Volunteers start reforestation after fire

Sue and Marlin Ard are ready to join with two dozen others to start a restoration project in the burned out area at the western edge of Black Butte Ranch. Photo provided

The Friends of Black Butte Ranch began planting trees two weeks ago, starting a reforestation project on part of the burned-out area along McAllister Road at the western edge of the Ranch.

That's where the Cache Mountain fire last summer blackened thousands of acres and destroyed two homes within the Ranch.

"We were able to plant about 2,000 trees covering more than half the acreage burned along here last July 28," said Jack Barringer, retired forester.

"The late spring snow storm stopped us temporarily," he said, "as ice formed from the snow could make air pockets in and around the tree roots which could create air pockets and eventually kill the baby trees.

"We'll finish the job on the remaining eight acres with 1,600 additional trees," he said.

Professional tree planters will plant another 9,200 trees on the remaining 43 acres.

The Friends planted ponderosa seedlings. The 14- to 16-inch saplings were purchased by the ranch.

Barringer heads the tree cutting program year round at Black Butte Ranch, marking dead trees to be removed and giving his approval for the removal of live trees "to improve views or prepare for new construction."

His committee, composed mainly of members of Friends of Black Butte Ranch, is given credit by Fire Chief Ed Sherrell for preventing a "catastrophic disaster" to the residents of Black Butte Ranch by thinning trees, "especially along our outer perimeter," and removing brittle fire debris and fuel.

"We had a number of complaints about opening up the forests and taking out too many trees, but the saving result is that we lost only two homes and not 80 or more, which was a real possibility without the thinning," Sherrell said.

Among those who volunteered were Claude Nave, his wife, Jean, author of the recently published Cache Mountain fire book, Dave and Lynda Sullivan, Russ Fetrow, Larry and Cathy Ellis, Bill and Barbara Burkart, Bruce Gibbs, Loy Helmly, Keith and Juliane Kaneko, Jeff and Paula Reents, Judi Benson, Ardra Bare, Marlin and Sue Ard and Steve Fitzgerald, a forester from Oregon State University forest extension.

Steve Canavan, from Black Butte Ranch maintenance, lent a hand along with equipment and hardware.

The ranch kitchen facilities provided a hot lunch to all the volunteers and Dottie Barringer made and brought chocolate chip cookies for enjoyment during the infrequent "coffee breaks."

The fingerling trees were planted in rows to "make the location of each new tree more assessable and to keep track of who planted what," said Barringer, himself a Black Butte Ranch resident.

"We have a list of the names of our volunteers and what rows they worked upon, which will be on permanent file at our fire hall so that years from now, returning tree planters or their offspring can return and look at the results of what they gave back to us all."

The rows will not remain that exact as some trees will die and the area will end up with an irregular arrangement of trees, just as in a natural forest.

Barringer said that the reputation from those with whom he works is "that of a tree cutter. I would also now like to be known as a tree planter."