| Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Pacific Crest Trail at Cascade–Siskiyou | |
  | |
| Location | Jackson County, Oregon andSiskiyou County, California, United States |
| Nearest city | Ashland |
| Coordinates | 42°04′40″N122°27′40″W / 42.07778°N 122.46111°W /42.07778; -122.46111 |
| Area | 114,000 acres (460 km2)[1] |
| Established | June 9, 2000 (2000-06-09)[2] |
| Governing body | Bureau of Land Management |
| Website | Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument |
TheCascade–Siskiyou National Monument is aUnited States national monument that protects 114,000 acres (46,134 ha)[1] of forest and grasslands at the junction of theCascade Range and theSiskiyou Mountains in SouthwesternOregon and NorthwesternCalifornia, United States. The monument is managed by theBureau of Land Management as part of theNational Landscape Conservation System. It was established in apresidential proclamation byPresidentBill Clinton on June 9, 2000[3] and expanded by PresidentBarack Obama on January 12, 2017.[4][5]
Native Americans are known from archaeological excavations to have inhabited the region for thousands of years. Nearly 100 dwelling and root-gathering sites belonging to theModoc,Klamath, andShasta tribes have been uncovered to date. By the 1880s, their lands were taken bywhite settlers, whoseminingcabins still dot the region.[6][7] Natural features in the monument includePilot Rock, a volcanic neck or interior of an extinct volcano, similarly formed asDevils Tower inWyoming, and theSoda Mountain Wilderness.
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ThePacific Crest Trail runs through the monument area. There is afire lookout tower on the top of Soda Mountain built in 1962 to replace the original 1933 structure. Although the top of the mountain is also the site of dozens of television and radio broadcast and relay dishes, the view from the fire lookout of the surrounding mountains is unobstructed. From the lookout, one can seeMount Shasta,Mount Ashland,Mount McLoughlin, as well as on clear days, the rim ofCrater Lake.[8]
The Cascade–Siskiyou National Monumentland use plan has been the source of local and national controversy over multi-use planning forwilderness androadless areas.[9] The plan currently strives for a balance between managing rare natural habitat, recreational activities, and agricultural activities including cattle grazing and timber. Numerous private landinholdings remain within the boundaries of the Monument. TheSouthern Oregon Land Conservancy holds aconservation easement on a 1,312-acre (531 ha) private property nearSiskiyou Summit.
In May 2015, 70 scientists endorsed the April 2011 Cascade–Siskiyou Scientific Report and the need for monument expansion bringing the total number of scientists speaking out on expansion to 85.[10] Additionally, science-based expansion of the Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument is formally endorsed in writing by:
The monument expansion is opposed by the Boards of Commissioners of Jackson County[12] and Klamath County[13] (both in Oregon); and the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors (in California).[14] A group of local people calling themselves the "No Monument Tribe" opposes the monument in its entirety, both the initial establishment and the expansion.[15]
On January 12, 2017, PresidentBarack Obama expanded the monument by 48,000 acres (19,000 ha). The expansion contains 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) in Northern California, in addition to 43,000 acres (17,000 ha) in Oregon.[16]
Federal judges in Washington, DC and Oregon issued conflicting decisions in 2019 over the legality of the expansion intoO&C Lands.[17] In 2023 both the 9th and DC Circuit Courts of Appeals upheld the expanded national monument designation.[18] The Supreme Court declined to take up the two decisions in 2024.[19]
The Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument is the first U.S. national monument set aside solely for the preservation of biodiversity.[2] It has one of the most diverseecosystems found in theCascade Range. Two hundred species of birds are known to exist in the monument including some threatened andendangered species.[6]Amphibians found in the National Monument include therough-skinned newt.
Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument is noted for its significant botanical diversity. The range of elevations and diversity of habitat types provides for a spectacular flora that includes many endemics to the immediate Siskiyou crest area, such as Green's mariposa lily (Calochortus greenei). The federally endangered Gentner's fritillary (Fritillaria gentneri) is known to occur in the monument.
