YACHATS — The Siuslaw National Forest and the non-profit Cascade Pacific organization are meeting Thursday in Yachats to recognize and celebrate stewardship groups.
The meeting in the Yachats Commons is to celebrate accomplishments of the Siuslaw stewardship watershed restoration program. The event from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m is free and open to the public.
The organization asks that people wanting to attend RSVP to Connie Barnes at connie@cascadepacific.org to help plan for food and seating.
Stewardship groups formed on the Siuslaw National Forest in 2002 to support restoration work both on and off Forest Service lands. Funding for their work comes from timber receipts generated on the forest.
There are five stewardship groups covering the Alsea, Hebo, Marys Peak, Siuslaw and the Smith-Umpqua and Oregon Dunes areas.
“The stewardship groups allow us to work across land ownership boundaries with community members to benefit watersheds and landscapes we call home,” Siuslaw forest supervisor Rebecca Brooke said in a news release. “The Siuslaw National Forest takes great pride in the stewardship groups’ accomplishments over the last 22 years.”
The celebration also serves as an opportunity to recruit new members interested in joining a stewardship group. The groups meet monthly to discuss projects and funding. Current members represent landowners, environmental groups, government agencies, local businesses, industries, and other partners.
For more information about Thursday’s meeting go to the Cascade Pacific website or contact Kirk Shimeall at kirk@cascadepacific.org.