Published December 30, 2025
As we reflect on 2025, the Year of the Oak, we celebrate the resilience and longevity of these mighty trees—the focal species of the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network’s Upper Rogue Oak Initiative (UROI). Now in its third year, the Initiative continues to grow in scope and impact, guided by collaboration, ecological stewardship, and shared purpose.
Lomakatsi, in collaboration with KSON partners, is especially excited to move forward with guidance from the newly formed Inter-Tribal Advisory Committee (ITAC) coordinated through the Inter-Tribal Ecosystem Restoration Partnership on behalf of UROI. The ITAC, which consists of tribal leaders and natural and ecocultural stewardship specialists, is formally advising on oak restoration prescriptions, First Foods access and cultivation, tribal workforce development and youth engagement, and the integration of Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) across all aspects of the Initiative. We’re honored by each member’s participation and look forward to deepening our partnership and growing together through this shared work—building the framework for integrated collaboration now and into the future.
On-the-ground work is also gaining momentum this winter, with ecologically based thinning and piling underway and roughly 50% complete on a 334-acre parcel of private land and burning opportunities on the horizon for additional units within the UROI footprint.
We extend our sincere thanks to Klamath Bird Observatory, The Understory Initiative, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service- Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Collaborative, and Pacific Birds for this team effort to protect and restore oak habitat!
Together, we’re stewarding a landscape rooted in partnership and caring for these vital ecosystems!
