Secure Rural Schools Title II project · Crooked River National Grassland
Projects › Historic Orchard Wildfire Resilience
The McCoin and Cyrus orchards were planted by homesteaders more than a century ago and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sagebrush and western juniper have filled in around many of the fruit trees and along the fencelines.
This project clears that brush by hand inside each orchard and in a strip around its fence. Less brush means a grass fire is less likely to reach the trees, and the trees have less competition for water.
Shrubs and small juniper are cut at ground level with hand tools. Roots are left in the ground.
Cut brush is carried out to the fence on tarps. No vehicles go inside the orchard fences.
Brush is chipped outside the fence and the chips are hauled away.
Bare ground is hand-seeded with weed-free native seed.
This follows the Crooked River National Grassland Orchard Management Plan, written by Heritage Apple Corps and the Forest Service.
Before any brush is cut, we photograph each orchard from set points and record the location and compass direction of each photo. We will retake the same photos every year for three years after the work is done.
Most of the brush removal will be done at volunteer workdays. Dates will be posted on the Events page. Contact us if you want to help.
Heritage Apple Corps