News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
The Sisters Ranger District has invited public comment on proposals to manage the Jack Creek and Canyon Creek drainage of the Metolius River.
At least one environmentalist believes the plan invites ecological disaster.
A 30-day comment period began February 12 and will run through Friday, March 12.
The plan also calls for reducing fire fuels by burning or mechanical means, and a north-south fuel break would be created to aid fire containment.
The goal is to reduce "dangerously high fuel loading as quickly as possible," according to Shimamoto's letter.
Steve Huddleston of the Central Oregon Forest Issues Committee feels the plan is inconsistent with its stated goals and will result in great environmental harm.
Referring the Forest Service's own environmental assessment for the project, Huddleston says that if the goal is to reduce fire danger, the Forest Service should work at removing slash piles and down material left over from previous logging operations.
Instead, he alleges, the Forest Service's own assessment indicates the clear-cut of 1,700 acres in the sale area could lead to the death of three pairs of spotted owls, potentially destroy the bull trout population in Jack Creek and risk landslides and pollution of creeks in the drainage.
"The Forest Service says they are pursuing this because of a fear of catastrophic fire. I agree if you cut down most of the trees you reduce the chance of fire, but the way they are going about it is ecologically unsound," Huddleston said.
The Forest Service reviewed other alternatives that would involve much of the same treatment but on a smaller scale, and taking no action, allowing the forest to change with natural disturbances such as insect and disease outbreaks, wildfire or wind.
Huddleston said if the Forest Service needs to log to improve stand health, the agency should concentrate on areas with high mortality.
Instead, he alleges, they plan to treat the 4,000-acre area "with a large area logging scheme, where they can take live trees up to 21 inches in diameter. This is not necessary."
Huddleston said that the Forest Service's own environmental assessment conceded that the project could impact the bull trout population, which he said was recognized as the healthiest in the state.
Ron Archuleta, biologist with the Sisters Ranger District, said that while the assessment acknowledged potential impact, the Forest Service would be meeting next week with the federal Fish and Wildlife Service to discuss the project "and make sure there would be no adverse impact on bull trout."
That is part of the reason for the 30-day comment period, Archuleta said, and elements of the project can be redesigned.
Archuleta said the project had been planned with "riparian reserves," buffers between logging activity and riparian habitat, and that "units will not have a significant impact on the watershed."
As to the possible impact on spotted owls, Archuleta agreed that there could be such an impact, but that this was allowed under the Northwest Forest Plan in "matrix" areas, as this project area has been designated.
Despite plans to leave the required minimum of 100 core acres around each spotted owl nesting site, "These owls may be what is called an `incidental take,' " Archuleta said.
In her letter to planning groups, District Ranger Karen Shimamoto said she preferred the more aggressive alternative "because the additional effects to the project area resources are outweighed by the reduced risk associated with this alternative, especially the risk of losing large areas to stand replacement fires and insect and disease outbreaks. As a whole, I favor Alternative 3 because it provides a stronger basis from which to begin the recovery of this area."
Huddleston says the Forest Service plans to remove about 31 million board feet from the sale area, and that the first 17 million board feet are exempt from appeal by environmentalists because they come under the 1995 Recision Act.
Also known as the "salvage rider," and labeled "Logging Without Laws" by environmental groups, this federal legislation prevents appeal.
For more information contact Ron Archuleta of the Sisters Ranger District at 549-2111.
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