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Butte Falls, Ore. — The Town of Butte Falls and the Bureau of Land Management invite the public to attend an open house meeting to learn about and comment on two related projects: the Butte Falls Community Forest Recreation Plan and the BLM’s Fredenburg Butte Trails project.

The open house will take place on October 26, 2023, from 4:00-8:00 p.m., at Butte Falls Community Hall, 555 E. Main Street, Butte Falls, Ore.

The Town of Butte Falls will explain and seek input on the recreation development plan for its recently acquired community forest. Following acquisition of the community forest in 2022, the Town of Butte Falls began developing its community forest recreation plan with the support of the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program. The Town held a public workshop in May of 2023 to solidify an initial plan. Now, the Town and the Community Forest Commission are seeking input from the Town residents and the larger community on the draft plan.

“The Butte Falls Community Forest Recreation team is excited to share the results of several years of plans on this project.” said Trish Callahan, Mayor of the Town of Butte Falls. “We were joined by the National Park Service, the Rivers, Trail Conservation Assistance Program, to develop the falls day use area. Later we were joined by the BLM, and together we created the Butte Falls trail system. This collaboration will hopefully tie the Butte Falls trails into the Fredenberg trail system and campground proposal. This gives more opportunity for recreation and economic development within our community.”

To complement the Town’s plans for its community forest, the BLM is proposing a new non-motorized trail system in the Fredenburg Butte area north of town. The BLM originally began planning the proposed Fredenburg Trail system as part of its the South Clark Forest Management project. The BLM asked for initial public input in November 2022, through public scoping of the forest management project. Since then, the BLM has separated the Fredenburg Butte Recreation Project from the South Clark project, to allow for a more cooperative and integrated planning process with the Town’s own recreation planning. The BLM has also adjusted the trails project since the original scoping and will provide more information at the meeting. The BLM will issue a separate Environmental Assessment for the Fredenburg Butte Trail system and is seeking public comments based on the updated proposed actions and alternatives. In addition to the public meeting, the BLM will post information on its eplanning.blm.gov website and provide additional public comment periods.

“The BLM is excited to compliment the Town of Butte Falls’s efforts to promote economic development, recreation, tourism, and natural resources education by expanding recreation access on public lands in the area,” said Jared Nichol, BLM Butte Falls Field Manager. “We look forward to hearing from the public about our proposal.”

- Town of Butte Falls -

The Town of Butte Falls is a small rural town in Jackson County, Oregon connected to the rich history and beautiful landscape of Oregon’s forests and natural resources. The Town chose to actively shape its future in response to the changing economic, ecological, and wildfire conditions of the 21st century. With support from collaborative partners, the town purchased 430 acres of adjacent forestland that completely surrounds the town. Through the Community Forest and other efforts, Butte Falls hopes to serve as a model of fire resilience and adaptation for other rural communities while promoting recreation, education, and economic development.