First-Ever Fast Forest Announced at Dorris Ranch
Innovative partnership funds tree replacement at Dorris Ranch while honoring athletes
A new, innovative partnership between Willamalane and Endless Mileage helps fund orchard replacement projects at Dorris Ranch while inspiring the next generation of track and field athletes to break barriers. The two organizations have launched the first-ever Fast Forest at Dorris Ranch at 205 Dorris Street, Springfield OR, 97477.
Ben Blankenship, an accomplished track athlete and founder of Endless Mileage, approached Willamalane with this unique and mutually beneficial idea. For each athlete who breaks the barrier of the 4-minute mile for men and 4:30 minute mile for women, Endless Mileage will make a donation to fund and dedicate a new tree on their behalf. So far, 692 trees have been planted and dedicated to recognizing the American athletes who have broken these barriers through 2021.
“We were looking for a way to meaningfully connect environmental sustainability to achievement in sport, and the Fast Forest does that. We look forward to expanding our groves to encompass additional track and field events and accomplishments.”
– Ben Blankenship, Founder, Endless Mileage
Since 2016, the filbert trees at Dorris Ranch have suffered from Eastern Filbert Blight, a fungus that spreads quickly in orchards and is often is fatal for filbert trees. To maintain Dorris Ranch as a working filbert orchard, the trees need to be replaced. Willamalane plans to replace 6,000 trees in 12 of the 13 orchards with a blight-resistant species in phases.
While orchard replacement is effective, it does carry a significant cost. To replace all identified trees, costs would exceed $500,000. In 2016, Willamalane replaced one orchard with blight-resistant species and did a second wave of replacement in 2021. Creative funding solutions are key to making this project viable in the future.
You can visit the Fast Forest at Dorris Ranch and identify honored athletes by finding their biodegradable hanging wood tag featuring their name, date of achievement, official time, and space for the athlete’s signature. In addition to the physical on-site signage, a searchable website that provides the location of each tree is available at EndlessMileage.org.
About Endless Mileage
Founded in 2022 by Olympian, World-Record Holder, and three-time U.S. Champion Ben Blankenship, Endless Mileage is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering sustainable environments and programming that inspire the next generation of track & field athletes to break barriers.
About Willamalane
Willamalane Park and Recreation District maintains and operates five recreation facilities and 47 parks and natural areas totaling over 1,500 acres. Highlights include 10 waterfront areas, 34 miles of hiking and biking trails, nine turf and four synthetic sports fields, and 28 playgrounds. Willamalane offers recreation programs to people of all ages and abilities. Created by voters in 1944, Willamalane is a special tax district, separate from the city of Springfield, with its own boundaries. It is governed by a five-member, elected board of directors and managed by an executive director. In 2022, Willamalane earned CAPRA accreditation, which signifies that an organization’s overall quality of operations, management, and service to the community are aligned to industry best practices.
