Oregon Caves-Applegate Area – Oregon Conservation Strategy

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This area north of the Red Buttes Wilderness and includes the Oregon Caves National Monument. Like much of the Klamath Mountains it is home to unique plant and wildlife species with limited ranges in Oregon, including native Pacific Fisher, Siskiyou Mountain Salamanders, and Brazilian Free-tailed Bats.

COA ID: 102

Recommended Conservation Actions

Acquire instream water rights to augment streamflows downstream of areas with high coho rearing densities, such as Williams Creek, to produce more fish.
Conduct fuels treaments to improve fire resiliency.
Ensure land use practices maintain talus microhabitat and forest overstory within range of Siskiyou Moutain Salamander.
Improve fish passage at canals that intercept tributaries to the Applegate.
Mimic historic disturbance regime with fire and/or mechanical treatments to restore Ceanothus Shrublands.
Promote the development of mature riparian habitat in natural bar or floodplain areas in the mainstem Applegate River to improve junvenile Fall Chinook habitat.
Remove small diameter conifers encroaching on high-elevation meadows.
Restore ambient streamflow, riparian vegetation, flood-plain connectivity, fish passsage, and in-stream structure.
Thin overstocked conifer plantations to promote hardwood understory.

Local Conservation Actions and Plans

Conservation Plan for Fall Chinook in the Rogue Species Management Unit
Important Bird Areas of Oregon
ODFW Coho Expert Panel Summary
Rogue Basin Cohesive Forest Restoration Strategy: A Collaborative Vision for Resilient Landscapes and Fire Adapted Communities v.1

Potential Partners

Bureau of Land Management
Oregon Department of Forestry
Oregon Hunters Association
The Nature Conservancy
US Forest Service

Special Features

Previously Associated With

2006 COA ID KM-11 (Oregon Caves-Applegate area)

Protected Areas

Ashland
Craggy Mountain Unusual Interest Area
Gin Lin Mining Trail
Grayback Glades
Greyback
Jackson Campground
Oregon Caves
Oregon Caves National Monument
Pipe Fork Research Natural Area
Red Buttes Wilderness

Ecoregions

Klamath Mountains

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion covers much of southwestern Oregon, including the Umpqua Mountains, Siskiyou Mountains, and interior valleys and foothills between these and the Cascade Range. The Rogue watershed has the largest population of any coastal watershed in Oregon (Jackson County, Josephine County, and a portion of Curry County). Several popular and scenic rivers run …

Strategy Habitats

Late Successional Mixed Conifer Forests

Late successional mixed conifer forests provide a multi-layered tree canopy, including large-diameter trees, shade-tolerant tree species in the understory, and a high volume of dead wood, such as snags and logs.

Oak Woodlands

Oak woodlands are characterized by an open canopy dominated by Oregon white oak.

Ponderosa Pine Woodlands

Ponderosa pine woodlands are dominated by ponderosa pine, but may also have lodgepole pine, western juniper, aspen, western larch, grand fir, Douglas-fir, mountain mahogany, incense cedar, sugar pine, or white fir, depending on ecoregion and site conditions. Their understories are variable combinations of shrubs, herbaceous plants, and grasses.

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats

Flowing Water and Riparian Habitats include all naturally occurring flowing freshwater streams and rivers throughout Oregon as well as the adjacent riparian habitat.

Ducks on a wetland in Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, Oregon

Wetlands

Wetlands are covered with water during all or part of the year. Permanently wet habitats include backwater sloughs, oxbow lakes, and marshes, while seasonally wet habitats include seasonal ponds, vernal pools, and wet prairies.