Website depicts local project

Sisters area residents can learn about a major fire-risk reduction project near Camp Sherman through a new web page crafted by the Deschutes National Forest.

The website focusing on the Metolius Basin Forest Management Project is one of the first project-specific web pages created by the Deschutes National Forest. It features colorful photos, interactive maps, animation of forest changes and links to other sites that focus on fire ecology and reducing fire risk to forest homes.

The site can be found at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/centraloregon/index-metolius.

A competitive grant from the Forest Health Protection Program funded the web page, which brings information into homes instead of requiring people to attend evening meetings or read informational letters.

"This web page is a way to get information in the comfort of your home in a colorful and interesting way," said Helen Maffei, Deschutes National Forest pathologist and web page coordinator. "Everyone is so busy these days with their lives and families it's hard for people to attend public meetings or read long letters. We really want to make it easy for people to understand and participate in this important project that protects the people and the special values of the Metolius Basin.

"We had to make it easier, less technical, and more fun to get involved."

The Metolius Basin Forest Management Project examines options for reducing the risk of high-severity fires and improving forest health on about 17,000 acres in the Metolius Basin. The draft Environmental Impact Statement that documents the analysis for this project will be available for public review and comment in December.

A summary of the project can be reviewed on the new web page site.

For more information call 549-7730.