Our Stated Purpose

Since the boom and bust days of the logging era in Umpqua National Forest there has arisen a unique opportunity to bring the resources of the South Umpqua region together for the good of the communities and environment of our area.

Fact:

The riparian zones of the South Umpqua Watershed have been heavily impacted by Public and Private forest practices and policies of the past 100 years. Although nature is resilient the present state of instream conditions is such that they are in need of immediate attention. Federal, State and Private agencies have well documented studies that have assessed stream conditions and defined pertinent remedial actions.

Fact:

Upland forests and meadows are in particularly vulnerable to severe fire damage do to fire suppression policies and management practices of the past. There are large tracts of land in the national forest that are unhealthy do to overcrowding. Ancient oak meadows have been overgrown with conifers. Tree spacing in managed stands that were logged in the 1940's and 1950's are so dense as to hamper natural biological processes and normal ecological conditions.

Fact:

The local economies of small South Umpqua communities has been heavily impacted by current policies. Yet these very same communities hold the skilled labor resources needed to restore the forests and streams to ideal conditions. With a minimal amount of training community resources can be geared to revitilize instream and upland conditions.

Responsible Stewardship is Our Goal:

With the onset of established reclaimation policies and the institution of a new paradigm for forest management a collaborative effort from a multiplicity of public and private groups has begun. The South Umpqua Rural Community Partnership is committed to facilitating the stewardship forest management model to generate a robust local economy through the restoration of Public and Private streams, meadows and forests.