Mount Ashland

Demonstration Forest

High along the Siskiyou Crest just west of Interstate-5, at the headwaters of both the Rogue and Klamath river basins, this extraordinarily diverse 1,120-acre forest will be managed by Pacific Forest Trust to restore more natural forest function, increase climate resilience, and ensure enduring connections with other protected lands.

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Southern Oregon’s Siskiyou region is home to globally important biodiversity, as recognized by the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument (CSNM). This biodiversity continues along the Siskiyou Crest where elevational gradient, soils, and aspect create a rich suite of habitats. Conserving and connecting the span of the Siskiyou Crest is a long-term goal for PFT, ensuring that this amazing array of plants and wildlife have safe, secure passage from east to west, and north to south, across both public and private lands. With climate change warming the region, this mid-elevation forest bridge is even more important as a refuge for myriad species on the move.

In 2020, PFT entered into an agreement with Chinook Forest Partners to purchase this highly unique property along the Siskiyou Crest. Its acquisition will significantly expand the conserved corridor from the CSNM to the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Restoring and managing the property’s forest, meadows, wetlands, and woodlands will help them be more resilient to drought and wildfires. As the devastating 2020 Almeda Fire illustrated, this area is at high risk of extreme fire with climate change. We will be managing for “good fire” to mitigate that risk, including the use of cultural burning. This, and other approaches that benefit from indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), can help restore forests to a more climate adaptive, resilient state.

With PFT’s “forever” approach managing this demonstration forest, we have the opportunity to provide sustainable restoration-oriented jobs, learning opportunities, and partnerships with a range of diverse stakeholders.

“This is such an important opportunity to achieve large scale conservation and manage forests for greater resiliency to climate change. We are excited to be partnering again with Pacific Forest Trust to complete the conservation of the Neil Creek headwaters and expand the network of conserved lands along the Siskiyou Crest.”

–Jud Parsons,
Mountcrest Forest LLC

Why Conserve This Property?

Wildlife Habitat

Restoring more natural, older forest qualities and resilience benefits the region’s great biodiversity and water resources. The forest hosts a rich array of habitats supporting northern spotted owl, steelhead salmon, and gray wolf — all listed under the Endangered Species Act. Dozens more rare or imperiled species such as the Humboldt marten, Pacific fisher, western pond turtle, and northern goshawk also benefit.

Why Conserve this Property?

Natural Water Systems

PFT aims to restore extent and functionality of important dry and wet meadow-wetland and riparian habitats and provide long-term protection for these critical cold-water source springs that serve as the headwaters of Neil Creek and support local water supplies for people, fish, and farms.

Why Conserve This Property?

Climate Change

PFT’s management will enhance the property’s habitats to improve adaptation options for plants and wildlife, restore more resilient forest structure, increase lasting carbon stores, and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire.

Why Conserve This Property?

Local Economy

Managed as a “demonstration forest,” this project will provide sustainable restoration-focused jobs, while promoting public engagement and understanding of management strategies to create more resilient forests in the Siskiyous.

Connecting a Larger Forest Landscape

Mount Ashland Demonstration Forest spans 1,120 acres in the upper Rogue River basin on Oregon’s Siskiyou Crest. This map (right) illustrates the strategic crossroads position of the Property shown in red: adjacent to the conserved Mountcrest Forest shown in purple and assuring enduring multi-directional connections with the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, and other protected lands. The project creates an integrated landscape of properties being managed across boundaries for climate adaptation, critical habitat, and watershed values.

Preventing fragmentation of large, intact landscapes is key to climate resilience. Mount Ashland Demonstration Forest’s strategic location connecting very large, natural landscapes will provide a refuge in a hotter, drier world and sustain a cross-boundary “super wild-way” already in use by wolves, Pacific fishers, and other wide-ranging creatures. The project will preserve this large property’s outstanding biotic and topographic diversity and abundant water resources critical to wildlife and people.