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Partnerships
"Our partner organizations recruit the best, eclectic groups from in state and out and sometimes from outside the country, people willing to donate and sacrifice their time for something they really believe in,” acknowledges Nathan Crabtree, Recreation Specialist, Fremont-Winema National Forest.
The Fre-Win occupies the heart of south central Oregon, spanning immense natural diversity as the amount of rainfall trickles and population thins from west to east.
For more information on Fremont-Winema National Forest partnership opportunities please email lena.rux@usda.gov.
Recruiting volunteers and visitors to the far eastern edge of the forest can be challenging, for this we rely on our amazing partner organizations:
Oregon Natural Desert Association
Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) assists public and private partnerships with recreation site maintenance and restoration projects, and encourages exploration, appreciation and stewardship of Oregon’s wild desert lands.
Where there’s a will, there is a way and ONDA blazed a trail through CDC guidelines to ensure important work maintaining the Fremont National Recreation Trail continued to happen despite the ongoing pandemic. ONDA pioneered creative solutions to satisfy the urge to lend a hand by implementing online training for volunteers; a creative map allowing individuals to sign up for trail segments; a zero-contact storage locker for checking out tools with scheduled times for sanitization; and organizing volunteers by households to maintain CDC protocols for social distancing. ONDA’s creative process remains in place for this year’s work.
High Desert Trail Riders
The High Desert Trail Riders (HDTR) chapter of the Back Country Horsemen of Oregon is part of a national organization committed to keeping public lands equestrian accessible and maintained, and providing education on low impact trail use and traditional equestrian skills. They began in 1978 by clearing trail with the Fremont-Winema National Forest.
These days, not much happens without HDTR’s packing skills; trail crews across the Forest rely on HDTR to pack in heavy equipment, camping supplies, and tools.
“Horses allow older folks to get into backcountry to experience the beauty, whereas young people can just carry it all and walk! For those of us who spend a lot of time out there, it’s nice to be able to give back,” Betty Applebaker, President, HDTR.
Last year HDTR restored 7 miles of overgrown and eroding equestrian trail. This year they are rebuilding corrals at Fourmile Lake Campground with repurposed geothermal pipes. The pipes are safer for animals, can withstand fire and last longer. A new design by Chapter Chairman, Ron Stewart, a farmer who can do everything with anything, has flanges welded to the posts and rails that can be bolted together, enabling segments of the corral to contour with ground topography. With additional disaster relief funds for restoring recreation facilities after the Bootleg Fire of 2021, HDTR is helping the Forest rebuild corrals at Deming Creek Trailhead and Corral Creek Campground.
Get involved: Meet with HDTR at the Waffle Hut in downtown Klamath Falls, every third Tuesday of the month. Come early, eat and socialize, meetings start promptly at 6:30 p.m.
Pacific Crest Trail Association
PCTA has a regional agreement with the USDA Forest Service to perform maintenance on the congressionally designated Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). On the Fremont-Winema National Forest the PCT runs the length of the west edge of the forest through the Sky Lakes and Mt. Thielsen Wildernesses. With 700-800 people hiking and just as many volunteering annually, the PCTA is a partner the forest relies on. The PCTA coordinates Student Conservation Association (SCA), American Conservation Experience (ACE) crews and independent volunteers with the Back Country Horsemen of Oregon packing in supplies and equipment.
Oregon Timber Trail Alliance
The southernmost 212 miles of the Oregon Timber Trail intersect the Fremont-Winema National Forest’s Lakeview, Paisley, Silver Lake, and Chemult ranger districts. This includes overlap of the Forest’s Crane Mountain National Recreation Trail and large segments of the Fremont National Recreation Trail. The Oregon Timber Trail Alliance has devoted countless volunteer hours to the ongoing repair and maintenance of these trails since 2015.
OTTA began by cutting out hundreds of trees from a 2005 beetle-kill, and have since tirelessly picked away at impacts from yearly wildfire. With an impressive model combining professional training for volunteers, commitment to struggling rural economies, stewardship education, as well as the organization's statewide network, partnering with OTTA connects new people to the community of volunteer work and to the sweeping beauty of these remote and rugged wildlands.
Klamath Trails Alliance
The Klamath Trails Alliance (KTA) works with a wide range of public and private groups and landowners to acquire trail right-of-way, build and maintain trails, and promote enjoyment of Klamath Basin natural resources! KTA in partnership with the Fremont-Winema National Forest enables invaluable maintenance of some of your favorite Forest trails in Klamath County.
Klamath Basin Outdoor Group
The Klamath Basin Outdoor Group (KBOG) is an informal hiking and volunteer trail maintenance group that meets on Facebook to hike local trails and lend their assistance to their upkeep. Their partnership with the Fremont-Winema National Forest keeps wilderness trails open and enjoyable for Klamath Basin communities.