This project is a response to the bootleg fire of july and august 2021 in klamath and lake counties, oregon a consequence of this fire was damage to forest land and riparian areas surrounding fivemile…

This $100,000 cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 8, under the Partners for Fish and Wildlife federal grant program (CFDA 15.631), will fund replacement exclusion fencing to protect approximately 1.6 total stream miles of Fivemile Creek and associated spring habitats in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The Klamath Watershed Partnership, doing business as Klamath Watershed, will install fencing to reduce or eliminate cattle access to riparian areas damaged by the 2021 Bootleg Fire. This will greatly reduce erosion from cattle while allowing vegetation to naturally regrow and protect stream banks, reducing negative water quality impacts and benefiting aquatic species such as redband trout. By excluding livestock grazing, the project aims to aid recovery of sensitive spring habitats and streamside vegetation following severe wildfire damage in 2021.

This project is a response to the bootleg fire of july and august 2021 in klamath and lake counties, oregon a consequence of this fire was damage to forest land and riparian areas surrounding fivemile creek, characterized as nearly complete removal of vegetation and organic matter on the forest floor this creek contains multiple sensitive spring habitats and historically had redband trout the entire perimeter fence lines keeping cattle off the properties and subsequently riparian areas was destroyed in the fire cattle grazing on the adjacent forest service and green diamond lands is an issue, and without exclusion fencing, livestock can come onto the property freely and damage riparian and stream habitats this project will provide replacement exclusion fencing to protect approximately 1 6 total miles of fivemile creek and associated spring habitats within the properties the fencing will reduce or eliminate cattle access, thereby greatly reducing erosion of soils from cattle while simultaneously allowing the vegetation to naturally regrow and protect the banks this will reduce negative impacts to water quality and benefit aquatic species, including redband trout which occupied the stream pre fire