Williams Community Forest Project

09/16/2026

Hi WCFP,🌲🌳🌱☮️✌🏽🩵💚😊
There will be a hike, as part of the Jacksaphine County Fair, on Pipe Fork on Sept 20th meet at the Wms Grange at 9 am) Williams hike with Cheryl and Chas/WCFP @ Pipe Fork Trail:
We invite you to hike the well known famous and controversial Pipe Fork trail. Meet 9:00 am at the Williams library to carpool due to limited parking at Pipe Fork. The hike is approximately 3 miles of moderate difficulty, uneven ground, an easy stream crossing and one small uphill climb. We advise you to wear shoes you can hike in, use hiking poles and bring water. Dogs are welcome on a leash and children will do ok on the trail if they have some experience hiking. We will be walking on the beautifully shaded Pipe Fork trail above and parallel to the creek. Here is information about the area you will hike in: Pipe Fork is a little-known stream system that flows from Grayback Mountain, one of the tallest peaks in the Applegate region, into the Williams Valley. Not a giant stream, Pipe Fork Creek forms the headwaters of East Fork Williams Creek. From springs on the steep sides of Grayback, it flows year- round through a steep, narrow canyon. Huge bigleaf maple trees and Pacific yews grace the canyon, as well as giant Douglas firs, canyon oaks, twisted western red cedars, incense cedars, and stately, tall Port Orford cedars. Chinese laborers built a ditch to carry water to the Layton gold mine in William. At the Pipe Fork ditch and trail a metal pipe called an inverted siphon was used to direct water into the Layton ditch across the canyon. Today, Layton ditch makes a great 13-mile hiking trail overlooking Williams Valley. Pipe Fork, designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the BLM, is also nominated for inclusion under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. With its wide variety of trees and undergrowth, it stands out as a unique ecosystem in southern Oregon. Tucked away in a secluded valley, it supports the survival of sensitive forests and varieties of wildlife—fishers and martens, spotted owls, elk, bears, and many other animals—that depend on the landscape for refugia.
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09/11/2026

Hi WCFP supporters🌲☮️💚🫶🌳🌸
Community members who attended the Thursday Sept 10 meeting reviewing the Cedar Flat Forest Management Project expressed appreciation for the review and plan on attending the hike on Sunday to Holcomb Peak unit 3-3 The hike will be a "Walk in the Park" and not strenuous. We aim to carpool. Meet at the Wms library at noon Sunday September 13th.

Suggestions by the attendees for promoting withdrawal of Holcomb Peak 3-3 were to write a petition for withdrawal of the Holcomb Peak 3-3 and write separate letters to BLM expressing reasons for withdrawing particularly after seeing the area.
A protest on Tuesday is scheduled at 5 PM on Williams Wayside across from Provolt Recreation center where after the protest people can attend the After Dark event to see the stars.
Do you want to make posters for the protest? Come to the WMs Grange on Monday at 3:00
prior to the Wms Farmers market and we will make posters that say "Save Holcomb Peak"
Thanks for everyone's concern for our forests.
WCFP

09/10/2026

[WCFP] WCFP Cedar Flat forest meeting Sept 10th 6PM Grange, hike Sept 13 Protest Sept 15
🫶☮️🌲🌳🌱🌿🩵💚💙
Hi WCFP supporter and Forest and Water Defender,

After many months
BLM has arrived at a decision regarding the Cedar Flat Forest Management Project

WCFP would like to review the BLM management plan with you and discuss its implications for Williams.

We are having a meeting Thursday Sept 10th at 6 PM at the Grange, which will be followed by a hike to Holcomb Peak (Unit 3-3) On Sunday, Sept 13th. Meet at the Williams LIbrary at 12 noon.

Unit 3-3 has beautiful amazing old growth and we particularly want this unit to be spared.
We are also planning a gathering at the Williams Wayside on Sept 15th at 5 PM to alert people to our concerns regarding Holcomb Peak.

