The Oregon Timber Trail Alliance (OTTA) in partnership with Klamath Trails Alliance is thrilled to announce a $150,000 grant award for our work rehabilitating the severely burned sections of the Fremont National Recreation Trail along Winter Rim in the Fremont Tier.

Winter Rim is one of Oregon’s most stunning escarpments—its craggy lip juts 3,000’ above Summer Lake’s glistening waters. Nearby in the Paisley Caves is the oldest evidence of human activity in North America—dating back some 14,000 years. Up on the rim itself a series of fires have wiped out ponderosa and evergreen forests plagued by beetle kill. Groves of rustling aspens cluster around seeping springs which combine to form the Wild and Scenic Sycan River, eventually flowing into the Klamath River Basin. Winter Rim is remote and is accessed by a network of lazy gravel roads. The trip to its apex—the Fremont Point viewpoint and cabin takes over an hour from Highway 31.

In August of 2018 the Watson Creek Fire ignited and eventually burned 60,000 acres—including one of the most treasured segments of the Oregon Timber Trail: Bear Creek and Winter Rim. Early in 2017 and throughout 2018 the Oregon Timber Trail Alliance invested over 2,000 volunteer hours re-opening and restoring the Fremont National Recreation Trail through this area. As always, a large hot fire is a tragic and sad event. Yet this landscape sees a frequent cycle of fire and regeneration—it’s part of how the ecosystem functions and cleanses. This particular area was clogged with beetle-kill pine logs: a carpet of volatile forest fire tinder. It was a matter of time for this fire, although selfishly frustrating for those of us who like to enjoy its beauty on feet, hooves, or tires. While it will take many years to resemble its former self, the regrowth process is unique and beautiful in its own right.

The OTTA, partnered with the Fremont-Winema National Forest, plans on rehabilitating the 16 most severely burned miles of the trail between Government Harvey Pass and Chewaucan Crossing. The silver lining being that we will be able to use modern trail building techniques to minimize impacts in sensitive marsh meadows, and create a better user experience by maximizing Winter Rim’s stunning views and unique bedrock. This intensive rehabilitation will likely be a multi-year endeavor collaborating with multiple stakeholders.

This grant is administered through the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and is the largest funding source for trail development in Oregon. You can learn more about the grant program here.

As with most grants, this investment requires a significant match from the OTTA so we’ll need your help volunteering at our stewardship events—announced in early 2020. The OTTA has committed to a match of $76,000 over the next two years—not an insignificant amount!

As always, we appreciate the generous support from our community of trail advocates far and wide. If you can afford to give this season please consider a donation to the Oregon Timber Trail Alliance.