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North & South Kalmiopsis Roadless Areas
A look at the North and South Kalmiopsis Roadless Areas in Oregon's Siskiyou National Forest.
Siskiyou National Forest
The North and South Kalmiopsis Roadless Areas in Southwest Oregon's Siskiyou National Forest are 2 of the 3 largest roadless areas in Oregon, totaling more than 190,000 acres. These roadless areas also border the 179,000 acre
Kalmiopsis Wilderness, combining into a vast expanse of wildlands often referred to as the Kalmiopsis Wildlands - a mix of congressionally
protected wilderness and unprotected roadless areas. These lands encompass some of the most productive wild salmon
and steelhead streams in the state and host areas of
global botanical significance, including the Rough & Ready Creek area.
The North & South Kalmiopsis Roadless Areas are a rugged jumble of steep, wild canyons and long, broad ridges marked by a remarkably diverse geology and an equally diverse flora. Vegetation ranges from ancient mixed conifer and true fir forests to solid hardwood forests, open Jeffrey pine savannas, serpentine barrens and extensive rare plant wetlands, known as Darlingtonia fens. Elevation varies from 200 to 5,000 feet and precipitation from 60 to 140 inches annually. A high percentage of the area is actively unstable (prone to landslide) adding exponentially to the usual impacts of road construction, logging and mining.
The rivers and streams flowing through the North & South Kalmiopsis are noted for their exceptional water clarity. Five waterways - Silver, Indigo, Canyon, Rough & Ready and Baldface Creeks - are each eligible to be added to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system. Four waterways- Silver, Indigo and Lawson Creeks and the N. Fork Smith River - are Northwest Forest Plan Key Watersheds and refuges for the wild salmon and steelhead of the Rogue and Smith River Basins.
Imminent threats to North & South Kalmiopsis Roadless Areas include two timber sales planned for this summer. If carried out, the timber sales, known as "Blackberry" and "Micke's Gulch," will be the first forest logging project nationwide in areas formerly protected under the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule
Photo: Barbara Ullian