Can you attend the meeting, the hike and the Holcomb Peak Protest? Your participation is meaningful,

WCFP
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04/29/2026

Nice article and beautiful photos from Ashland hiking group… about the Layton Ditch trail, which we recently did trail work on. Beautiful weather, it’s time to hit the trails!!

The last Monday hike of April gave us a glorious day with Spring in the air and on the trail. We chose to do the Lower Layton Mine Ditch Trail above Williams in Josephine County. We did part 2 of a 3-part trail network, which is 21 miles long in total.

04/26/2026

Hi all,

Note the date change for our monthly hike . We are celebrating Earth Day on 4-25 and changed the date of our monthly hike to Saturday May 2nd. The plan is to Hike the Layton Ditch Trail South of Panther Gulch. We recently cut several large fallen logs on the trail and it's in good shape .

Meet at the Williams Grange at 10:00am. The trail is of moderate intensity and we can determine the length of the hike by consensus since its an out and back. Reminder: wear
hiking shoes, bring water and snacks.

Best to you

WCFP

04/23/2026

Celebrating Earth Day With Action!
ASA Filed a Lawsuit Against the BLM’s SOS Logging Project in March. Today, for Earth Day, We Filed for Preliminary Injunction to Stop the Logging While the Case Works its Way Through Court!
While the country is celebrating Earth Day, Applegate Siskiyou Alliance is demonstrating our commitment to the environment of the Applegate Valley by filing a Motion for Preliminary Injunction for the BLM’s SOS logging project. We filed suit with Crag Law Center against this massive logging project on March 3, 2026 over a failure to properly analyze impacts to the Northern spotted owl and the endemic Siskiyou Mountains salamander. We also filed suit due to significant inconsistencies between authorized actions and project level implementation. This includes the excessive removal of hardwoods throughout SOS timber sales, the construction of new unauthorized road segments, and unauthorized logging in Riparian Reserves.

Now on Earth Day, we are filing for an injunction for the two active timber sales, including the Apple Saws Timber Sale above Cantrall Buckley County Park and on the eastern face of Ben Johnson Mountain, as well as the Holcomb Hollow Timber Sale on Woodrat Mountain, which are actively being logged right now, creating severe impacts to the forests, wildlife and scenic skyline surrounding Ruch. If we are granted a Preliminary Injunction it would stop the logging of these two active timber sales, and it would also preclude logging of the Thom Bone Timber Sale above Thompson Creek, which has been authorized by BLM and sold, but has not yet seen active logging. The halt in activities would enjoin these sales until the court has the opportunity to resolve this case on its merits and we have the opportunity to be heard and have our day in court.

ASA is taking action on Earth Day, and working hard every day to support the protection of the Applegate-Siskiyou. We hope that while you celebrate Earth Day, you will also make a commitment to taking action in any way you can. The threats to our region are mounting and there is no time like now to act!

Read the Motion for Preliminary Injunction Here:
https://applegatesiskiyoualliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SOS-PI-Brief.pdf

04/02/2026

This is a warning of forest activity near Medicine mountain.

The BLM is brushing the road from East Fork to the yellow gate at Medicine mountain and then on the BLM road through the yellow gate.There is heavy equipment on the BLM road beyond the yellow gate and the occurrence of salvage logging. (Dead trees logged near the road and trail)

The Layton Ditch Trail south from Medicine mountain is parallel with the BLM road and the trail is on a short section of the BLM Road. Hikers in the area need to use caution and avoid the logging activity to deter accidents.

When we know the time of day and days of the week when the operator will be there we will pass the info on.🌳🌲🌳✌🏿☮💚

Thanks

WCFP

03/30/2026

It’s spring, and Forest Keepers is heading back into the field.

Join us Saturday, April 18 from 10–2 as we visit 2–3 Cedar Flat BLM units to document current conditions before project work begins later this year. We’ll take photos, make observations, and help create a baseline record of forest and watershed conditions on the ground.

Meet at Williams Grange to carpool.