leader for Wallama Restoration Project, hails from upstate New York.  In his early days, Kris worked to create and maintain George V Vanderbilt Park.  Chris attended Lane Community College and was President of the Lane Community College Learning Garden.  Working with Walama since 2008, Kris excels in the leadership skills and field knowledge necessary to guide the crew an land contracts.

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Rigdon Monarchs & Meadows: Monarchs in Rigdon

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Guest Blogger: Tanya Harvey

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Below is an excerpt from Tanya Harvey’s blog, follow the link to read the full article: A Week of Monarchs and Milkweed: Day 1 . Banner photo courtesy of Tanya Harvey.

Monarchs in Rigdon

Photo credit: Tanya Harvey. Female monarch nectaring on milkweed.

“We decided to access the area via an old road off of Road 2135, just past Big Pine Opening. A short bushwhack off the old road took us up to the south and lower end of the meadow complex (although we found an easier route back through more open woods on the way back). It only took a few minutes for us to spot the first monarch and the first caterpillar. Almost a week from when Sabine and I saw eggs at Monarch Meadow, it was about the right time for the eggs to start hatching.

We set about counting eggs, caterpillars, and adults in each opening. Crystal kept a count and recorded information about habitat while I took photos and put together a preliminary plant list. At this point in the year and less than 3000′ of elevation, most things were dried out, and even the milkweed was mostly beginning to go to seed, so I’m sure there will be many more plants to add to the list that we didn’t spot that day. What we did see looked pretty much the same as what was growing in Monarch Meadow, with the exception of a population of field pussytoes (Antennaria howellii), a species I’ve seen much higher up near Balm Mountain (see Another Exciting Day in the Calapooyas: The Sequel) and in one higher elevation spot in Douglas County.”

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Tanya Harvey is an amateur botanist and gardener who has been in love with plants as long as she can remember. Officially, she’s an artist, craftsperson, and designer (check out her work at tanyaharveydesign.com).

With the Western Cascades as her backyard, she spend as much time as she can botanizing the Western Cascades and, in the interests of science, conservation, and beauty, she shares what she learns through her website (westerncascades.com).

Tanya is also a member of the Oregon Native Pant Society and the North American Butterfly Association and co-author of the Oregon Flora Volume 2.

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Tonight: Learn about the Rigdon project with the MRG Sierra Club Group

SWFC's Sarah Altemus-Pope and OSU research scientist James Johnston will present an overview of the Rigdon landscape and the fire history study at tonight's Many Rivers Group Sierra Club meeting. See the Sierra Club flyer below for details about the meeting time and location.

Rigdon Collaborative Landscape Planning - Sarah Altemus-Pope

The Rigdon Landscape Analysis will inform future projects and environmental action plans in order to restore ecological functions of the 104,000 acre landscape. Projects will be implemented over the next 5-10-years. The first NEPA project, Youngs Rock Rigdon, will guide management actions within 26,000 acres north of the Middle Fork Willamette River. 

The Forest Service Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) and the Rigdon Collaboration Committee (RCC) have worked collaboratively to develop the Rigdon Landscape Analysis in order to benefit the ecological health and function of the landscape. The RCC developed zones of agreement on landscape restoration goals: human uses, vegetation, wildlife, and aquatics in the Rigdon project area.

Fire History Study - James Johnston

Managers and stakeholder groups need information about variation in fire disturbance over long time periods in order to craft restoration strategies that create resilient forests and provide for essential ecosystem services. Oregon State University College of Forestry is using tree ring evidence to reconstruct detailed fire histories of different forest types in the Rigdon landscape, ranging from pine savannah to moist old-growth Douglas-fir/western hemlock.  Research results will inform the efforts of the Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative (SWFC) and the Forest Service to develop strategies to restore diverse forests stands that are resilient to future change. 

2019 Pacific Northwest Forest Collaborative Workshop

Members from the Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative attended the PNW Collaboratives Workshop in Hood River - 8 members are on the leadership team for SWFC, while 4 members represented their organizations while at the conference. Collaborative members participated in this two day event, attending over 12-hours of facilitated learning on a variety of topics - see topics below! Folks who collaborate with SWFC also sat on panels during the conference.

Westside Restoration Outside of Plantations: Special Habitat Types

SWFC Facilitator Sarah Altemus-Pope paneled for the Westside Restoration Outside of Plantations: Special Habitat Types learning session, alongside other collaborative members James Johnston with Oregon State University, and Molly Juillerat from Middle Fork Ranger District representing the Willamette National Forest - the panel focused on forest restoration projects on westside Northwest Forest Plan areas in Matrix and Late Successional Reserves, with a special emphasis on special habitat types.

