Oregon - Willamette NF
Closed! Fish Lake Guard Station Site Host 2015
OR-4244
June 22 –September 13, 2015 (all sessions include weekends)
Session 1: June 22 –July 5 (including weekend)
Session 2: July 6–19 (including weekend)
Session 3: August 2–16 (including weekend)
Session 4: August 17-30 (including weekend)
Session 5: August 31–September 13 (including weekend)
Must commit to one full session; may participate in more
Nestled in the High Cascades of Western Oregon at an elevation of 3,200 feet above sea level, in the Willamette National Forest, is the Fish Lake Guard Station. It lies 20 miles northeast of McKenzie Bridge within Linn County, near the junction of U.S. Highway 20, and Oregon State Highway 126. The Station is a Forest Service administrative building group constructed in the early 1900s, and in regular use between then and the 1960s. During its formal life span, it served as a guard station, fire headquarters, and remount station. The site is bordered to the southwest by Fish Lake, and encompasses 16.81 acres of gently sloping, south-facing, high plateau terrain, and hosts 18 historic buildings, structures, and sites as well as two non-historic buildings and other structures. The Guard Station is listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), as is the Santiam Wagon Road, which cuts through the Guard Station compound. This section of road passing near Fish Lake contributed a significant role in the decision of where to construct the compound.
Our PIT project will involve some initial training and orientation to the compound, its history, and the local area, and will then rely on your friendly faces and people-skills over five two-week sessions. Volunteers will welcome visitors and provide information and answer questions about the Complex and its use over the past 100 plus years! You may also get the opportunity to work on restoring some of the historic structures and/or help with structure or grounds maintenance with the on-site manager or with the group "Friends of Fish Lake." We will only recruit until all sessions are filled, so apply today!
Number of openings: 5-10 (1 individual or couple per session)
Special skills: Note: this project is specifically geared towards volunteers with RVs/self-contained campers or those wishing to stay off-site; Must enjoy talking and interacting with people on a daily basis and have an appreciation of history and the outdoors; extant knowledge of the site, the area, and/or local history, construction, restoration, and/or general maintenance skills helpful, but not required
Minimum age: 18 years old
Facilities: Volunteers may set up on-site in designated area at no charge; on-site, overnight accommodations must be self-contained; septic disposal available on-site, though water and hook-ups may or may not be available; two newer, no-flush toilet outhouses on site; Clear Lake Resort (~2 miles west of Fish Lake) has a restaurant, and there is a small shop open to the public where minimal food supplies can be purchased; McKenzie Bridge is a limited-services community with gas station, restaurants and convenient store; Sisters is a full-service community with hotels/motels, restaurants, and a full range of other amenities; volunteers responsible for own lodging, food, water, and daily transportation (if staying off-site)
Nearest towns: McKenzie Bridge, 20 miles; Sisters, 25 miles
Applications due: Filled