The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Glaze Meadow, bordering present-day Black Butte Ranch, was frequented by Native Americans for thousands of years. In the 1860s, settlers of European descent began to colonize the area -- and things haven't been quite the same since.

Today, however, steps are being taken to restore the meadow to its natural state.

"The Glaze Meadow project is a partnership for the restoration of habitat for both plants and animals," Lauri Turner, a wildlife biologist with the Sisters Ranger District, explained.

Partners with the Forest Service include Black Butte Ranch, Black Butte Stables, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, the Native Plant Society, and the Audubon Society.

The project relies heavily on volunteer labor.

Turner had high praise for Campfire kids from Sisters, who assisted the silviculture (tree-growing) operations crew with willow planting this spring.

"They helped us install willow wattles as an erosion control measure," Turner said.

Willow bundles -- or wattles, as they are called -- are planted in holes along the meadow.

When the willows sprout, the resulting root systems help stabilize the riparian habitat.

Half of this year's 600 willow plantings were accomplished with the assistance of Campfire volunteers.

The plantings will hopefully restore the meadow to a condition that early day homesteaders might have recognized.

Tillman Glaze homesteaded the area in the 1870s, and cattle grazed the region for more than a hundred years. The heavy grazing changed the character of the land and de-stabilized the water table.

Ownership of the land changed several times after it was logged in the 1920's, subsequently being acquired by the Johnsons, Lowerys and Morgans.

Eventually, Brooks Resources bought the land and part of it was traded to the Forest Service, as Black Butte Ranch was developed.

Some of the labor investment in the restoration project wasn't exactly volunteer.

"Dave Moyer organized corrections crews from both the county and the state to work in the area," Turner said.

Moyer is the Forest Service District Project Manager who coordinates inmate labor. One of the first things the inmates did was to pull miles of barbed wire from abandoned fences in the area.

Although the workers may have been prisoners, it doesn't sound like their labor was performed under all that much duress.

"One of the inmates," Turner reported, "said that this was an awesome place to work, and if we have anything more for them to do, please call."

Wire removal and willow planting are only two of the measures being taken in the project.

Forest Service District Ecologist Maret Pajutee said that last fall's controlled burn in the meadow is another important step.

"This was the first meadow burn we've ever done in our district," she said.

Turner added, "We burned about half the meadow to decrease thatch, and it did wonders for the forage potential for the big game.

"Prior to the burn, we didn't see a lot of big game use," she said. "Now, you can hardly take a step out there without seeing elk and deer tracks."

Burning of the remainder of the meadow is tentatively planned for this fall.

Fire consumes old dead vegetation, encouraging new growth of the native grasses that evolved in a cycle of natural burning.

The health of the Glaze Meadow ecosystem extends beyond the meadow itself. The area feeds Indian Ford Creek, an important tributary of Squaw Creek and the Deschutes watershed.

Indian Ford Creek flows under Highway 20, through Indian Ford Campground and Indian Ford Ranch, before passing behind the Sisters airport and into Squaw Creek.

Pajutee pointed out that the Forest Service closed the meadow to grazing in 1998.

"The Glaze Meadow area is one of the most biologically significant areas in our district," she said. "It has old growth forest, riparian habitat, rare plants, and aspen groves, all of which are very important for people and for wildlife populations."

The Glaze Meadow rare plant that seems to top everyone's interest list is Peck's penstemon. It is found only in areas near Sisters and nowhere else in the world.

This foot-high plant is a member of the figwort family. The flowers are irregular and tubular, with various colors ranging through shades of pink, lavender and blue.

The meadow management area also includes important bird habitat.

"The Audubon Society has just come on board the project to put together a birding list and help identify important nesting and habitat sites," Turner said.

Turner is looking for still more partners and volunteers for the Glaze Meadow project. Those interested may contact the Forest Service at 549-2111.