Volunteers sought for Metolius River Trail restoration

Volunteers are welcome to help restore the Metolius River Trail in Camp Sherman this spring.

Trout Unlimited (TU) received a $15,000 grant from the Martha Staley Marks, Phil and Jo Chase and Donald H. Frank Funds of The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) for its Metolius River Trail Restoration Project. 

The project will restore stream banks and the trail along a 15-mile section of the Metolius River near Camp Sherman. Working with the Deschutes National Forest and the National Forest Foundation, TU will work to improve trail conditions, riparian health, and fishing access along the river. 

"This generous grant will improve access to the Metolius River for anglers and other recreationists, allowing the community to enjoy the river and its surrounding areas," said Darek Staab, project manager for Trout Unlimited's Upper Deschutes Home Rivers Initiative. "Our hope is to sustain the clear water quality and healthy fishery for a positive experience today and for our future."

The project will restore river access sites that have lost vegetation as a result of heavy use and now are points of erosion into the river. The trail along the river will also be improved so that anglers, hikers, birders and boaters can enjoy the river more easily.

Trout Unlimited is seeking volunteers to help with the project and is looking to train community members to become stewards of the river and its adjacent land, to preserve the habitat of the Metolius River. Volunteer work days will begin in late April and continue through the fall season.

The Oregon Community Foundation works to improve life in Oregon and promote effective philanthropy. The foundation works with individuals, families, businesses and organizations to create charitable funds to support the community causes they care about. 

"OCF is pleased to support Trout Unlimited's education and outreach efforts for the Metolius River Trail Restoration Project, working to engage the community while facilitating a shared vision to protect and sustain the long-term health of the river and its surrounding habitat," said Kathleen Cornett, vice president for Grants & Programs. To learn more about The Oregon Community Foundation's mission and grant opportunities visit http://www.oregoncf.org.

Trout Unlimited is a non-profit organization with more than 147,000 members dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America's trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. For more information visit http://www.tu.org.