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East Rim Drive in Crater Lake National Park has reopened to the public following road construction work that has concluded for the season, the National Parks Service announced last week.

The entirety of Rim Drive around the lake will remain open until Nov. 1 or the first significant snowfall, whichever comes first.

The road work is part of a 5-year, $56 million effort to stabilize and repair 19 miles of the East Rim Drive, which was built in the 1930s. Funding for the project comes from the Great American Outdoors Act, passed by Congress in 2020 to address infrastructure needs on public lands.

Talent Harvest Festival is Saturday

The annual Talent Harvest Festival is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in downtown Talent, with live music, food and vendors. Artisans will display their works and activities for children will be available.

Vendor locations include Old Town Park, Library Commons Park, East Main Street, Market Street and Wagner Plaza. East Main Street between Talent Avenue and Front Street will be closed, as will portions of Market Street, City Hall Drive and John Street.

Last year, more than 5,000 people attended the event, according to organizers. For more information, visit talentbusinessalliance.org.

Fees to rise at Oregon state parks

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has announced that it is increasing its camping, parking and reservation fees to keep pace with rising costs for maintenance and operations, with most increases ranging from $2 to $5.

Utility costs have increased by 28% over the last 4 years, but most fees have remained the same, according to the department. Depending on the fee, the last increase was anywhere from seven to 15 years ago for base fees. Fee increases take effect Oct. 15 or thereafter.

Next month, the department will open public comment on a proposal to require day-use parking permits at all parks unless otherwise noted. The department is not funded by taxes, but does receive revenue from the Oregon Lottery, recreational vehicle license plate fees and park visitor fees.

Marine Board talks jet boats Wednesday in Medford

The Oregon State Marine Board is scheduled to meet Wednesday, Oct. 2, in Medford to discuss possible jet boat restrictions on the Rogue River from the former location of Gold Ray Dam near Gold Hill to Lost Creek Reservoir, upriver of Shady Cove.

The board will hear presentations and then take public comment, starting at 8:30 a.m. and ending by 4 p.m. in Room HEC 129 A/B in the Higher Education Center at Rogue Community College’s Riverside Campus, 101 Bartlett St.

To view the meeting online, visit bit.ly/3XceejZ. For more information, contact the board at 503-378-8587 or marine.board@boat.oregon.gov.

Vesper Meadow hosts projects, fundraiser

Restoration work projects are scheduled for Saturday and Oct. 10, 16 and 17 at the Vesper Meadow Education Preserve, 16534 Dead Indian Memorial Road. Also, a festival fundraiser is planned for 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 26.

The preserve is a 1,000-acre private preserve used for restoration, research and education. To register, go to vespermeadow.org.

Siskiyou Mountain Club plans work outing

The Siskiyou Mountain Club is looking for volunteers to help with trail work from 7 a.m. Saturday to 7 p.m. Sunday in the Red Buttes Wilderness near the Steve’s Fork Trailhead. The hike into the campsite is about 1 mile. Catch a ride at 7 a.m. Saturday in Gold Hill. No trail work experience is necessary.

Pollinator Project hosts plant sale on Sunday

The Pollinator Project Rogue Valley is hosting its annual fall native plant sale 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot behind The Pollination Place, 312 N. Main St. in Phoenix.

Vendors include Klamath Siskiyou Native Seeds, Cornucopia Acres, Klamath Native Plant Nursery and White Oak Farm.

Pollinator Project Rogue Valley is a volunteer-led nonprofit that seeks to increase and protect native plants for native pollinators. For more information, call 458-214-0508 or visit pollinatorprojectroguevalley.org.

Take a hike with Medford parks and recreation

People 55 and older are invited to take a hike with Medford Parks and Recreation on Oct. 8 to Pacifica Gardens near Williams. Other hikes are set for Oct. 15 at Fish Hatchery Park in Josephine County and on Oct. 22 to Grouse Gap on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Meet at Rogue X, 901 Rossanley Drive in Medford, on the day of the event and take a van to the trail. Cost is $18 for Medford residents and $24 for non-residents. Register early, as space is limited. The Pacifica trip runs from 1-5:30 p.m., including travel time from Medford. The hike there is three miles and moderately difficult.

Other hikes and outings are scheduled, including an Oct. 25 trip to Cottage Grove for a 2.5-mile walk to see fall colors, historic sites and bridges. Cost for that trip is $49 for residents and $61 for non-residents. Call 541-774-2400 for more information or visit playmedford.com (click on “Program Guide” and navigate to the hikes page).

Help protect botanical areas near Selma

The Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service, is organizing work parties to help with fencing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 9 and Oct. 10 at the Eight Dollar Mountain and Days Gulch botanical areas in Josephine County near Selma.

Sign up at kswild.org. For more information, contact Allee Gustafson, 541-488-5789.

Tour historic pioneer cemetery in Medford

Tour the I.O.O.F Eastwood Cemetery, 1581 Siskiyou Blvd., 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 9 and Nov. 11 with the city of Medford’s parks and recreation department. Meet at the mausoleum. The tour is free and limited to people 14 years and older. Advance registration is required. Call 541-774-2400 or visit playmedford.com.

Farmer group to discuss climate stress

The Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center is hosting free hour-long online discussion group meetings for farmers who are experiencing stress related to how climate change is impacting their farm, ranch or agricultural job.

Sessions are set for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 10, Oct. 24, Nov. 7, Nov. 21 and Dec. 5. Sign up at beav.es/puJ. Reach the Extension Service at 541-776-7371.

Salmon festival is Oct. 12 in Ashland

The 17th annual Bear Creek Salmon Festival is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 12 to Ashland’s North Mountain Park Nature Center, 620 N. Mountain Ave. The festival celebrates community, the seasonal cycle of Pacific northwest salmon species, environmental stewardship and the Rogue Valley’s first people.

It’s free, with activities including food, live music, games, crafts, exhibitors, a giant salmon tent, live fish to observe, learn-to-fish station and Bear Creek ‘what’s in the creek’ station. There will also be Native American traditional salmon cooking and acorn education stations.

The festival is organized by Ashland Parks and Recreation along with local nonprofit Rogue Food Unites, with participation from the Rogue River Watershed Council, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

For more information, visit bit.ly/3N5GT5C.

Ride for a Cause is Oct. 12 in downtown Medford

The Ride for a Cause bicycle fundraising event, formerly known as Bikes ‘n Brews, is scheduled for Oct. 12 in downtown Medford. It’s hosted by the Downtown Medford Association and benefits area charities.

The event features a 7-mile Family Ride from downtown to Rogue X and back, a 20-mile ride mainly on the Bear Creek Greenway, a 30-mile ride to Jacksonville’s Doc Griffith Park, a 43-mile ride to Gold Hill and Jacksonville and a 63-mile ride that adds Medford’s southwest hills and eastside farmlands.

Register at bit.ly/4drovim.

Send us news about your upcoming events Want to publicize your upcoming outdoors event for free? Send details to writer Shaun Hall at 541-761-6726 or shaunmichaelhall@gmail.com. Submissions about upcoming events are encouraged. {related_content_uuid}cf140a7f-8b7b-4f66-babe-9cd7e0d2fed9{/related_content_uuid}

Want to publicize your upcoming outdoors event for free? Send details to writer Shaun Hall at 541-761-6726 or shaunmichaelhall@gmail.com. Submissions about upcoming events are encouraged.