Living with Fire in Dry Forests

Collaborative member James Johnston with Oregon State University also paneled on Living with Fire in Dry Forests, focusing on the increased risk of severe fire, rising fire suppression costs, and novel wildfire impacts on ecosystem health, human health and property. While also focusing on how contemporary fire effects and impacts on communities compel fire suppression, but fire suppression created the problem and only makes it worse. The main question asked: how do we adapt contemporary dry forest landscapes so they are resistant to fire and drought? 

Zones of Agreement: Lessons Learned

Steering Committee Member, Susan Knudsen-Obermeyer paneled for Zones of Agreement: Lessons Learned. a panel that covered the spectrum, from groups tackling their first zones of agreement to those who have revised their agreements multiple times. 

Keynote Address

Mile-high collective Muddling: Collaborative forest restoration in the southern Rockies

Tony Cheng, Director, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute

Evening Keynote

Karen Hardigg, Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition

Forest Policy Panel

Nicholas Goldstein, USDA Forest Service

Chuck, Washington Department of Natural Resources

Chad Davis, Oregon Department of Forestry

Dylan Kruse, Sustainable Northwest

Breakout Session #1

• Forest Collaboration 101

• Lessons from Landscape-Scale Projects

• Improving & Scaling Aquatic Restoration

• Connecting Markets with Restoration Wood 

Breakout Session #2

• Collaborative Capacity

• Living with Fire in Dry Forests

• Recreation Planning & Forest Collaboratives

Breakout Session #3

• Westside Restoration Outside of Plantations: Special Habitat Types

• Zones of Agreement: Lessons Learned

• Biomass Summit: Review & Next Steps

Breakout Session #4

• Ecological Functions of Spatial Pattern in Dry Forests

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Forest Collaboratives

• Forest Restoration & Climate Change

Save the Date: Fire History & Special Habitats - Rigdon Learning Session

Save the date for a Rigdon Learning Session: Thursday, May 2nd, 9:00 - 12:00, at Greenwaters Park in Oakridge. OSU research scientists James Johnston will present a research update from the Rigdon fire history study followed by a Walama Restoration presentation about 2018 monarch survey results and upcoming field work. 

Fire History Study - James Johnston

Managers and stakeholder groups need information about variation in fire disturbance over long time periods in order to craft restoration strategies that create resilient forests and provide for essential ecosystem services. Oregon State University College of Forestry is using tree ring evidence to reconstruct detailed fire histories of different forest types in the Rigdon landscape, ranging from pine savannah to moist old-growth Douglas-fir/western hemlock.  Research results will inform the efforts of the Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative (SWFC) and the Forest Service to develop strategies to restore diverse forests stands that are resilient to future change.  

Special Habitats - Maya Goklany

Walama Restoration Project conducted 2018 milkweed and monarch butterfly surveys last summer in the Rigdon area.  Maya will present survey findings and possible future restoration opportunities. Following the learning session, Walama Restoration is offering a field training for those who are interested in volunteering for 2019 surveys (see description below and attachment for additional dates).

Willamette All Collaboratives Workshop: Save the Date

Date & Time

February 27, 2019

9:00AM - 3:00PM

Location

Springfield Interagency Office

3106 Pierce Parkway, Springfield, OR

About

This informal workshop is intended for active members of the Willamette National Forest's four collaborative groups and their Forest Service Partners. Focus will be on identifying common opportunities and common challenges. Agenda is being developed and will be circulated in advance. 

• North Santiam Forest Collaborative/ Partners of the North Santiam

• McKenzie Watershed Stewardship Group

• South Willamette Forest Collaborative

• Willamette National Forest

RSVP by 2/15/19

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Jennifer Sorenson at jennifersorenson@fs.fed.us or (541) -510-1102

Save the Date: Rigdon Red Tree Vole Strategy

Join us for a presentation by wildlife biologist Joe Doerr to discuss the Youngs Rock Rigdon project area!

When: Wednesday, January 16

             1:00PM - 3:00PM

Where: Middle Fork Ranger District

65th Oakridge-Westfir Tree Planting Festival

Here's the rundown of all we accomplished:

Friday - May 4th - Tree Prep

In preparation for the parade Saturday 15 volunteers helped bag 600 Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pines, 200 Douglas Firs, and 200 Incense Cedar.

Saturday - May 5th - Parade

20 volunteers walked alongside the Tree Planting Princess float, passing out 1,000 trees donated by the Bureau of Land Management. The float caught the judges' eye and we received the 2nd place ribbon! 

