Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) contributed $32,000 annually for three years of a Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership (LRP) that was a catalyst in the ability to implement a multi-million dollar, all-lands approach to forest restoration and fuel reduction treatment in and around the Ashland Creek Watershed in Jackson County, Ore. The county consistently experiences one of the highest occurrences of wildfire in Oregon and has suffered devastating losses to quality of life, property, natural resources and community infrastructure.

“This money was utilized by Lomakatsi Restoration Project as capacity funds to develop plans for private forest landowners within the watershed boundaries of the project area. This helped facilitate the reduction and mitigation of wildfire threats to the landowners and surrounding communities, as well as the other benefits,” Randy White, district manager for Jackson County SWCD, said.

The Ashland Forest All-Lands Restoration Project works hand-in-hand to reduce and mitigate wildfire threats to communities and landowners, protect water quality and supply in the watershed, and improve and protect quality wildlife habitat for threatened, endangered and at-risk species.

In 2010, the Ashland Forest Resiliency Stewardship Project formed between private landowners, agencies, nonprofits and others to tackle wildfire threats on public and private lands, beginning with Forest Service land. With the Joint Chiefs’ partnership, the group grew to include additional partners and public and private lands in a cohesive strategy.

More than 8,000 acres of landscape-scale fuels reduction has been completed and more than 50 jobs have directly resulted from the partnership.

“Public and community buy-in has been key,” NRCS District Conservationist Erin Kurtz said. “The partnerships and collaboration are critical in accomplishing this important work, and we’d like to replicate the model in other areas.”

Other partners include The Nature Conservancy, the City of Ashland, Lomakatsi Restoration Project, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and private landowners.

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