Forest Service plans to restore Santiam forest

The Sisters Ranger District is trying to protect habitat for spotted owls and bald eagles while treating and restoring a large section of unhealthy forest along Highway 20 northwest of Sisters.

But treatment does not pay for itself, and foresters say timber sales must come quickly if dying trees are to retain their commercial value.

Nearly 3,600 acres of National Forest land northwest of Sisters is the subject of a massive restoration project proposed for the Santiam Late Successional Reserve.

Up to six pairs of spotted owls call the Santiam LSR home, as do nesting bald eagles near Suttle Lake and many other species that create the diversity of the area.

Under the National Environmental Protection Act and the Northwest Forest Plan and its amendments, foresters must maintain habitat for the northern spotted owl and other species that live in the same environment.

But according to the Forest Service, the current state of the Santiam LSR puts the forest at extreme risk of wildfire and insect annihilation. Foresters believe they have to act aggressively to protect the long-term health of the forest.

That means cutting trees.

In the 1980's, standard logging practice dictated the removal of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. This made way for a population explosion among the true firs - the grand, noble, and white firs.

These fir species have relatively thin bark and consistent branch length from top to bottom, making them perfect fuel for a fire. The low branches act like a fuse taking flames from the understory straight to the crown. The thin bark allows quick ignition of the trunk, turning the tree into a matchstick.

"The true firs are not fire-proof or disease resistant," Sisters Ranger District Environmental Coordinator Sandy Hurlocker explained, "When it's wet they thrive, but when its dry they crash, like a pump running dry."

The Deschutes National Forest and Sisters Ranger District have identified five alternative treatment methods for the Santiam LSR project, which is split into two main tracts.

The narrow, lower section is bisected by Highway 20, south of Suttle Lake; Suttle Lake separates the larger area which lies north of Highway 20, reaching to the Pacific Crest.

The alternative preferred by the Forest Service ("Alternative 3m") would treat 3,560 acres of forest - 2,630 acres through timber sales, and 1,030 through other means, such as thinning smaller trees, firewood sales, and underburning.

According to Hurlocker, "(Many of) these trees have been dead 4-5 years. The white firs decompose the fastest and may not even be valuable for chips."

Regardless of the value of the timber, trees will be removed from the project area. How many and what size is yet to be decided.

The Environmental Assessment is open for public comment from Thursday, November 27 through Friday, December 26.

Copies of the assessment can be obtained at the Sisters Ranger District office at the corner of Pine Street and Highway 20 in Sisters.

For additional information, contact Sandy Hurlocker at 549-2111.