Sunday - May 6th - Open House + Conversation

We hosted an Open House followed by a Community Conversation for community members.

At the Open House community members learned about a range of topics: the next steps the Rigdon Collaboration Committee will take as the Rigdon Collaborative Landscape Project moves forward. Biomass market opportunities for Oakridge, and how forest byproduct manufacturing could create jobs and boost local economy. How the Implementation Advisory Committee makes collaborative recommendations to the Forest Service for Stewardship Contract Projects that benefit forest health and contribute to local economies. Recommendations include the boundaries for local workforce area and restoration work such as trail maintenance, road maintenance, weed extraction, stream improvements, etc. How the Good Neighbor Authority partnership between the State of Oregon and the Forest Service can increase the pace, scale, and quality of restoration on federal lands, support local economies, and engage local communities through collaboration. Community Wildfire Preparedness: how the Forest Service and our community are undertaking preventative measures to mitigate the threat of wildfire.

Following the Open House community members gathered to discuss and share their perspective on what it means to live in an rural community surrounded by forests, how residents value the forests we live in, how the downturn in the timber economy affected Oakridge and Westfir and how we’ve moved forward. This community conversation was hosted by the Conversation Project where Oregon Humanities offers free programs that engage community members in thoughtful, challenging conversations about ideas critical to our daily lives and our state's future.

The folks who participated mentioned they felt we should be having more discussions like this within the community. Everyone agreed it is a worthwhile event and the SWFC hopes to host Oregon Humanities again for this topic.

Join Us for a Community Conversation!

The Oakridge-Westfir Tree Planting festival is around the corner and the SWFC will be hosting an Open House at Greenwaters Park Sunday followed by an Oregon Humanities discussion about stewarding our public forests: "Seeing the Forest". Through the Conversation Project, Oregon Humanities offers free programs that engage community members in thoughtful, challenging conversations about ideas critical to our daily lives and our state's future. 

Conversation Topic

Join us to talk together about what it means to live in an rural community surrounded by forests, how residents value the forests we live in, along with discussing how the downturn in the timber economy affected Oakridge and Westfir and how we are moving forward.

When:
Sunday May 6th
5:00 - 6:30 PM

Address:
48362 Highway 58
Oakridge OR 97463

To participate in this free community discussion, please click here to RSVP

Meet the Host

Mariah Acton is a soon-to-be graduate from the University of Oregon where her master’s work focuses at the intersection of conflict resolution, nonprofit management, and public administration. As a recent social science researcher for the US Forest Service and a volunteer facilitator with forest collaboratives in the southern Willamette Valley, she recognizes that this is an exciting time for public-driven, sustainable forest management, and she appreciates that there are more conversations to be had. 

Acton’s program is made possible by funding from Oregon Humanities, which connects Oregonians to ideas that change lives and transform communities. More information about Oregon Humanities’ programs and publications, which include the Conversation Project, Think & Drink, Humanity in Perspective, Public Program Grants, Responsive Program Grants, and Oregon Humanities magazine, can be found at oregonhumanities.org. Oregon Humanities is an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities and a partner of the Oregon Cultural Trust.

Open House - Learn More About SWFC

The Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative is hosting an Open House Sunday May 6th, from 2:30 - 5:00 at Greenwaters Park Community Building. We invite you to take this opportunity to learn about our organization and the projects we are working on in the forest that surrounds you!

At our Open House you can learn more about:

• How the Implementation Advisory Committee makes collaborative recommendations to the Forest Service for Stewardship Contract Projects that benefit forest health and contribute to local economies. Recommendations include the boundaries for local workforce area and restoration work such as trail maintenance, road maintenance, weed extraction, stream improvements, etc.

  Recent projects include the Rock and Burnt timber sales.

• The next steps the Rigdon Collaboration Committee will take as the Rigdon Collaborative Landscape Project moves forward.

• Biomass market opportunities for Oakridge, and how forest byproduct manufacturing could create jobs and boost local economy. 

• How the Good Neighbor Authority partnership between the State of Oregon and the Forest Service can increase the pace, scale, and quality of restoration on federal lands, support local economies, and engage local communities through collaboration.

• Community Wildfire Preparedness: What are the risks and preventative measures the Forest Service and our community is undertaking to mitigate the threat of wildfires?

Some of you may be wondering - What is a Forest Collaborative?

Over the last two decades there has been a new approach to public lands management, that approach requires collaboration as a means of problem solving. This approach works because it brings together a diverse group of stakeholders - small business owners, elected officials, recreation enthusiasts, environmentalists, timber industry workers, state and federal agency representatives. As a group the collaboration members develop recommendations to the Forest Service and other land management agencies to advance ecologically sound forest and watershed management that also benefits local communities and their economies!

