This map shows the area of the 52,000-acre Upper Applegate Watershed Restoration Project, south of Ruch, where federal agencies and nonprofit organizations are working to improve forest health and lessen wildfire danger. Logging of small- and medium-diameter trees is planned.

Public agencies and nonprofit organizations involved in watershed restoration and wildfire prevention in southwest Oregon are inviting the public along on a tour of two sites on Friday, Dec. 8, in the upper Applegate River watershed to learn about their work.

The tour, set from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., will visit areas scheduled for thinning and fuels reduction treatments. A timeline for work to be done in the coming year will be discussed. Participants should meet at the Star Ranger Station, 6941 Upper Applegate Road. No reservations are required.

Staff with the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Lomakatsi Restoration Project, Rogue Forest Partners and the Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Collaborative will lead the outing. They will discuss the ongoing Upper Applegate Watershed Restoration Project, a years-long effort in a 52,000-acre area of federal forests south of Ruch to improve forest health, enhance wildlife habitat and lessen the risk of severe wildfire.

A focus of the tour will be the “ecologically-based” logging of small- and medium-sized Douglas fir trees to lessen fire danger, with the sale of logs paying for the logging, according to an event announcement from Lomakatsi, an Ashland-based organization involved in forest thinning, prescribed burning and plantings. Planning for the treatments took place over three years. Thinning began in 2021.

More information about the Upper Applegate Watershed Restoration Project is available from the USFS, BLM and at rogueforestpartners.org. For questions about Friday’s tour, send an email to hello@rogueforestpartners.org.

Siskiyou Mountain Club to hold open house

The trail-building nonprofit organization Siskiyou Mountain Club has scheduled an open house from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at its headquarters, 33 Third St. in Ashland. A short program featuring video clips and bloopers from the past year is set for 6 p.m.

Snacks, treats and beverages will be provided, along with entertainment.

The past year focused on worker training and project delivery, according to the club’s online newsletter. The club had its largest work crew ever, at 27.

“It was a lot of hard work,” said Gabe Howe, executive director.

Crews maintained 135 miles of backcountry trails and restored more than 11 miles of trails that were impassable.

Among the trails opened up was a remote section of the Pacific Crest Trail from Cook-n-Green Pass to Seiad Valley. Upcoming volunteer trail work outings are set for the Butte Fork Trail, Jan. 13-14; Osgood Ditch, Feb. 3 and the Illinois River Trail, Feb. 17-18.

For more information, call 458-254-0657 or go to siskiyoumountainclub.org.

McKee Bridge getting dressed up for the holidays

Volunteers are scheduled to be out at the McKee Bridge from 10 a.m. until at least 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, to decorate, string lights and put up trees in preparation for the fifth annual community event “Christmas On A Covered Bridge” on Saturday, Dec. 16.

Event organizer Laura Ahearn of the McKee Bridge Historical Society said no extra help is needed for this Saturday’s work party, although people could help by becoming members of the organization.

“We’ve been at work cutting fresh greenery today, and six trees are staged on the bridge waiting to be bejeweled,” she wrote in an email on Tuesday.

The nearby Star Ranger Station was decorated just before Thanksgiving. The bridge, ranger station and picnic grounds will be illuminated day and night into the new year.

The Dec. 16 celebration, set for noon until 5 p.m., will feature hot beverages, a mega bake sale, handcrafted gifts for sale, face painting and more. Santa and Mrs. Claus are expected to be on hand to collect Christmas wishes and hand out gifts. Proceeds fund scholarships for high school students in Jackson and Josephine counties.

The bridge, built in 1917 and restored just prior to its 100th anniversary, is located about 9 miles south of Ruch. Take Upper Applegate Road to McKee Bridge Road. More information is available online at mckeebridge.org or via email at mckeebridge1917@gmail.com.

Audubon Society to conduct annual bird count

The Siskiyou Audubon Society is set to conduct is annual annual bird count on Saturday, Dec. 16, in Josephine County. Anyone wishing to help count should call Margaret James at 541-476-8126.

It’s not necessary to be an expert birder. The more eyes looking for birds, the better the count. Experienced birders will be on hand.

Hot soup and hot drinks will be available at Countdown at the end of the day, about 5 p.m., in the parish hall at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 224 N.W. D St. in Grants Pass., to share count highlights and submit reports.