Owyhee Marginalia

2021-07-28 Vale BLM Announces Expanded Fire Restrictions Beginning July 1

{The BLM has announced expanded fire restrictions for the Vale District, which includes the Owyhee region.  Campers should carry a shovel, extra water for dousing flames and a fire extinguisher.   Park vehicles on bare ground; avoid dry grass.  According to the announcement, the largest culprit for human-caused fires on Vale BLM lands is equipment, including cars and trucks, ATVs and side-by-sides, industrial and commercial vehicles and equipment, recreational vehicles, chain saws, etc.   "Statistically,  fires caused by motorized vehicles and trailers are second only to lightning starts."  NO FIREWORKS !!!!}

 

 

2021-06-01 Blue Canyon Rock Corral

        When I began searching for information about my godmother, Stacia Davis, and her husband Conley, I discovered that while few folks remembered them, more could recall stories about Frank Davis, Conley’s father. Frank was noted primarily for his expertise in rustling livestock, particularly horses. (See “Early Life in the Owyhee,” Ch. 4 ‘Moonshine and Long Ropes.’”) Robert Danner, Glenn Fretwell’s grandfather, was the postmaster in Jordan Valley. To avoid being seen, Frank would come to the Danner place in the middle of the night to collect his mail. According to one story, someone took a pot shot at Frank in the dark as he came out the door with his mail, leaving a hole in his hat!

Glenn Fretwell atop the Corral Wall

        When I arrived in Jordan Valley for my current visit, Glenn told me of stumbling upon a rock corral in Blue Canyon that he thought might have been part of Frank’s operation. Because of their ready availability and their suitability for a rough form of dry stone masonry, basalt stones were commonly used in the construction of the walls and small buildings. In any case, given the dearth of trees, stones were about the only material available to put up walls strong enough to hold horses.w

Corral Wall in front of Basalt Talus Shot from Center of Corral

        The site of the Blue Canyon corral was surely chosen because it made the corral difficult to see until one is upon it. Below the canyon rim, the corral sits in a low spot and is in the shadows at least until midday, even later when the days grow short. It is beside a talus from which the corral was built, making it–like a trompe-l’œil–difficult to distinguish, especially in the dark shadows. Glenn’s previous visit, and additional information from Tim Davis, saved us much time searching for it. The darkness and severe contrast with the bright sky made photography a bit of challenge for one who hadn’t taken much more than few snapshots with an iPhone over the past year.

Glenn Fretwell Above Corral Wall

        Although overgrown with sage brush and tall grass, and missing a gate, this corral was nonetheless easily in the best shape of any rock corral I have seen. It is circular, measuring perhaps 60 feet in diameter. Because of the uneven topography, the wall in places is nearly ten feet high, though one can still look down into it while standing on the adjacent slope. The location of the corral leaves little doubt that it was for concealing stolen animals, though we can only speculate whether it was used by Frank Davis.

McCain Springs Rock Corral and Building

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        On our return trip we passed the ruins of of another stone corral at Lower McCain Springs, named for early rancher Jim McCain. It has pretty much collapsed or has been raided for stone, but the shape is still obvious. Not far way are the ruins of what must have been a small building. Glenn surmised that given the distance from the McCain ranch, which he estimated to be around twenty miles, it must have been shelter for buckaroos tending the cattle.
While examining the building ruins, I noticed that we were being carefully watched by the local caretaker–a curious young badger who didn’t seem particularly bothered by our presence and only dived back in his hole when Glenn came near him.

McCain Ruins Guardian Badger

2021-05-03 Argus Observer (Ontario, OR) Letter to the Editor

From the mailbag: It is time to revise the Southeast Oregon Resource Management Plan

• May 3, 2021 

    Last year saw Oregon devastated by massive wildfires. Conditions this year are building for a repeat. Temperatures have risen faster than normal, humidity is low, vegetation is drying and river flows are down. A drought emergency has been declared for Klamath county; three-quarters of Malheur county is experiencing moderate drought or worse. In the Owyhee, an abundance of dry fuels, combined with a flood of urbanites desperate to escape pandemic lockdown, is a disaster awaiting a spark.

    The threat to Owyhee rangeland and watershed is real and potentially dire. Large wildfires and desiccated vegetation will devastate the canyonlands for all who rely on them for their livelihood or recreation. Conservation of public lands should be a shared concern for everyone, regardless of differences regarding their utilization. While there may be some truth to the notion that climate change is a natural cycle humans can do little to alter, it is possible to mitigate the impact and sustain the health of the landscape by conserving its original and fundamental natural elements, including vegetation and hydrologic features.

    This will require full commitment and some sacrifice from all parties. Meaningful steps are possible now with the president’s order for federal agencies, including the BLM, to reconsider actions of recent years that contradict measures outlined to confront the climate crisis, i.e., listening to the science, protecting the environment, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and bolstering climate resiliency in natural systems. This must include revisiting the SE Oregon Resource Management Plan, and revising it to meet current challenges. Everyone should be able to agree on these fundamental principles and work toward a respectful transition that, while it may not meet everyone’s specific desires, can nonetheless achieve goals held in common. This approach is fundamental to American democracy and the core of its strength and durability.

Bill Crowell

Portland (Frequent visitor to Malheur County)