See you at the Oakridge-Westfir Tree Planting Festival parade!

Find Us in the Parade!

See you at the 65th Annual Oakridge-Westfir Tree Planting Festival May 4-7th. You can spot the Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative volunteers handing out tree seedlings alongside the Tree Planting Princess float during the parade Saturday May 5th at 10AM!

For the past three years, SWFC volunteers have handed out 1,000 tree seedlings donated by the BLM. This year we will hand out another 1,000 seedlings of mixed Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pine, Incense Cedar, and Douglas Fir.

The parade starts at 10am on Saturday, May 5th, on 1st Street in Uptown Oakridge - we hope to see you there!

More Opportunities to Learn About SWFC

• Stop by our Open House on Sunday, May 6th from 2:30 - 5:00 pm, at Greenwaters Park in Oakridge to learn about projects taking place on the Southern Willamette National Forest.

• Following the open house, Oregon Humanities will host a community conversation between residents and interested stakeholders on what it means to live in a rural community surrounded by national forest lands. 5:00 - 6:30 at Greenwaters park community building. 

Click Here to RSVP

You’re Invited to a Stewardship Contracting Workshop!

When?

April 12th, 2018 from 9:00am – 4:00pm

Why?

Stewardship contracting is one of the newer management tools used by the Willamette and other National Forests. Stewardship contracting is a useful tool which allows federal agencies to keep timber revenue local and be reinvested into local roads and service work. The USFS and South Santiam Watershed Council are partnering on this workshop to help contractors understand what stewardship contracting consists of, how the contracting process works, and how to write a successful stewardship bid proposal.

What?

Morning presentations will be followed by an afternoon field trip to visit the recently completed Rock Thin stewardship sale site and discuss implementation of stewardship contracts.  Lunch and field trip transportation provided.

Who?

Special presenter: Tim Daugherty from Idaho Forest Group LLC

Resource specialists:

• Mark Phillipp, Regional Stewardship Team Contracting Officer, US Forest Service

• David Bishop, Forester, Willamette National Forest, US Forest Service

Where?    

Best Western, 1100 Price Road SE, Albany, OR

For more information and to RSVP, contact: 

Jane Barth, Facilitator, at jbbarth@comcast.net or 541-760-4693

Please RSVP no later than April 2nd so we can plan meals, transportation, and workshop materials. Please indicate if you need any special accommodations.

And, please forward this invitation to others who would be interested in stewardship contracting.  Thank you!

Rigdon Collaboration Committee Learns about FLAD Process

FLAD Learning Session

The Facilitated Landscape Design Process (FLAD) provides a way to look at the landscape as an ecosystem. It is a way to see the interactions between living and non-living components and understand relationships to look at whole landscape.

The FLAD design process was created in 1992 by Diaz (ecologist) and Apostle (landscape architect). The goal of this work is to create or maintain resilient landscapes, which can be defined as the ability of an ecosystem to maintain its elements, flows and functions in the face of disturbance.

There are 8 steps to the FLAD process with two logical stopping points where the District interdisciplinary team (IDT) and Rigdon Collaboration Committee (RCC) will join together to discuss options:

1. Landscape elements and flows

2. Landscape objectives or target landscapes

This process will help identify where target patterns belong on the landscape based on the current landscape and its capacity. Understanding existing landscape patterns and desired targets helps inform the types of projects that are needed to create resilient landscapes.

Future Learning Sessions - FLAD Step 7 - Landscape Pattern

Objectives: Develop statements that describe the “target” landscape pattern (kinds, shapes, sizes, arrangement of landscape structures) in different parts of the planning area, using information from the analysis steps and local resource objectives specific to the analysis area.

Outlook Learning Sessions Wrap Up

The SWFC has officially wrapped up Outlook Learning Sessions and have since moved to Roundtable Discussions!

The Collaborative visited a number of different proposed project sites and discussed a broad range of treatments!

We looked through a number of different lenses:

• Terrestrial Landscape, Invasives & Habitat

• Vegetation Treatments, Biomass & Fire

• Aquatics & Roads

• Economic Impacts of Restoration Work 

With restoration efforts ranging from

• Early-Seral Habitat Maintenance

• Treatment of Existing Noxious Weed Populations

• Snag and Down Wood Creation in Mature Stands

• In-Channel Stream Wood Placement

• Road Maintenance 

• Road Closures

• Mitigation of Existing Soil Compaction