Cooperative Agreement L24AC00474

GUIDED BY THE KLAMATH SISKIYOU OAK NETWORK STRATEGIC CONSERVATION ACTION PLAN, THE BLM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH LOMAKATSI RESTORATION PROJECT, KLAMATH BIRD OBSERVATORY, AND OTHER PARTNERS, PLANS TO TAKE MANAGEMENT ACTION ON 650 ACRES OF OAK HABITAT WITH THE GOAL OF RESTORING OAK WOODLANDS THROUGH REMOVAL OF CONIFER ENCROACHMENT AND FIRE REINTRODUCTION. THESE 650 ACRES ARE BEING PROVIDED BY THE BLM AS MATCH TO THE OWEB FUNDED LITTLE BUTTE OAK INITIATIVE, NOW COMBINED WITH ADDITIONAL NFWF AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL FUNDING AS THE UPPER ROGUE OAK INITIATIVE, WHICH IN COMBINATION WILL RESTORE AN ADDITIONAL 3000 ACRES OF PRIVATE (1500 ACRES) AND BLM (1500 ACRES) IN THIS SAME LANDSCAPE. THIS ONGOING RESTORATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE KSON ECOLOGICAL MONITORING PLAN. BIRDS ARE ONE OF EIGHT KEY ECOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES MONITORED BY THAT PLAN. FUNDING IS IN PLACE TO IMPLEMENT BIRD MONITORING ON THE 3000 ACRES FUNDED BY OWEB AND NFWF THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS TO EXTEND THOSE SAME MONITORING METHODS TO THE 650 ACRES OF BLM MATCH. IN COMBINATION, AT THE CULMINATION OF THE UPPER ROGUE OAK INITIATIVE, OUR MONITORING WILL QUANTIFY WHETHER RESTORATION ACTIONS ALIGNED WITH DESIRED GOALS FOR BIRDS AND ALSO INTEGRATE WITH PARTNER MONITORING RESULTS THAT MEASURE CHANGE IN UNDERSTORY AND OVERSTORY VEGETATION, ACORN MAST, AND FUELS AND FUTURE FIRE BEHAVIOR. FINDINGS WILL QUANTIFY SUCCESS OF THE UPPER ROGUE OAK INITIATIVE WITH ACTIONS IMPLEMENTED UNDER THE INTEGRATED VEGETATION MANAGEMENT FOR RESILIENT LANDS EA (IVM-RL EA) AND OR CONTRIBUTE TO ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AS THE PACE AND SCALE OF RESTORATION WORK CONTINUES TO INCREASE ACROSS THE MEDFORD DISTRICT.