Friends of ATA
Siskiyou Uplands Trails Association (SUTA)
Applegate Neighborhood Network (ANN)
Applegate Rogue Corridor (ARC)
Regional Conservation and Recreation: It's time to come together
We believe good, consistent environmental policy for our region is also good business. Open lands and wilderness must be preserved now while the regional economy slowly evolves from timber and mining to tourism and recreation. To that end we are encouraging all stakeholders in the region to work toward shared values and a consensus to preserve and protect nearly 1,100 square miles of the Klamath Siskiyou mountains that connect the Applegate, Illinois and Rogue valleys of southern Oregon.
Cantrall-Buckley County Park
We are pleased to continue our partnership at Cantrall-Buckley Park. For the past two decades our local Applegate community supported and operated this impressive park but now once again Jackson County has resumed responsibility. The beautiful Applegate River has limited public access. Cantrall-Buckley Park provides about a mile of hiking trails along the river and ATA is proud to help keep them open and usable.
The Upper River Loop Trail goes under the bridge and follows close by the river meandering between and over big boulders before leaping uphill to emerge at the park entrance. The Lower River Loop Trail provides shade for summer hikes and short access trails to the water for fishing before taking the more vigorous hiker up a steep incline to return to the trailhead. Each loop trail is about ½ mile long. And there are other trails that wander thru the park proper. Maps in the park were created by ATA volunteers.
GRATITUDE
Thanks to Applegate Broadband for providing ATA with high quality internet access at a reduced non-profit rate.
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (The BLM)
The support of the BLM is an invaluable resource to manifesting our vision of a non-motorized trail connecting Ashland to Grants Pass through the beautiful Applegate Valley. We are grateful for their help in creating the East ART and look forward to continuing to move forward together in our next phase of development--building the Center & West ART.
If you want to help keep that dream alive,
please copy the message below and send it to your local BLM office.
Email to: Elizabeth Burghard--ebughar@blm.gov
Snail Mail to: Medford-Ashland Field Office, 3040 Biddle Road, Medfod, OR 97504
I wholeheartedly support the development of the Applegate Ridge Trail (ART). The ART will provide local residents and visitors alike with a unique, beautiful and highly accessible non-motorized trail experience. The ART will connect communities across southern Oregon and enhance our quality of life.
According to the Oregon State Parks Department report, Oregon Trails 2016: A Vision for the Future, non-motorized recreation provides 24,340 jobs, $1.2 billion in value added, and $753 million in labor income. The report also identifies trail connectivity and trails connecting communities as the highest priority statewide.
Together the ART and Jack-Ash Trails will connect the communities of Ashland, Talent, Jacksonville, Rogue River and Grants Pass to the rural communities of the Applegate Valley. The long-distance trail is poised to become a vital piece in our region’s recreational and tourism repertoire. The development of the ART should be one of the highest non-motorized trail priorities in the state of Oregon.
The ART is good for local residents, it is good for our local economy, and it promotes environmental stewardship in southern Oregon. Please support the ART by expediting the planning process and development of the Applegate Ridge Trail. Residents and visitors of southern Oregon are ready to move forward with the ART.
