Greetings from hot and dry southern Oregon where it seems as if fire season is finally starting to wind down a little bit. Most of the occasional smoke we have now is only from fires in northern California such as the Happy Camp Complex. Personally I think the smoky skies are kind of beautiful and a change of pace in a way.

Here in Medford I’ve been continuing to inspect quarries and mining claims for compliance. Lots of nice views and lots of nice rocks. Other than that, when I have free time I like to work on the rockhounding guide I’ve been working on. I found quite the jackpot a few days ago that was absolutely filled with banded agates and beautiful green and red jasper.

The larger project I’m working on at the moment has to do with the geology of western Oregon for part of the BLM’s Resource Management Plan. Essentially a guide on how to manage resources for the next several years. The areas I’m working on include the Coast Range, Cascades, Willamette Valley, a small part of the Basin and Range and the magnificent Klamath Mountains. These regions all have pretty different geology. Some have natural gas potential or have produced gas in the past, such as the Mist Gas Field north of Portland, while others have and still are producing placer and lode gold, especially down here in Southern Oregon. Writing about the backgrounds of these areas in allowing me to further expand my knowledge of Oregon as a whole as well as really get into writing and office days.

Cheers from the BLM Medford office,

Morgan