ECONOMIC AND CONSERVATION PROJECTS
Tri-State Watershed Improvement Partnership (T-WIP) – This project when fully funded and implemented will improve habitat for over 250 species such as Mule Deer, Rocky Mt. Elk, Antelope and Sage Grouse. It will improve forest health by managing Western Juniper. Thereby, improving habitat and saving/restoring critical upland meadows. In turn, our precious water supply in the north state region will improve in many ways. Degraded forest health, shrinking critical-winter range, water supply, feed and snow storage are just a few of the priorities of this Ore-Cal RC&DC project.
McCloud Courthouse Preservation – In 1989 the old courthouse house was dubbed, the last log cabin courthouse in California by California Lawyer magazine as it closed its doors. Since then heavy snows and neglect nearly toppled the building off of it’s foundation. Ore-Cal worked with concerned volunteers and spearheaded the transfer of the property to the McCloud Community Services District (MCSD). From there we led a committee of driven and passionate community members to stabilize the building before winter, and then begin the process of fund raising through a facilitated planning session with funding from a Ford Family Foundation Technical Assistance Grant. This winter was ferocious and the snow would have collapsed the building if not for the hustle of volunteers and the cooperation of Siskiyou County and MCSD.
Butte Valley Community Center Addition – Ore-Cal is assisting community groups in Dorris, CA and the surrounding area to plan for growth and expanded services at the Butte Valley Community Center located in Dorris, Siskiyou Co. California. Ore-Cal will assist community leaders and service groups through facilitation, recruitment, and grant writing to grow the capacity and future growth potential of the BVCC. The Community Center is a legacy project of Ore-Cal RC&D. Ore-Cal was instrumental in sponsoring, grant-writing and convening all the needed resources to build the beautiful log cabin facility in Dorris in 2010-2011.
Strengthening Nonprofits in our Area and State – Ore Cal is conducting training sessions and assisting organizations with capacity and grant writing across our council area and across our state and into Oregon. With support from the Natural Resource Conservation Service through agreements Ore-Cal is supporting Resource Conservation and Development Councils (RC&DCs) to strengthen staff, boards and programs through workshops and training. On October 10th and 11th Ore-Cal organized and helped facilitate a Sustainability Workshop in Davis, CA at the NRCS State Headquarters. Future plans include taking the program and funding into Oregon to strengthen our rural communities by strengthening our RC&DCs nonprofits in Klamath and Lake Counties. This model will eventually be utilized across the US and Territories where RC&DCs exist.
SUPPORTING EDUCATION AND JOB READINESS
Career Technical Education (CTE) to Siskiyou Occupational Advancement Roadmap (SOAR): Ore-Cal supports and participates in local programs and committees to emphasize the critical need to prepare our youth to complete and be ready to go out into the workforce and be productive. In Ore-Cal’s five-county, two state area of influence Ore-Cal will assist in convening, partnering and collaborating toward a countywide strategic plan to convene a strong coalition of K thru 14 education and public/private partnerships. Our goal is to ensure the promise of the future and, where able, to keep our human resources in the county they grew up in.
Strategic Planning Session with College of The Siskiyous – When Ore-Cal RC&DC conducted our 2015 Strategic Planning sessions College of the Siskiyous was strongly represented. Imbedded in our strategic initiatives were goals and deliverables to restore Agriculture and Forestry through hands on field work, internships, and apprenticeships. Our council area and in particular Siskiyou County is historically largely agriculture and timberland (65% of Siskiyou County are publicly managed lands). Degrading forest health and habitat, largely due to fire suppression and the spread of western Juniper threaten the communities with wildfire and degrade the outdoor recreational opportunities. These issues are addressed in our strategic long term goals list which names as a high priority the need for a County Forest system.
TOURISM
Cycle Siskiyou – Since 2011 Ore-Cal has been instrumental in bringing attention to out of the area tourists of the great cycling and outdoor recreational opportunities in Siskiyou County. We are responsible for creating and supporting the currently largest cycling event in Siskiyou County in Tulelake, California.
Art of Survival Century Ride – The Art of Survival Century (AOS) was created by Ore-Cal’s Cycle Siskiyou project and is now the largest cycling event in the county. It incorporates the 1st National Wildlife Refuge in America, the Lava Beds National Monument and the Valor in the Pacific National Monument. This ride travels across two states, starting and ending in Tulelake, CA at the beautiful Tulelake-Butte Valley Fairgrounds.
Trees N Trails – Ore-Cal was instrumental in the start up and current momentum of the trails development in Happy Camp. Bringing community groups to the table to work together in ways no one thought possible toward one goal in Happy Camp, CA
Cycling Events – Ore-Cal and the Cycle Siskiyou Project have been assisting multiple Siskiyou County cycling events to capture data by conducting “Rider Survey’s” post ride and sharing the data with event organizers to improve the ride and marketing to increase ridership and help spread the word about the beautiful county and area we live and recreate in.
LEGACY PROJECTS
Butte Valley Community Center – Ore-Cal assisted the community in securing, building, and beginning operations in this great asset to the Butte Valley
Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway – This Ore-Cal project runs from Mt. Lassen to Crater Lake National Monument and is a nationally recognized Scenic Byway. The drive is a tourist draw and is a huge economic boost to the communities like Mt. Shasta who see visitors who stop in the city which is close to the halfway point in the drive.