Who We Are
Purpose, Mission, and Vision of BCRI
BCRI is a voluntary working group. Our purpose is to improve and restore Bear Creek's riparian corridor considering ecological and social factors. We want to establish ourselves as leaders in the recovery and management of streamside vegetation while contributing to meaningful conversations about public usability and safety. BCRI’s mission is to consider social issues while addressing environmental issues that come with managing urban stream restoration in the Bear Creek Watershed. Our vision for the Bear Creek Corridor is to strive to balance the “environmental and social factors” to create an asset for the community that is connected through parks and trails, emphasizes conservation of natural resources, creates recreation and education opportunities, and improves aquatic and terrestrial habitats for the benefit of Bear Creek and the communities it serves.
We Envision
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A natural setting, free of encampments, refuse, and large expanses of invasive plant species.
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The centerpiece of the communities of Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Medford, and Central Point such that commercial and residential developments face the creek.
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An inviting and safe place for people of all ages to ride a bike, jog, take a stroll, and splash in the shallows.
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An urban forest that incorporates enough infrastructure along its length as well as planned “defensible space” to allow emergency responders to contain fires.
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A wide belt of native trees and shrubs, clean water, and complex habitat conditions that allow large numbers of salmon, Pacific Lamprey, American beaver, and other native fish and wildlife to thrive.
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An area maintained through a private/public partnership that promotes entry-level job opportunities for members of the unsheltered population while engaging volunteer opportunities for local businesses and community.
History of Bear Creek Restoration Initiative
In early 2019, Rogue River Watershed Council (RRWC) approached the Rogue Valley Council of Governments (RVCOG) to assist them in developing a prioritized list of riparian restoration projects along Bear Creek and its tributaries that are broadly supported by local organizations, agencies, and jurisdictions. Riparian restoration is not a new effort along Bear Creek and has been a part of regional Clean Water Act implementation activities (TMDL) since at least 2003. Several existing plans and guiding documents, as well as ordinances, spell out where, what, and when restoration actions should occur along Bear Creek and its tributaries. Despite this guidance, implementation has been largely opportunistic and reactive rather than planned and proactive over the entire length of Bear Creek. Restoration practitioners identified the need to establish a collaborative working group to coordinate efforts over the entire Bear Creek corridor for restoration. In addition, there are other factors along Bear Creek that add complexities to restoration and management of the corridor that need to be included in the restoration/management discussion.
The Bear Creek Restoration Initiative (BCRI) is an outgrowth of this 2019 effort focused on taking established restoration perspectives and adding social and public safety considerations to address the issues facing Bear Creek, the most urbanized creek in southwest Oregon. Undertaking a large-scale project in the urban portions of the Bear Creek area will require ingenuity and new partnerships/collaborations than projects have in the past. Bringing in additional resources from public safety and human health practitioners may provide a more diverse and comprehensive prescription to the complex set of issues we are facing.
Restoration activities on Bear Creek are prioritized and planned according to many factors. During the winter of 2019, the BCRI produced a Final Report that provides, among other things, guidance on project priorities.
Who We Are.
BCRI Working Group
BCRI Supporters
Banner image credit: Rogue River Watershed Council. Additional image credit (left to right): Rogue River Watershed Council, Oregon Department of Transportation, Robert Ashworth, Rogue Basin Partnership, and Rogue River Watershed Council.