Thinning program allows firewood gathering

With last year's loss of two homes at Black Butte Ranch still fresh in everyone's mind, the Forest Service's wildfire prevention program is in full swing.

"Our thinning program for Highway 20 and Black Butte Ranch is going real well this year," said Dave Moyer, Supervisory Forestry Technician for the Sisters Ranger District.

Moyer specializes in what the Forest Service calls "Timber Stand Improvement."

In an effort to reduce dangerous buildups of forest fuels, the Forest Service is continuing its aggressive program of fuels reduction -- especially in what is termed the urban interface. The goal in the Sisters area this season is to treat up to 1,000 acres of forest land.

"Forest Service and Oregon Department of Forestry crews have been cutting since last fall," said Moyer. "Now we have Department of Corrections crews doing hand piling."

The inmate crews have become something of a fixture in Central Oregon during the spring and early summer.

The program gives minimum risk, short-time inmates a chance to learn job skills and work ethics to help them transition back to life on the "outside."

According to Moyer, the present crew of 20 inmates working the area will be doubling in size this week.

"They'll be here working with us for another five weeks," he said.

Moyer has worked with inmate crews for many years, and he has only praise for the work they do.

"We've not had any trouble with them out here at all," he said.

A number of those who worked in the program last year are back again this year.

Evidence of the project has been especially visible along Highway 20 on the hill that descends to Jack Lake Road, just east of Suttle Lake. In that area, extremely dense stands of young trees have been noticeably thinned.

Right now, the cutting crews are doubling back along the Camp Sherman Road and the west side of Black Butte. If possible, Moyer also hopes that this year's project will get a chance to do some additional work on a unit near Tollgate.

Moyer said that last week some of the inmates had a special treat and climbed Black Butte.

He observed that it was educational just for them to have a chance to look out across the world that they are isolated from in prison.

"They were pumped up like a basketball team going to the championships," he said.

While there, the inmates helped do some salvage work on the old Black Butte Tower that collapsed a couple of winters ago (see related story, page 11).

"They sorted hardware, bolts and nuts," said Moyer. "They also sorted timbers and tried to keep some good stuff that may be utilized to build a viewing platform up there."

Whenever possible, the inmate crews leave good firewood by the road, so it can be used by the public. Logs left along Highway 20 were being plucked up almost immediately.

"The minute we threw it out by the road, it was picked up and utilized," said Moyer.

The Forest Service reminds potential wood gatherers, however, that permits are required.

"We call them pulpwood permits," said Special Forest Products Coordinator, Alan Heath. "Calling it pulpwood enables me to charge a lower price than we could if we called it firewood."

Pulpwood permit costs are up to $2 a cord this year and 10 cords represents both the minimum and maximum.

"All of our permits have a $20 minimum, now," said Heath. "In most cases, the prices are the same, but we require larger quantities now."

Word seems to be getting around, and people are taking advantage of the available wood.

"We're seeing pretty strong utilization," Heath said. "There's a lot of interest. We're continuing to thin new units, so there will continue to be new wood available throughout the season."

Heath said that wood gatherers are welcome to mine the stacked piles for additional firewood, but the Forest Service requires the disturbed piles to be reassembled.

He said that the thinning work will be expanding into areas that are farther away from Highway 20, and future cutting should make more fir available.

Pulpwood and other permits are available from the Forest Service office in Sisters.

For further information, contact 549-7700.